America’s wind energy sector must be powered by good union jobs. That’s the message IUE-CWA President Carl Kennebrew took to his June 6 White House meeting with President Biden and key stakeholders from across the country.
Kennebrew was joined at President Biden’s wind energy summit by fellow labor leaders from United Steelworkers and IBEW, as well as private sector leaders, and Republican and Democratic governors from 11 east coast states. Speaking at the event, President Kennebrew highlighted IUE-CWA’s push for good paying green union jobs for GE workers.
President Biden said he is working to ensure that the U.S. shifts to sustainable and renewable energy sources and that this transition is anchored by a clear plan to support good-paying union jobs. The event highlighted Danish wind energy company, Ørsted, which recently signed onto a project labor agreement with North America’s Building Trades Unions to ensure their five current projects are built by union workers. The Biden Administration helped secure the deal, which offers an important example for key wind energy leaders like General Electric.
GE is a major player in the wind energy industry globally, but has not committed to manufacturing their next-generation Haliades offshore wind turbine here in the U.S., a key priority for President Kennebrew in IUE-CWA’s campaign for GE to invest in its U.S. workforce.
At the event, President Kennebrew met with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy to talk about the need to invest in GE’s union workers who are well-positioned to produce wind turbines in the Northeast region. Governor Murphy said that he and other state leaders at the summit “are united by a shared commitment to clean and affordable energy, economic opportunity and a future in which all community members are shielded from the worsening impacts of climate change.”
President Biden sent a powerful message at the White House event, saying “we’re going to deepen our partnership on offshore wind as well as climate overall, and create jobs — good jobs, union jobs.”
As the green jobs union, IUE-CWA is determined to protect and expand economic opportunities for American workers at GE and other renewable energy companies. President Kennebrew is proud to stand with both Republican and Democratic leaders in this call for action.
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