Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust Executive Director Pete Ielmini joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and provided an update on the status of the Federal Mechanical Insulation Act and talked about jobsite safety.
Ielmini, who was attending the annual North America’s Building Trades Unions Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., gave an update on the progress of the Federal Mechanical Insulation Act. As part of the conference, the LMCT will take a contingent of Insulators Union leaders to Capitol Hill, where they will speak with members of Congress. He said the goal is for these leaders to speak about the FMIA, how mechanical insulation will benefit taxpayers and how the FMIA will create jobs for members of the Insulators Local Union who live in that Congressional district.
Currently, the FMIA has 42 co-sponsors, and Ielmini believes these visits could lead to additional members of Congress signing on as well. As more cosponsors are added to the legislation, it improves the bill’s likelihood of passing a vote in committee and infront of the entire House. He stressed the importance of reaching out across the aisle and working with both Democrats and Republicans to pass legislation that is good for both businesses and communities.
Construction Safety Week will take place from May 6 through May 10, and Ielmini said today’s construction workers are much safer now than those who worked with the tools three decades ago. He recalled that safety was one of the two founding principles in the formation of unions nearly 150 years so both men and women could work in a safe and healthy environment. Ielmini credited unions for pushing the federal government to create the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). He explained how OSHA has helped play a large role in making the construction industry the safest it has been in his lifetime.
Ielmimi stressed that mental health is a key component of workplace safety. He said all accidents are preventable and everyone needs to have a clear head to work on the construction site in order to keep everyone safe. Mental well-being goes a long way in making this line of work safe, and it will likely be the focus point for at least the next decade.
Listen to the entire episode to hear more about the FMIA and construction safety: