LIUNA members are experienced Construction Craft Laborers (CCL) who build our nation’s water infrastructure. On water projects, members are skilled workers performing general construction, concrete placement, roadway construction, site preparation, pipelaying, erosion control, hoisting and rigging, OSHA safety, traffic control, rough terrain forklift operation, and trenching and excavation safety. Members also do tunnel and shaft construction, tamping, dewatering, running pavement breakers, drilling and blasting, waterproofing, fire watch and confined space entry watch

Historic Federal Investment in Clean Drinking Water and Lead Pipe Removal

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA), makes historic investments in our nation’s drinking water with $11.7 billion to the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, $15 billion to Lead Service Line Replacement, and $11.7 billion to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. The investment in eliminating lead pipes is the the single largest investment to deliver clean drinking water to families in American history.

Labor Standards for New Water Infrastructure Investment Will Ensure Good Jobs

The new and increased investments will create many thousands of good jobs improving our water infrastructure. The US Environmental Protection Agency calls for strong labor standards with investment, including:

• Enforcement of long-standing Davis-Bacon related act prevailing wage requirements across projects that receive CWSRF and DWSRF resources, as required under federal law.
• Encouraging pre-apprenticeship, registered apprenticeship, and youth training programs that open pathways to employment.
• Encouraging SRF funding recipients to support safe, equitable, and fair labor practices by adopting collective bargaining agreements, local hiring provisions , project labor agreements, and community benefits agreements.