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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 16, 2019)
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS | August 16, 2019 | PAGE 17 Senator Jeff Merkley: Green jobs should be union jobs By Don McIntosh If America ever gets serious about re- sponding to the global climate crisis, a rapid shift to 100% renewable energy will spur untold numbers of jobs in elec- tricity generation and energy efficiency. U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) wants those jobs to be good jobs — fam- ily wage, with benefits, and a union. Together with AFL-CIO president Rich Trumka, Merkley announced a bill in the U.S. Senate July 18 that would give private renewable energy projects an incentive to follow the federal govern- ment’s own Davis Bacon prevailing wage requirements for construction, and to sign union-brokered project labor agreements. The Good Jobs for 21st Century En- ergy Act, S. 2185, would offer a 10% federal income tax credit to any devel- oper that met those and other labor stan- dards. In other words, they could deduct 10% of the project cost from any income taxes they owe. The bill would also authorize up to $600 million for a program of grants to help small and medium sized manufac- turers (those with fewer than 750 em- ployees) pay for energy efficient im- provements. “What we don’t want to do is wipe out jobs in the transition that were good pay- National AFL-CIO president Rich Trumka, left, joined U.S. Sen.rJeff Merkley (D-Ore.) to tout the introduction of a bill that would incentive private green energy developers to sign project labor agreements and pay the prevailing wage. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley's office) ing jobs, and end up with poor paying jobs in the renewable world,” Merkley told the Labor Press by phone Aug. 2. The bill has 13 co-sponsors, all De- mocrats, including presidential candi- dates Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kirsten Gilli- brand (D-NY), Kamala Harris (D-CA), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), though no other senators from Oregon and Wash- ington. It’s also endorsed by the AFL- CIO, United Steelworkers, Laborers (LI- UNA), Electrical Workers (IBEW), Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA), and Util- ity Workers Union of America, as well as the National Resources Defense Council, Blue Green Alliance, the Union of Con- cerned Scientists, and Data for Progress. Merkley admits his bill has virtually no chance of becoming law while Re- publicans remain in charge of the Senate and the White House, but he sees this and other bills as a placeholder signaling what Democrats could do on jobs and the environment if they retake the Senate majority and White House in 2021. Merkley has introduced several other placeholder environmental bills since last year. His Zero-Emission Vehicles Act, cosponsored by Bernie Sanders and Sheldon Whitehouse, would requiring that of all new car sales in America, at least 50% be zero-emission vehicles by 2030 and ultimately, 100% by 2040. And his Community Health and Clean Transit Act—which has six Senate cosponsors including presidential candidates Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker, and Kamala Har- ris—would provide zero-interest loans to public transit districts to enable them to buy electric buses. Merkley said electric buses can cost $250,000 more than diesel, but save $40,000 a year on fuel and maintenance. Given a zero-interest loan, transit districts could use those op- erational savings to pay back the addi- tional cost. Monday, September 2, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. L A B O R DAY PICNIC Oaks Amusement Park Sponsored by 7805 SE Oaks Park Way, Portland Oregon Games! Prizes! Food! Fun! FREE Train Shuttle into the park parking in the Portland Opera parking lot — AND BUY AMERICAN — It’s the key to America’s economic recovery 9955 SE WASHINGTON STREET, SUITE 305 • PORTLAND, OREGON • 503-235-9444
