The Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters is calling on the Illinois General Assembly to pass the Climate Union Jobs Act to put hundreds of thousands of union tradespeople to work as the state transitions to a clean energy economy over the next decade.
Illinois Reps. Lawrence Walsh Jr., Marcus C. Evans and Jay Hoffman and Sens. Michael Hastings and Sue Rezin introduced the Climate Union Jobs Act earlier this week. The legislation broadly:
- Sets labor standards when ratepayer dollars are used;
- Returns to traditional ratemaking;
- Preserves the state’s nuclear fleet and additional renewable generation;
- Creates a just transition for communities economically reliant on fossil fuel generation and establishes equity requirements for clean energy jobs;
- Increases the diversity of the renewable energy sector with new reporting requirements and enforcement of diversity hiring goals;
- Invests $50 million into proven jobs training programs and $5 million of additional funding for the Illinois Works program to support the recruitment and training of a diverse workforce;
- Provides $150 million annually in rate relief to low-income families; and
- Reduces the state’s emissions from buildings and transportation.
“We’re looking to our representatives in Springfield to make this legislation the model for meeting our state’s clean energy goals while at the same time creating thousands of good-paying jobs that will lift the middle class and help underserved communities,” said Gary Perinar, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters. “Union tradespeople are the best-trained and highest-skilled to get this critical work done that will benefit both the environment and working families.”
The Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters is part of the Executive Committee of Climate Jobs Illinois, which represents the hundreds of thousands of Illinois working men and women who are best suited to build Illinois’ new clean-energy economy from the ground up.
