 Utility Workers President Michael Langford, right, and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu at the climate change summit in Copenhagen. The Utility Workers Union was part of the Labor Delegation going to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. President Mike Langford, Secretary-Treasurer Gary Ruffner and Regulatory Affairs Director Carl Wood are in Copenhagen for the United Nations Climate Change Conference. We were asked to send top officers who could make decisions for the Union for a possible global environmental agreement.
Standing in line in the freezing cold for five hours we were able to get passes for the Bella Center in Copenhagen and meet with the Secretary of Energy Steven Chu during this historic Climate Change Conference of United Nations world leaders. Bob Baugh, Director of the AFL-CIO Industrial Union Department spoke first of the goals of Labor on behalf of all AFL-CIO affiliates and concerns in the global environment. After Bob spoke he introduced UWUA President Langford who thanked Secretary Chu for meeting with us and spoke of the Utility Workers interests and goals in the global economy where we advocate:
- Rebuilding our infrastructure to reverse the damage done by years of neglect by the market-driven, deregulated utility industry. We must modernize our electric, gas and water systems to create better efficiencies and promote conservation.
- Training and retooling our workforce to operate and maintain the utilities of the future. We must make sure that utility jobs allow workers to earn a decent living by encouraging greater recruitment, training and employment.
- Maximizing existing technologies to increase efficiencies and reduce carbon emissions from existing power plants while investing in carbon-neutral nuclear power.
- Developing promising technologies, such as carbon capture and sequestration, wind, geothermal, solar, biofuels and other renewable energy sources to jumpstart the next generation of power plants.
- Protecting and extending the democratic, transparent and accountable regulatory framework that secures our future by protecting consumers, encouraging energy conservation, rewarding the use of sustainable energy sources and requiring investment in the workforce and infrastructure.
- Working with our global partners to raise standards everywhere. We believe utility services such as water, waste, gas and electricity are fundamental building blocks of society and we must work together to insure quality standards globally.
Secretary Chu agreed that he had the same goals and promised to work with us to that end. Other Labor leaders expressed their views and interacted with Secretary Chu as well.
President Langford served as a panelist representing the UWUA at the Blue Green Alliance conference on Building Consensus for Strong US Climate Policies through Blue Green Partnerships. He spoke of the mutual benefit of the Blue Green Alliance for UWUA jobs and climate policies to protect the environment. He also spoke of our support for the nuclear industry as a necessary emission free high capacity base load energy source that can actually reverse global warming according to scientists. The panel of Labor Leaders answered numerous questions about the labor perspective of the Blue Green Alliance relationship regarding nuclear power and other concerns. The answers were about the benefit of working together with environmental groups for communications and understanding to solve global problems with a mutual benefit for all.
While writing this blog there was a large group of protesters blocking roads in downtown Copenhagen just outside our hotel room. It was exciting to be a part of finding global solutions in an atmosphere of free speech and demonstration. We are hopeful that global solutions will be the end result of this environmental summit, with good jobs, and without driving more manufacturing to countries without environmental standards. The Global environment requires global solutions and standards.
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President Langford also spoke at a Press Conference at Copenhagen’s Bella Center outlining the necessity of climate legislation within the United States where he told reporters:
“Renewable energy, and the green jobs that come along with it, are key to our economic growth. It is essential that in order to lead the world in renewable energy technologies, and create good jobs that support our families and communities, we must look at ways to rebuild and revitalize American manufacturing. We can’t keep doing what we’re doing. We’re just making countries like China rich. That’s not sustainable. We have to create more jobs.”
There was a meeting with US Congressional staff at the Bella Center where Langford along with Blue Green Alliance and other AFL-CIO Affiliates spoke on the importance of climate legislation and the importance that it include “Just Transition” language and the necessity to create good sustainable jobs. In exiting the Bella Center the US Labor Delegation was caught in the middle of a clash between protesters and the police using tear gas and billy clubs to control the crowds.
Meeting and networking with labor, environmentalist and government officials at the Climate Change Conference UWUA Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs Carl Wood continued his role of attending conferences and establishing relationships for the UWUA to promote organizing, job creation, a better environment and other mutually beneficial activities.
Meanwhile, UWUA Secretary-Treasurer Gary Ruffner addressed a meeting of the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). Ruffner described the Utility Workers Power for America Training trust, a Taft-Hartley Multiemployer Training Trust to train utility workers for traditional utilitiy jobs as well as the new green jobs that will result from climate change legislation.
He spoke of the Utility Workers’ strategic partnership with the Blue Green Alliance to work for legislation that will provide funding for green jobs and transition training for displaced workers in a green environment. Ruffner spoke of the necessity for nuclear energy, recognized by environmental scientist James Lovelock and Greenpeace cofounder Patrick Moore, who now support nuclear energy as the only high capacity, emission free, base load energy source which will actually reverse global warming. He called the Blue Green Alliance thee to create more jobs”
There was a meeting with US Congressional staff at the Bella Center where Langford along with Blue Green Alliance and other AFL-CIO Affiliates spoke on the importance of climate legislation and the importance that it include “Just Transition” language and the necessity to create good sustainable jobs. In exiting the Bella Center the US Labor Delegation was caught in the middle of a clash between protesters and the police using tear gas and billy clubs to control the crowds.
Meeting and networking with labor, environmentalist and government officials at the Climate Change Conference UWUA Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs Carl Wood continued his role of attending conferences and establishing relationships for the UWUA to promote organizing, job creation, a better environment and other mutually beneficial activities.
Meanwhile, UWUA Secretary-Treasurer Gary Ruffner addressed a meeting of the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). Ruffner described the Utility Workers Power for America Training trust, a Taft-Hartley Multiemployer Training Trust to train utility workers for traditional utilitiy jobs as well as the new green jobs that will result from climate change legislation.
He spoke of the Utility Workers’ strategic partnership with the Blue Green Alliance to work for legislation that will provide funding for green jobs and transition training for displaced workers in a green environment. Ruffner spoke of the necessity for nuclear energy, recognized by environmental scientist James Lovelock and Greenpeace cofounder Patrick Moore, who now support nuclear energy as the only high capacity, emission free, base load energy source which will actually reverse global warming. He called the Blue Green Alliance the catalyst which will bond labor and environmentalists, with increased communication to achieve the goals of both groups.
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