(Austin, Texas Sept. 1, 2017) - AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler traveled to Austin, Texas to announce a significant investment by the labor movement to support Hurricane Harvey’s victims and to help rebuild areas destroyed by the historic storm. Specifically, she committed to raising $5 million in cash aid, and to marshalling labor’s investment and member benefits programs.
“This catastrophe has taken valuable lives. It has destroyed homes, leaving working people with nothing, but it will not take away our solidarity, or our strength and determination to stand together and get back on our feet,” said Shuler in Austin, addressing affected residents. “We are all in this together. Electricians, nurses, teachers and construction workers are on the front lines risking their lives to save lives. Working people here in Texas are at our best when we look after each other.”
While in Austin, Shuler also donated $100,000 from the national AFL-CIO to the Texas AFL-CIO’s Texas Workers Relief Fund.
Shuler added that the labor movement has a long-term commitment to help rebuild Houston and support working people affected by the storm.
“The AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust is putting together a program for investing $500 million over five years in affordable housing in the areas affected by Harvey,” she said. “We will be working together with the city of Houston, the Houston Housing Authority and community leaders to ensure these investments address both repair and new construction, in both owner-occupied housing and rental housing.”
A team from the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust will be traveling to the area next week to begin the planning work, Shuler said.
In addition, the AFL-CIO Building Investment Trust, a bank collective trust that provides risk-adjusted returns for union pension plans through investment in commercial real estate, and Ullico, a labor movement-affiliated financial service company, are working with the AFL-CIO on job-creating commercial real estate and infrastructure investment.
“Working people and our unions all across America are giving—our cash donations, our investment capital and our solidarity,” she concluded.
Contact: Gonzalo Salvador (202) 637-5018