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The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is hailing the historic election victory of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the 46th President-elect and Vice President-elect of the United States as a win offering hope to millions of American workers.
The ITF looks forward to President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris working with unions and the labour movement to deliver on their election promises, and bridging the growing economic and racial disparities in the US.
“Workers got Biden and Harris elected, and workers must be repaid for their faith. We look forward to, and strongly anticipate their delivery on key pledges to return decent and secure jobs; to strengthen collective bargaining and the right to strike; bring liability to companies for anti-union behaviour and wage theft; and secure pension reform,” said Stephen Cotton, ITF General Secretary.
“It is critical that they lose no time addressing income inequality, for example combatting the misclassification and erosion of worker rights by gig economy employers and other corporations who prioritise profit above workers’ dignity,” said Cotton.
ITF President Paddy Crumlin said that the ITF was looking forward to Biden-Harris more proactively handling the coronavirus pandemic to protect American workers.
“Their planned response to the Covid-19 pandemic will be critical to keeping American communities safe, particularly frontline transport workers and their families. Policies must rapidly translate into concrete actions that provide economic relief to keep families out of poverty, fed and in housing. The pandemic has reinforced that the US still needs to tackle access to quality healthcare and education on an equal basis for all its people,” said Crumlin.
Crumlin said that the ITF also welcomed pledges from the Biden-Harris administration to boost multilateralism and a return of US international cooperation on the issues that matter most to working people.
“A Biden-Harris administration will help boost multilateralism and international security and functionality at a time when it is needed most. President elect Biden’s commitment to rejoin the World Health Organization will restore US leadership in the fight against Covid-19, and his pledge to rejoin the Paris Agreement will be a historic tipping point and boost to international action on climate change amongst other badly depleted initiatives This leadership is urgently needed for further peace and stability in many international conflicts and crises,” said Crumlin.
On behalf of the 20 million international transport workers in our family, the ITF congratulates and celebrates Vice President-elect Harris for helping to further pave the way for all women and girls, for diversity in leadership in the US and internationally, as the first Black and South Asian woman elected as Vice President.
“As workers and trade unionists, we will continue to unite and strive with every fibre of our humanity, organisation, courage and determination in the ongoing fight to win justice, peace, economic and political stability, and social and racial justice. We welcome leadership from the new President-elect and Vice President-elect on behalf of all the working women and men, families and communities that we represent internationally,” said Crumlin.