This is gonna get messy

A press release from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 300:

Montpelier, Vt. – (Dec. 30, 2009) – A coalition of construction unions will hold a press conference to announce their support for Vermont Yankee, a nuclear power facility whose license is up for renewal in 2012.  The event is open to the public, lawmakers and members of the media and will take place in the State House’s Cedar Creek Room Jan. 4 at 1 p.m.

The Vermont Building and Construction Trades Council is a partnership of 15 labor unions that represent several thousand workers – many of whom work at Vermont Yankee as both year-round employees and subcontractors.  Jeff Potvin, business manager of UA Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 693, serves as president of the Council.

“Our members have logged thousands of hours at the facility since it opened,” said Potvin. “Clearly, the subcontracting opportunities available at Vermont Yankee are immense.  They all pay above-average wages, health care and retirements benefits, and are vital to the regional economy.  The economic benefits are a big reason why the state’s construction unions support re-licensing Vermont Yankee.”

[…]”Closing Vermont Yankee would effectively squash hundreds of union jobs that pay wages far exceeding the norm for our area,” said IBEW Local 300 President George Clain.  “Eliminating these careers, along with the almost certain rise of statewide electricity rates if Vermont Yankee exits our energy portfolio, is not in the best interests of working Vermonters.  Nor is it responsible to chase off an employer that annually pumps millions in payroll, state and local taxes, as well as $100 million in economic activity into the coffers.”

[…]”Given our turbulent economy, Vermont is in need of quality jobs and access to reasonably priced, low-carbon, domestically-produced energy.  Vermont Yankee provides both,” said Clain.  “Renewable power sources and efficiency should definitely be in the mix and will create jobs, but cannot reasonably be expected to replace Vermont Yankee in the near term.  Now is not the time to gamble with so many livelihoods.”

16 thoughts on “This is gonna get messy

  1. That was inevitable.  And, sans a clear, thorough, thoughtful plan that is able (and has the political will) to be implimented today (or perhaps yesterday, or at least the day VY goes off-line)- a plan for renewable energy production and how such a scheme would provide for the laborors who would lose out with VY’s closure- there is little hope for change in this situation.  Who can blame them?

  2. My understanding has always been that the number of jobs required to dismantle the plant and return it to a greenfield make this basically a wash (at least for the next 10 years or so).  Does anyone have more information on this?

  3.  This slides together nicely with the recent PR blitz by Vermont Yankee .I Notice Peter Shumlin has softened his “no vote on Yankee”this session line.

    The IBEW got beaten up in the Verizon/FairPoint deal and this looks like another rock and hard place situation.

    http://www.burlingtonfreepress

  4. Do not assume that all of Organized Labor supports nuclear power and/or relicensing VY. Also, The IBEW local representing the VY workers (Local 300) is not the same IBEW local that represents some of the Fairpoint workers (Local 2326).  

  5. but long-term energy policy should not be made on the basis of short-term considerations

    this is exactly what we heard about the defense budget for decades; can’t shift resources because it will cost jobs; the DOD is not stupid – there are defense jobs in virtually every congressional district in the U.S.

    if Jim Douglas had not nixed the fully funded all fuels efficiency proposal, many of the VY workers could have been retrained to fill the new jobs (many of which are in the trades)

    likewise, strong state support for wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and district energy could put lots of tradespeople to work; this is smart economic development that solves problems AND creates jobs

    and of course we have a serious shortage of affordable housing; if properly funded, it would create even more jobs; thus, more sensible economic development

    instead, we spend millions subsidizing the tourist industry (low wage jobs) and giving tax “incentives” to businesses that often would have grown anyway (the phantom “but for”)

    the AFL-CIO founded the Apollo Alliance some years ago to deal with the issue of green jobs; the effort is supported by most major unions in the country, including the IBEW

    http://apolloalliance.org/abou

    this is what we should be supporting

    we have a responsibility to the VY workers; but there are alternatives to keeping the plant open

  6. Talked to a Senator this week who said he can’t foresee a scenario under which the Legislature will take up any discussion on VY this year.   He said Entergy has “painted themselves into corner,” I guess because they’re offering high-priced power in a low-priced market, and he foresees their license expiring before Legislature could take it up.  

  7. Mixing the statements of the IBEW on VY with the discussion on closing due to the environmental issues is a little like looking at subgroups of apples in an apple/orange comparison.   I am not convinced the Union position is driven by any component of the clean dirty debate; it is simply one of necessity.  IF VY closes, there are no other jobs available for those workers.  Most of the economic growth that Doug talks about may be labor intensive, even wind growth, etc, but it does not involve organized labor or in a lot of cases, even LOCAL labor.  The wind farm over in UPSTATE was pretty huge… but also involved a substantial amount of folks who carpet bagged in from out of state to make it happen….   and except for the meals and motels, most of the money earned went back to the home state car dealer, walmart, etc.  

    The whole unfair Point issue was just the preview of the discussion that Does Less and his boys set up to suck up to another campaign contribution opportunity…  

    Be it sensible policy on Nuke power or Pharma or chicken plant inspection or healthcare… until effective campaign finance reform becomes a priority on the National level we will continue to pay with our pocket and lives.  

    Remember when we actually built things in America??  I really regret wanting that Japanese transistor radio in 1958, I think I started the domino’s falling.  Sorry.

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