Union Members, Environmentalists Continue Cross-Country Tour to Urge Action on Clean Energy Jobs

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak met up with a nationwide bus tour today in Minneapolis aimed at highlighting the potential to create good American jobs by passing comprehensive clean energy and climate change legislation, which could create up to 38,000 jobs in Minnesota. Featuring Minnesotans who work in the clean energy economy, including a CWA member from St. Cloud who makes hybrid buses, union members and environmentalists urged quick action on legislation that will put people back to work building the clean energy economy.

“I am pleased to be here today with working people on the front lines of the clean energy economy,” said Mayor Rybak. “We have a tremendous opportunity to create good jobs — whether weatherizing homes or manufacturing the parts for clean energy — while protecting the environment for future generations, but we need quick action to create the clean energy jobs of tomorrow in America and here in Minnesota.”

“Many people are already contributing to this clean energy future — including my coworkers at New Flyer who are making more fuel-efficient transit vehicles, and we have an opportunity to create more jobs just like this if we take action now to build a clean energy economy,” said Renee Brand, Vice President of CWA Local 7304 and an employee of New Flyer in St. Cloud.

The Job’s Not Done tour is traveling to 17 states — with more than 30 stops along the way — and features clean energy workers, union members and environmentalists urging Senate action on important job-creating clean energy legislation. Workers on The Job’s Not Done Tour worry that China will take the millions of potential jobs that will result from the transition to a clean energy economy.

“Instead of importing clean energy technologies, we should develop and manufacture the technology to harness American energy here at home,” said Mark Mullholand, a member of USW Local 1915 in Fremont, Ohio. “We can’t afford to let other countries like China take the millions of jobs that could be created in America by transitioning to clean energy.”

The tour will continue to Cleveland through Richmond, Virginia on September 3. For more information, visit www.bluegreenalliance.org.

“Clean energy will jumpstart the American economy and protect the environment for our kids and our grandkids, something we hold dear here in Minnesota. That’s why we need the Senate to get the job done — for our families, the economy, our environment, and the future,” said Margaret Levin, State Director of the Sierra Club North Star Chapter.