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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2008)
How to create family-wage jobs in alternative energy Apollo Alliance maps strategy for ‘09 Legislature Members of the Oregon Apollo Al- liance met Jan. 22 to plan strategy for the 2009 Oregon Legislature. The Apollo Alliance is a coalition of union, business and environmental groups that is calling for major government investment in alternative energy as a way to create new high-paying jobs for American workers. The group’s Ore- gon chapter was formed last year. Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski will be proposing to enact major legislation next year to reduce the state’s contri- bution to global warming. Kulongoski is taking part in the Western Climate Initiative, in which six Western states Rain Forest Boots Made in America! Try a pair on, you’ll like them. Tough boots for the Northwest. AL’S SHOES 5811 SE 82nd, Portland 503-771-2130 Mon-Fri 10-7:30 Sat 10-5:30 Sun 12-6 and two Canadian provinces are devis- ing a regional approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And Ore- gon House and Senate committees are meeting this year with business and environmental groups to draft bills that will be introduced when the Legisla- ture returns for its regular biennial ses- sion in January 2009. Oregon Apollo, chaired by Oregon AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Barbara Byrd, wants to ensure that organized labor is at the table during those dis- cussions. “If we’re not at the table raising the issue of jobs,” Byrd told the Labor Press, “it doesn’t get raised.” By way of example, Byrd points to major legislation the Oregon Legisla- ture passed last year on renewable en- ergy, including a big increase in a tax credit and new mandates for utilities to meet. Labor came late to the discus- sion, and had little success getting job standards into those laws. As a result, there’s no assurance that the invest- ments sparked by those laws will em- ploy local skilled workers at a living wage. “We don’t want to see a lot of money thrown at this problem with no economic impact in this state,” Byrd said. “We can’t afford to waste this op- portunity.” At the Jan. 22 Apollo Alliance meeting, Jeremiah Baumann from the group Environment Oregon gave union attendees an intro to “cap-and- trade.” Cap-and-trade is the regulatory model that’s most likely to win ap- proval next year in the Oregon Legis- lature. A version of it is already up and running in the European Union, and another is about to begin New Eng- land, which has a multi-state climate change compact similar to the one the Western Climate Initiative is working to create. The way cap-and-trade works, gov- ernment sets a maximum level of greenhouse gases and then issues per- mits to emitters. About 80 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions Orego- nians are responsible for come from transportation and electricity genera- tion. So in the most likely scenario, electric utilities and gas companies would be the ones required to hold permits for greenhouse gas emissions. The allowable limit would go down every year, so that utilities and gas companies would have to do some- Kirkland Union Plaza 6404 SE 23rd Ave. Portland 97202 1414 Kauffman Ave. Vancouver 98660 503•233•5671 • Studio and One-Bedroom Apartments • Affordable Rent includes Utilities ( EXCEPT PHONE AND CABLE ) • Planned Events, Clubs, and Activities • Ideal Locations offer easy access to Bus Lines, Shopping, and Entertainment • No Costly Buy-In or Application Fees The 19th annual Labor Bowl Chal- lenge to benefit the Muscular Dystro- phy Association (MDA) will be held Sunday, April 27, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Cascade Lanes, 2700 NE 82nd Ave., Portland. Registration starts at noon. Portland area labor unions have collected $276,041 for the charity since its inception. Money raised from pledges and a silent auction helps provide wheelchairs and braces • Federal Rent Subsidies Available (M UST Q UALIFY ) for youngsters, medical care, research and summer camps. Pledge packets are available at the Northwest Oregon Labor Council or by calling Tor at MDA at 503-223- 3177. For more information, call Kelly Pendell, a member of Letter Carriers Branch 82 and coordinator of the event, at 503-493-5903. mailing service 3201 N.W. 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Box 13150 Portland, OR 97213 Marshall Union Manor 3530 SE 84th Ave. 2020 NW Northrup Portland 97266 Portland 97209 503•777•8101 FEBRUARY 1, 2008 Labor bowl for MDA to roll April 22 360•694•4314 Manors Make the Difference cause efficiency improvements would reduce the amount of electricity used. The Oregon Legislature begins a special session Feb. 4. While it’s a short session that won’t take up major legislation, at least two bills will ad- dress climate change. One, sponsored by House Rep. Brad Witt (D- Clatskanie) would retrofit state build- ings to improve energy efficiency. The other would spell out more details about a new Climate Change Commis- sion that lawmakers approved last year. K ramers/metro I NDEPENDENT R ETIREMENT L IVING Westmoreland's Union Manor thing to reduce fossil fuel use. But the permits could be traded, so that a mar- ket system would determine the cheapest way to achieve the reduc- tions. If government auctions the per- mits, that could generate resources that can also be used to fund energy effi- ciency improvements or other priori- ties. On the whole, Baumann said, the cost per kilowatt hour would go up un- der a cap-and-trade system of green- house gas reduction, but electricity users’ bills would stay the same be- 503•225•0677 WWW . THEUNIONMANORS . ORG TDD 503•771•0912 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS Name/Union Affiliation Address City State Zip PAGE 5
