Gulf Coast Workers And Community Activists Rally For Good Union Jobs In Emerging Offshore Wind Industry
For Immediate Release
Contacts:
Jay Malone, Communications Director, Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation, jay@gcaflcio.org, 469-920-0181
Veronica Serrano, Communications Coordinator, Texas Climate Jobs Project, veronica@txclimatejobs.org, 512-500-9267
Gulf Coast unions hosted a job fair to educate fellow working people about coming clean energy jobs
Houston, TX — Union members and community activists gathered in downtown Houston on Sunday afternoon for a clean jobs rally and job fair. The event, Building Houston’s Clean Energy Future, was co-hosted by Texas Climate Jobs Project and the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation and provided attendees with information about union career opportunities in the emerging offshore wind industry.
This is a critical moment for clean energy in Houston. In February, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced the first-ever Gulf of Mexico offshore wind leases and this month, Judge Lina Hidalgo announced a historic $9 million investment in Harris County apprenticeships – which is set to double the number of apprentices participating in these proven earn-while-you-learn training programs in the Houston area. Offshore wind has the potential to bring thousands of high-paying, union jobs to Houston and produce enough clean energy to power over two million homes in the Gulf.
Texas Gulf Coast workers are coming together with co-workers and other union members to make sure that this industry benefits all working Texans. They are calling for strong labor standards that will ensure safe, living-wage work across the entire offshore wind supply chain, and equity standards that will create clean energy union career pathways for local communities most impacted by the climate crisis. The job fair is the first step to helping Houston communities start on this path.
“The Gulf of Mexico is poised to be the next offshore wind powerhouse. This industry will bring thousands of jobs, but it’s imperative that those jobs have strong labor standards. The people who live and work in the Gulf region deserve jobs that have high wages, job security, good benefits, and a collective voice — and that means union jobs,” says Rick Levy, president of the Texas AFL-CIO.
“Working people need quality training if we’re going to build a successful clean energy future for Houston and the Gulf. Union apprenticeship programs have provided generations of workers with just that — the tools needed to work safely and efficiently in their trades. The recent investments in Harris County’s union apprenticeships will empower union apprenticeship programs to meet the massive needs of addressing the climate crisis through building needed clean energy infrastructure such as offshore wind and in turn, create good union jobs that will power our homes, help lower energy costs, and stabilize our energy grid,” says Hany Khalil, executive director of the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation.
“The clean energy future is coming to Houston and we must ensure that Black and brown workers are well-represented in this industry. People of faith and other faith leaders have an important role to play in this movement.” says Reverend James Caldwell, founder and director of the Coalition of Community Organizations and steering committee member of the Coalition for Environment, Equity and Resilience.
“Our communities, especially the Southeast community, have experienced the brunt of the climate crisis and injustices affect us more than more affluent communities. That’s why we’re calling on BOEM to commit to a Community Workforce Agreement that engages community leaders, residents, labor unions, and climate justice experts to create the working and living conditions that Texas workers deserve,” says Letty Ortega, community and political organizer with IUPAT District Council 10.
“As a resident of Deer Park, a major chemical and refinery corridor, and a union member, I understand firsthand the urgency of the clean energy transition, but also, I know the value of what a good, union job can do for workers. This career fair shows that we, the Houston and Gulf coast residents, are ready to work, we are ready to organize and train more union members to ensure that successful Texas clean energy jobs are the future for our community and labor,” says Patricia Shipman, union electrical apprentice with IBEW Local 716.
“Unions work the same way we have worked for over 100 years. We’re not an outside organization — we are workers coming together to get a better deal. There was a time in this country when unions made it so one person could support a family of four on 40 hours a week. Together we can make that day come back, starting with securing strong labor and equity standards in these offshore wind leases,” says Micah Schweitzer, union plumbing apprentice with UA Plumbers Local 68.
“At times the field of construction can be full of many dangers and job hazards, which is why safety precautions are crucial. Unions take the safety of their members very seriously, which is why we are calling on BOEM to commit to strong labor standards and pathways to unionization for workers on offshore wind projects. Union representation allows for a safer and more productive work environment, making sure that the project gets done right the first time,” says Julio Zuniga, union plumbing apprentice with UA Plumbers Local 68.
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The Texas Climate Jobs Project (TCJP) is a coalition of unions from across Texas united to fight climate change and reverse income inequality. Learn more: www.txclimatejobs.org.
Attendees gather to hear union members speak at the Building Houston's Clean Energy Future job fair and rally.
