CONTACT: USW — Tony Montana, 412-562-2592, tmontana@usw.org OR Sierra Club — Adam Beitman, 202-670-5585, adam.beitman@sierraclub.org
PITTSBURGH - The United Steelworkers (USW) and the Sierra Club today jointly recommended that bold investments in the nation’s infrastructure and a new framework for international trade be made central to the Democratic Party’s platform.
USW International President Leo W. Gerard and Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune issued the statement below in conjunction with today’s Democratic platform hearing on energy and the environment:
“When the platform committee meets, it’s critical that it develops a plan to use public and private partnerships to fund upgrades and repairs to our nation’s roads, bridges, and energy and water infrastructure. The platform also needs to support public transportation and bringing our schools and our communications networks into the 21st century. These critical investments will grow our economy by creating and maintaining good jobs, raising wages and rebuilding struggling communities.
“Specifically, the platform needs to include investments in energy efficiency, clean energy, climate resilient infrastructure, a modern power grid, and other measures to mitigate climate disruption. This will produce significant additional benefits throughout the U.S. economy and make the clean energy economy a major new engine for job creation. Reputable economists have concluded that the investments necessary for the U.S. to make its minimum contribution to global emissions reductions will create millions of new jobs.
“The Democratic Party must also fight for fair trade instead of free trade and take a stand against the job-killing TPP. It’s time to develop a new framework for international trade that supports the critical objectives of protecting workers, the environment and our shared planet, but we must first stop the TPP, which would spur increased greenhouse gas emissions and give thousands of new foreign-owned corporations broad rights to challenge U.S. protections for workers and the environment.”
About the United Steelworkers: The USW represents 850,000 men and women employed in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in public sector and service occupations.
About the Sierra Club: The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 2.4 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.