Union Power and Alternative Energy

WHEREAS, since January 2001 and the start of the Bush Administration, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has lost over 100,000 manufacturing jobs or about 25% of all jobs in this critical sector; and

WHEREAS, Massachusetts has had the third worst state ranking for job creation, behind Louisiana which suffered the ravages of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and Michigan that has borne a disproportionate share of the economic pain associated with declining employment in the automobile industry; and

WHEREAS, energy costs and instability are a significant contributing factor to job loss in many sectors of the economy, especially in the heavily-unionized industrial sector; and

WHEREAS, many of the working men and women who have lost their jobs due to rising energy costs are our brothers and sisters in the metals, automobile, petrochemical, pulp and paper, and utility industries; and

WHEREAS, heavy reliance on a single source of energy can destabilize the economy and lead to vulnerability and price spikes that result from a volatile energy market; and

WHEREAS, rising natural gas and electricity prices are making energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable power production much more compelling and economically viable in Massachusetts and across the country; and

WHEREAS, a more diverse energy portfolio could help bring about greater energy security and less reliance on foreign energy; and

WHEREAS, developing sources of renewable energy for use throughout New England and our nation would not only make us less reliant on foreign sources of energy but would also increase economic opportunity at home; and

WHEREAS, renewable energy industries are labor-intensive, attract jobs to the state, and stimulate the economy; and

WHEREAS, the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries already employ 14,400 people in Massachusetts; and

WHEREAS, the Apollo Project is a 10-year plan that would invest $300 billion into re-industrialization around clean energy, including renewable energy and energy efficiency, research and development of hydrogen fuel cell technology, increased public transportation investments, and lead the country toward greater energy independence; and

WHEREAS, the AFL-CIO, and dozens of prominent international labor unions, state labor federations, central labor councils, industrial union councils and building and construction trades councils have publicly endorsed the Apollo Project; therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Massachusetts AFL-CIO endorses the Apollo Project; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Massachusetts AFL-CIO will support legislation that meets labor's principles of economic and workforce development, and will assist its affiliates to explore joint projects and develop formal partnerships with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and other public and private employers in the areas of renewable energy, energy efficiency, multi-modal transportation investments, and hydrogen fuel cell research and development; and be it finally

RESOLVED, that the President of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO will transmit a copy of this resolution and other information to all relevant parties in order to demonstrate its ardent support of the Apollo Project.

Submitted by:
Robert J. Haynes, President
Louis A. Mandarini, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer