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

BOSTON, MA – A bus tour highlighting the potential to create good American jobs by passing comprehensive clean energy and climate change legislation in the U.S. Senate stopped in Boston today to urge Senators Kerry and Brown to support action on comprehensive legislation that will create and save millions of American, clean energy jobs, including up to 40,000 jobs in Massachusetts.

“Millions of Americans are out of work, and we need action now to jumpstart our economy. We can do that with clean energy,” said Bob Haynes, President of the Massachusetts State AFL-CIO. “We need to build a clean energy economy in the United States and ensure that the jobs created good jobs right here in the United States.”

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 Leon Weeks, a member of USW Local 5965 out of Freeport, Michigan. “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 Allentown, Pennsylvania, through Richmond, Virginia on September 3. For more information, visit www.bluegreenalliance.org.

“We can improve the environment by embracing a clean energy economy that will put Americans back to work,” said Carol Vetter, President of the United Steelworkers Local 850 in Kewaskum, Wisconsin. “The Senate must get back to work putting Americans to work in jobs that will help us protect the environment for our kids and our grandkids.”