CWA Local President Attends State of the Union Address

Marc Ellis, President of CWA Local 9413 in Nevada, attended President Biden’s first State of the Union address virtually as the guest of U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.).

Rosen, a co-sponsor of the PRO Act, was instrumental in attaching high labor standard requirements to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s broadband funding. “Experienced, trained telecommunications workers – like the union members of Communications Workers of America Local 9413 – are going to play a critical role in building out and modernizing our broadband network in Northern Nevada and across the country, thanks to Senator Jacky Rosen’s work on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” Ellis said.

Biden’s address made it clear that empowering workers has been the foundation of his agenda to strengthen our country and highlighted the many ways that his administration has addressed the needs of working families in the first year of his presidency. He has already taken executive action to close loopholes in existing Made in America requirements. Funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will facilitate economic development by improving our transportation capacity and bringing high-speed internet connections to communities across the country, while creating good jobs in the industry.

Biden also pointed out the insufficiency of our current labor laws and called on Congress to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. “When a majority of workers want to form a union – they shouldn’t be stopped,” said the President.

Read CWA’s full statement here.

CWA Local 9413 President Marc Ellis and U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) in conversation about the bipartisan infrastructure law ahead of the State of the Union address.