Sen. Stabenow joins Harsco Rail for tour, discussion

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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On July 19, 2016, U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) joined representatives from Harsco Rail and United Auto Workers Local 811 to tour Harsco's Ludington facility, address its union employees and discuss pressing rail and manufacturing issues.

 

The Railway Engineering-Maintenance and Suppliers Association (REMSA) coordinated the event.

The tour was led by Ray Patterson, senior director of operations and supply chain, Harsco Rail. The tour highlighted Harsco’s rail maintenance-of-way equipment, which is manufactured on site.

“We are honored to host Sen. Stabenow and share our commitment to manufacturing in upstate Michigan,” said Patterson. “Our business and our employees rely on continued freight rail investment for our livelihoods and we must work with our representatives in Washington to encourage sound transportation and investment policy.”

Sen. Stabenow focused her remarks on encouraging economic development in the region, partnering with business and labor to ensure safe working conditions and fair wages and the need for a strong, efficient and safe freight rail system to connect Michigan’s agriculture and auto producers to the global market.

“We do not have an economy or a middle class in Michigan unless we make things and grow things,” said Sen. Stabenow. “Freight rail supports high-skilled manufacturing jobs here in Ludington and across our state and is critical to moving Michigan-grown products around the country. I remain committed to the right policies that stand up for our manufacturers, our workers and our farmers.”

The group highlighted recent Congressional considerations of increasing truck sizes and weights. The group thanked the senator for her vote instructing Senate negotiators to oppose increasing truck size in the October 2015 FAST Act surface transportation bill conference committee negotiations. Also discussed was the recent bipartisan and bicameral introduction of the Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy (BRACE) Act. The BRACE Act will make the Short Line Tax Credit permanent. This will allow the nation’s small, local freight railroads to increase their reinvestments to upgrade and expand the “first and last mile” of their transportation infrastructure. The bill has garnered 43 bi-partisan cosponsors in the Senate, including Sen. Stabenow.

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