WASHINGTON – March 20, 2020 – Today, North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) issued the following statement from President Sean McGarvey that unionized building trades workers stand ready as a reserve force for North America:

“During this ever-changing time of crisis for our continent and our world, North America’s Building Trades Unions stand prepared to help. We ask leaders of the state, federal, and provincial governments and industries to utilize our members as a ready reserve force.

“Throughout our history, from world wars to natural disasters and terrorist attacks across our continent, members of North America’s Building Trades Unions always have been the first ones to man the breach. We will continue to help to keep the supply lines open, to retrofit factories, to keep the power on for hospitals, industries, and homes so they may stay open and functioning, to quickly build new testing facilities and hospital expansions, and to respond anywhere at any time.

“Our members and our signatory contractors – with our breadth of exceptional high-skills and training – are uniquely prepared to aid immediately in a time of crisis in North America. We stand ready to serve and are available to do nothing short of whatever is required by our leaders.

“The political and business leadership of our continent need our support, and we are ready. Our patriotic American and Canadian brothers and sisters are committed to lessening this suffering, helping to keep our economy afloat and moving.

“North America’s Building Trades Unions will stand and be counted. We are a family, and all of North America are our brothers and sisters. Please visit our website (https://www.nabtu.org/) and contact our state, local and provincial building trades’ leaders for anything for which our men and women’s high skillsets will be useful. We are with you.”