The Hill News

The reconciliation of two Washington rivals continued Wednesday when AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka spoke to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors.

On Wednesday morning, Trumka told a closed meeting of the Chamber’s board that the country needs to rebuild its crumbling infrastructure. The push for more spending on roads, bridges and highways has become a common cause this year for the labor federation and the business group. Trumka and Tom Donohue, the Chamber’s president and CEO, have made several joint appearances together, including testifying together before Congress.

“It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: We’re pretty strange bedfellows. There have been many times we haven’t agreed, and I’m sure there will be many more. But in the end, I think we all want the same thing: productive and profitable businesses, prosperous families and thriving communities,” Trumka said, according to remarks the AFL-CIO sent! to reporters.

The two groups are often at each other’s throats on several other issues, especially on labor laws and regulations. But Trumka said that America’s infrastructure has reached a crisis point and both business and labor need to work together to spark the rebuilding effort.

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