Good Jobs, Green Jobs

"We reject the notion that we have to choose between good jobs and a clean environment. It's not one or the other. It's both or neither." --Leo W. Gerard, International President United Steelworkers

"Creating good, middle-class jobs and protecting the environment go hand-in-hand. The green economy will set our country, and the planet, back on track." --Carl Pope, Executive Director Sierra Club
 

Green Economic Recovery
 

Projections show that a $100 billion dollar investment in a green economy over 2 years would create 2 million new jobs nationwide. According to the Center for American Progress, such an investment would create 4 times more jobs than spending the same amount of money in the oil industry, and could triple the number of good jobs paying at least $16/per hour.*

Where Are the Good Green Jobs?
 

Recent studies have shown that the most commonly needed job skills for global warming solutions are already held by millions of American workers, particularly in manufacturing and construction.

Building Retrofitting:   Electricians, Heating/Air Conditioning Installers, Carpenters, Construction Equipment Operators, Roofers, Insulation Workers, Carpenter Helpers, Industrial Truck Drivers, Construction Managers, Building Inspectors

Mass Transit/Freight Rail:  Civil Engineers, Rail Track Layers, Electricians, Welders, Metal Fabricators, Engine Assemblers, Bus Drivers, Dispatchers, Locomotive Engineers, Railroad Conductors

Smart Grid: Computer Software Engineers, Electrical Engineers, Electrical Equipment Assemblers, Electrical Equipment Technicians, Machinists, Team Assemblers, Construction Laborers, Operating Engineers, Electrical Power Line Installers and Repairers

Wind Power:  Environmental Engineers, Iron and Steel Workers, Millwrights, Sheet Metal Workers, Machinists, Electrical Equipment Assemblers, Construction Equipment Operators, Industrial Truck Drivers, Industrial Production Managers, First-Line Production Supervisors

Solar Power:  Electrical Engineers, Electricians, Industrial Machinery Mechanics, Welders, Metal Fabricators, Electrical Equipment Assemblers, Construction Equipment Operators, Installation Helpers, Laborers, Construction Managers

Advanced Biofuels:  Chemical Engineers, Chemists, Chemical Equipment Operators, Chemical Technicians, Mixing and Blending Machine Operators, Agricultural Workers, Industrial Truck Drivers, Farm Product Purchasers, Agricultural and Forestry Supervisors, Agricultural Inspectors
 

Why Unions Are Better for the Environment
 

Worker's serve as the front line of defense against hazardous pollution, chemical spills and other accidents that can devastate communities. Union workers are better trained to know about the health and safety risks of hazardous chemicals and have greater protections if they blow the whistle on hazards and accidents in the workplace.

For more information on good green jobs and a green economy, visit the AFL-CIO Center for Green Jobs and the AFL-CIO Good Jobs, Green Jobs resource center.

*"Green Recovery: A Program to Create Good Jobs and Start Building a Low-Carbon Economy", Center for American Progress, September 2008