Transport Workers Union International President John Samuelsen hailed the groundbreaking of Brightline West as a high-speed rail project with the potential to create thousands of economically secure union jobs.
“The Transport Workers Union is proud to be here for the unveiling of this critical infrastructure project that will transform the way people travel and provide thousands of good-paying jobs,” Samuelsen said. “Investments in big infrastructure projects like Brightline West provide more than just a way to get from one place to another, they provide jobs with a pathway to economic security for hardworking Americans.”
TWU officials were on hand with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and other officials at an event in Las Vegas on Monday to mark the beginning of construction on the 218-mile line between Southern California and Las Vegas. Last year, Brightline West signed a memorandum of understanding with the Transport Workers Union and 12 other rail unions, with the operator committing to use skilled union labor for jobs to build and maintain the railway.
“This project presents a tremendous opportunity for trade unions, and the bipartisan infrastructure law was a major catalyst in getting a big idea like Brightline West from the drawing board to the groundbreaking phase,” Samuelsen said.
The Brightline West project, slated to open in 2028, recently received $2.5 billion in private activity bond authority – a step that state and local governments can take to give private project sponsors access to tax-exempt interest rates. The bipartisan infrastructure law doubled DOT’s private activity bond authority from $15 billion to $30 billion. The project also received a $3 billion federal grant in December of 2023.
“Brightline West will be a major boon to commuters and tourists in Southern California and Las Vegas – along with the creation of highly skilled railroad jobs,” said TWU Railroad Division Director John Feltz.
