CWA Members Host Vice President Kamala Harris at New Flyer Electric Bus Plant

Last week, CWA Local 7304 members hosted Vice President Kamala Harris for a tour of the New Flyer electric bus manufacturing plant in St. Cloud, Minn.

After the tour, in a televised speech at the facility, the Vice President highlighted how the Administration’s investments in electric vehicles are creating a clean energy economy that works for all and good-paying, union jobs. Wade Walvatne, a maintenance technician at New Flyer and vice president of CWA Local 7304, introduced Vice President Harris and thanked her and President Biden for their commitment to rebuilding the middle class in the U.S. by investing in good, union jobs. “Electric buses are key to the future of public transportation in America -- which is why, since taking office, together with Democrats and Republicans, we have invested over $5.5 billion to put thousands of new electric transit buses on the streets of our nation," Harris told the crowd. “And we've also done that to create jobs – so people can have decent work hours and have good-paying, union jobs.”

In a statement, CWA President Chris Shelton recognized the Administration’s efforts to secure funding for “job-creating infrastructure projects, like modernizing our nation’s aging fleet of buses” and ensuring that states are using those funds as intended to create good jobs. Alluding to Joe Biden’s 2009 visit to the St. Cloud New Flyer facility, CWA District 7 Vice President Susie McAllister added, “Back then, we were helping with the transition to hybrid buses, and today it’s the transition to electric. The future of our economy is in green jobs and it is in union jobs.”

Following the event, Veronica Puentes, one of the members who accompanied the Vice President on the tour, appeared on the Symone Sanders show on MSNBC and discussed how being a part of the event made her and her co-workers feel proud about their jobs. “Hearing what she had to say, it brought hope. [S]he made it to our company to speak to us, union members, and let us know that they are doing their best to make a difference. It was amazing to me...it brought me a lot of hope,” said Puentes, who spoke on the show as part of a panel of workers.

CWA Local 7304 Vice President Wade Walvatne introduced Vice President Kamala Harris at an event at the New Flyer electric bus manufacturing plant in St. Cloud, Minn.

~~~

CWA Local 7304 members took Vice President Kamala Harris on a tour of the New Flyer plant and discussed their work manufacturing electric buses and the importance of investing in good, union jobs.

~~~

Following the event, Veronica Puentes, one of the members who accompanied the Vice President on the tour, appeared on the Symone Sanders show on MSNBC.