Contact: R.J. Hufnagel, 412-562-2450, rhufnagel@usw.org
The United Steelworkers (USW) today praised President Joe Biden’s anticipated executive order to institute 100-day reviews of four critical industrial supply chains, a step meant to avoid shortages of crucial goods.
“President Biden recognizes that American manufacturing is a critical part of our nation’s safety and security,” said USW International President Tom Conway. “If the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything, it’s that when we are forced to rely on other nations to supply our day-to-day needs, we put American lives on the line.”
Biden’s order will focus on pharmaceuticals, computer chips, large-capacity batteries, and rare minerals used in high-tech applications.
“These are essential pieces of our economy, but this is simply one step in what must be a sustained effort to restore our nation’s manufacturing capacity across all industries,” Conway said. “That effort must include large-scale investments in updating our infrastructure, along with a commitment to ensuring that these investments create long-term, good-paying jobs that can support families.
“While these four areas of focus are an important start, a similar effort will be necessary to strengthen our infrastructure supply chain when that work begins,” he said.
The shortages of household supplies, medical equipment and personal protective equipment that Americans saw during the first several months of the pandemic demonstrated the urgent need to revitalize U.S. manufacturing, Conway said.
“American workers are more than capable of meeting our nation’s needs if we make sure they have the tools they need to do so,” Conway said. “We have to learn from the lessons that 2020 taught us and do everything we can to make sure it never happens again.”
The USW represents 850,000 workers employed in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in health care, public sector, higher education, tech and service occupations.