“We’re trying to build something for the future that doesn’t leave workers behind,” said Trevor Smith, political director for Laborers Local #292. Full story: https://bit.ly/3RsBcj3

“It’s funny because we’re the largest construction union in North America,” Smith said. “We build most of the green energy projects nationwide. We fully support the transition … We just need to bring everybody along.”

If elected, Smith would focus on what labor calls a “just and equitable transition” for workers who currently rely on carbon-heavy industries. This involves finding new work for these people with the same pay, benefits and pensions they get now.

“We saw it with timber industry and Alcoa,” Smith said. “If we don’t plan this out and don’t invest in it, then people are left hanging.”

Full story: https://bit.ly/3Rzz3lC

The climate-change left wants to phase out gas in power generation, heating, and most other uses, citing the combined carbon footprint of methane leaks from the gas system and the emissions caused by burning all that gas. 

The opposition to that idea includes not just oil and gas companies, but major players in the construction industry and, most importantly for this story, the blue-collar labor unions that represent workers who build and maintain the gas infrastructure.

Full story: https://bit.ly/3z30exY