Statement from Raymond M. Pocino: "We are here today to ask for help"
“Dozens of LIUNA members have converged on the district offices of State Senate President Steve Sweeney and Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean, Jr. LIUNA’s goal is to implore the two leaders to work together to fix New Jersey’s transportation crisis, one that now threatens the livelihood of several thousand construction craft laborers and close to ten thousand workers statewide. It is important for our elected leaders to meet the men and women who will be hurt, who--without state action--may face difficult choices moving forward on things like food and housing, healthcare and education.
Democrats and Republicans alike agree on a responsible measure to fund the TTF. The difference lies in the competing tax fairness proposals. While different, we think there is room for compromise, but that compromise must not wait. We are confident that Senator Sweeney and Senator Kean both understand the enormity of the situation and we ask them to use their public offices and leadership positions to fix and fund the Transportation Trust Fund as soon as possible. If they are determined to do so--in good faith and honest effort--then they will have no bigger supporter than the Laborers’ International Union of North America.
We are here today to ask for help from the public officials who represent their respective political parties in the senate and also have the power to reach a compromise on tax fairness and fix the TTF.
LIUNA members will be rotating their informational pickets often to deliver our message to the senate, assembly and governor’s office and will do so until a solution is identified, passed, and signed into law.”
Raymond M. Pocino is Vice President and Eastern Regional Manager for the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA), representing more than 40,000 construction workers in New Jersey, New York City, Long Island, Delaware, and Puerto Rico. LIUNA is at the forefront of the construction industry, a powerhouse of workers who are proud to build America.