Late Saturday, SEIU Local 26 janitors announced victory in their contract negotiations, winning good, green full-time jobs with affordable health care for over 4,000 janitors in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. SEIU Local 26 was ready to strike as soon as today (Monday) if a contract agreement was not reached. See Saturday's announcement of the contract victory and SEIU Local 26 members' reactions:
A new report finds that Twin Cities building owners could save up to $10 million a year by implementing day shift cleaning. The report, "Clean Sweep: How a New Approach to Cleaning Buildings in the Twin Cities Can Protect Our Health and the Environment While Securing Jobs and Saving Money," was released today by the Blue Green Alliance and SEIU Local 26. It finds that a day shift cleaning transition could save 4-8 percent in office building energy costs, and adopting green cleaning practices--which encourages the use of less toxic cleaning products--would protect the health of janitorial and office workers in commercial office buildings.
Here at Fresh Energy, we're often writing about the new clean energy economy. But how often do you actually see the thousands of Minnesota union workers in clean energy jobs? Now's your chance. The Blue Green Alliance is organizing the Green Jobs Photo Project, with a gallery opening on Thursday, January 14, 6-8PM at Common Roots Café in Minneapolis, and you're invited!
Thinking about the clean energy economy usually evokes images of constructing wind turbines, weatherizing homes, and installing solar panels on rooftops. However, Service Employees International Union Local 26, based in St. Paul, seeks to include janitors among those workers whose jobs contribute to the green economy while sustaining families.
The new Green Jobs Study, produced for the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) by Booz Allen Hamilton documents that spending on green construction currently supports over 2 million jobs and generates over 100 billion dollars in gross domestic product and wages. By the year 2013, this study estimates that green buildings will contribute $554 billion to the GDP, supporting jobs in occupations ranging from construction managers and carpenters to truck drivers and cost estimators.
Seems everybody's trying to make a run for the border these days. With Latinos becoming the fastest-growing ethnic demographic in America, everyone wants them as customers, and yes, voters. Latinos (or Hispanics or Chicanos) are fiercely brand-loyal, credit averse, and proudly patriotic. If Latinos take up the cause of climate change and climate mitigation, they'll be formidable allies.
Posted by: J. Drake Hamilton in Renewable Energy Standard, policy, legislation, green economy, global warming, federal issues, economy, economic development, carbon regulation, ACES on
Jun 23, 2009
Today, President Barack Obama highlighted the historic American Clean Energy and Security Act bill moving in the House of Representatives, saying it will "spark a clean energy transformation that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and confront the carbon pollution that threatens our planet."
As a Minnesotan, I was pleased that the president praised the great efforts of leaders on the Energy and Commerce Committee as well as Representative Collin Peterson, chair of the Agriculture Committee, for his "many and ongoing contributions" in developing this legislation.
At a news conference broadcast today from the White House, the president called passing this clean energy and climate legislation critical: "The nation that leads in the creation of a clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the 21st century global economy."
Check out this great interactive map and accompanying report that was just released by the Center for American Progress, Green For All, NRDC, and Peri. It shows a state-by-state breakdown of how the U.S. could create 1.7 million new green jobs. The Midwest looks poised to benefit from the influx of green jobs, and Minnesota stands to gain over 30,000 jobs and reduce unemployment a full percentage point.
President Obama made another first today by celebrating his first Earth Day while in office. If this is any indication on how future Earth Day events will go, we have a lot to look forward to.
When I first had a chance to read this story, I thought everyone had to see it. During a time when we are focused on domestic issues we can't forget the fight in Iraq and the redevelopment of that country. Iraq's redevelopment has taken a very interesting angle with the development of solar energy.
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