IAM District 19 General Chairman Juan Estrada, TCU/IAM Organizing Executive Director Sal Rodriguez, and TCU/IAM member Steven Phillips recently joined over 16 other unions in a show of unity at a kickoff event in Palmdale, Calif., for the multimillion-dollar High Desert Corridor (HDC) High-Speed Rail Project.
The project, often called the “connector,” will be under the watchful eye of Kathryn Barger, Los Angeles County Supervisor and Chair of the High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Agency (HDCJPA).
“Today marks a truly historic moment for the Antelope Valley region,” Supervisor Barger declared. The unions represented here today are the muscle behind the transformation that will take place. I appreciate their collaboration, support, and unwavering dedication to our project.”
At the program launch, the IAM and its union partners signed two landmark agreements: a Community Workforce Agreement and a Memorandum of Understanding codifying the project’s use of high-skilled union labor. These agreements will create thousands of essential jobs in the connector’s construction, operation, and maintenance.
According to project estimations, the completed HDC High-Speed Rail Project can potentially unleash $12 billion in economic activity for the Antelope Valley, promising a bright future for the region.
“The IAM Rail Division and our union partners are proud to operate and maintain the High Desert Corridor High-Speed Rail Project after construction,” said Estrada. “All aboard!”
Read the official release here.
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