WASHINGTON- At a press conference Thursday at the U.S. Capitol, Sen. Jeff Merkley , D-Ore., and AFL-CIO President Richard L. Trumka unveiled the Good Jobs for 21st Century Energy Act, major new legislation to create good-paying jobs in the transition to clean energy.
“This legislation will drive the creation of good, family-wage jobs as the American clean energy, infrastructure, and technology industry expands, by giving tax credits to companies who build out our new energy economy using strong pro-worker standards, such as high-quality benefits, living wages, and apprenticeship opportunities,“ said Merkley’s news release, which continues below:
“As the son of a union mechanic, I know firsthand the power of a good job and a solid paycheck to provide for a family,” said Merkley. “As the world transitions to clean and renewable energy, America has a huge opportunity to lead that transition, and to create millions of jobs in the process. We need to make sure the jobs powering our economy for the next century are good-paying, family-wage jobs.”
“This is the right bill at the right time to fight climate change and create the kind of family-sustaining jobs our country is desperate for,” said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. “For too long, the corporate right-wing—the polluters and the union-busters—conspired together to create a false choice: a raising wages economy or a clean environment. We can and must have both.”
“Confronting the climate crisis requires that we not only invest in clean energy, but also the hardworking men and women building the next-generation energy infrastructure,” said Mustafa Santiago Ali, the National Wildlife Federation’s vice president of environmental justice, climate, and community revitalization. “When workers thrive, so do our families. When workers earn fair wages, then we can all take part in the prosperity of powering America’s energy future, in a way that honors our values. Senator Merkley’s bill and leadership embodies these simple, but profound, ideas.”
“The Good Jobs for 21st Century Energy Act is a key step to ensuring the jobs created by clean energy are good-paying jobs,” said the BlueGreen Alliance’s Legislative Director Jessica Eckdish. “We applaud Senator Merkley and the other co-sponsors of the bill for their vision and leadership. They understand that we do not have to choose between good jobs and a clean environment; we can and must have both.”
Merkley’s legislation is co-sponsored by 10 of his Senate Democratic colleagues, including Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Brian Schatz(D-HI), and Michael Bennet (D-CO). The Good Jobs for 21st Century Clean Energy Act is endorsed by AFL-CIO, the Blue Green Alliance, the United Steelworkers, Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA), the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA), the Union of Concerned Scientists, Data for Progress, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and the Plumbers and Pipefitters.
Specifically, the Good Jobs for 21st Century Energy Act would:
Crear empleos de salario familiar en la economía de energía limpia
The Good Jobs for 21st Century Energy Act would establish high-road labor standards for projects in the clean energy space, including:
- Normas claras de empleo y seguridad a través del proceso de Acuerdo Laboral del Proyecto.
- Salarios y beneficios prevalecientes de Davis-Bacon.
- Sin arbitraje obligatorio.
- Fuertes estándares de clasificación de trabajadores para garantizar que los empleados de buena fe no sean clasificados erróneamente como contratistas independientes.
- Prohibir el uso de agencias de empleo temporal a menos que la agencia estatal de trabajo certifique que los empleados temporales son necesarios para abordar una demanda laboral aguda a corto plazo.
- Política de neutralidad explícita en todos los temas de negociación colectiva.
- “Ban the box” hiring policy to ensure people with criminal histories have a fair chance to gain employment.
- Elegibilidad de aprendiz para al menos 20% de todos los trabajos en cada oficio.
Si una empresa cumple con estos estándares laborales, sería elegible para incentivos fiscales adicionales como se describe a continuación para sus proyectos de energía limpia, fabricación o eficiencia energética.
Construir infraestructura y tecnología de energía limpia en Estados Unidos
The Good Jobs for 21st Century Energy Act would drive development of American clean energy infrastructure and technology by:
- Creación de un nuevo crédito fiscal 10% para la calificación de instalaciones de generación de energía limpia, almacenamiento, tecnologías completas de captura de carbono, fabricación y proyectos de eficiencia energética.
- Codificación y expansión de la Iniciativa de fabricación de energía limpia, con una directiva específica para desarrollar cadenas de suministro de energía limpia doméstica.
- Proporcionar subvenciones a los fabricantes para mejorar su propia eficiencia energética, uso de energía y competitividad.
- Ordenar a la Secretaría de Energía que considere las normas laborales en las garantías de préstamos en el marco del Programa de Garantías de Préstamos para Energía Innovadora del Título XVII.
Capacitación y desarrollo de la fuerza laboral de Jump-Start
El proyecto de ley también crea un Centro de Fuerza Laboral de Empleos Limpios dentro de la Iniciativa de Manufactura de Energía Limpia para convocar a sindicatos, empleadores, industria y partes interesadas para garantizar que se implementen programas adecuados de capacitación y desarrollo de la fuerza laboral para satisfacer las necesidades del futuro de la energía limpia.
Está disponible un resumen de una página que resume la factura. aquí. El texto completo de la factura está disponible. aquí.
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