While refinery workers of the United Steelworkers held demonstrations in Washington Feb. 15 to protest the closure of two Philadelphia area refineries and the likely closure of a third in June, their leader continued his support of policies that might lead more refineries to cut back operations or shut down -- costing even more of his own members their jobs.
The Keystone XL pipeline, the bane of radical environmentalists throughout the country, would bring oil from Canada to U.S. refineries on the Gulf Coast creating jobs and stimulating local economies and industries along the way. Unfortunately, President Obama figures he needs radical environmentalists more than instead of middle class workers for his re-election orts so he's denying permits for the pipeline's construction.
Astoundingly, Leo Gerard applauded Obama's decision instead of criticizing it. Gerard's opposition to the pipeline makes no sense given how many USW members work in U.S. refineries that could manufacture gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, home heating oil, asphalt, and other essential products from the oil Keystone XL would transport.
An important way of strengthening America's refining sector so it can preserve existing jobs and create new ones would be for President Obama to approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. However, instead of committing himself to a project that would create good-paying American jobs and enhance our economic security, President Obama instead ignored a project that would create 20,000 construction and manufacturing jobs almost immediately as well as nearly 120,000 indirect jobs in the next few years.
The Keystone XL pipeline, the bane of radical environmentalists throughout the country, would bring oil from Canada to U.S. refineries on the Gulf Coast creating jobs and stimulating local economies and industries along the way. Unfortunately, President Obama figures he needs radical environmentalists more than middle class workers for his re-election efforts so he's denying permits for the pipeline's construction.
Faced with stiff foreign competition and costly federal regulations in the U.S., the number of American refineries is shrinking -- 66 closed in the past 20 years, leaving about 145 today. Three refineries in the Philadelphia area are in the process of closing, wiping out 2,000 jobs of refinery workers and about 20,000 indirect jobs. Even before these newest job losses, refinery closures and the recession resulted in the loss of 3,000 jobs in refineries just since 2008.
While Gerard issues press releases complaining about these refinery closures, his opposition to Keystone XL is politics at its worst.
Contrast Gerard's back-stabbing of his members with Mark Ayers, president of the Building and Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO. Ayers' group is an alliance of 13 national and international unions that collectively represent more than 2 million skilled craft professionals in the United States and Canada.
"Environmental activists who are not saddled with the economic and psychological scars that accompany long-term unemployment will applaud the fact that they successfully induced the White House to block this project," Ayers said. "Meanwhile, thousands of proud Americans throughout the heartland will once again be faced with the terrifying prospect of losing their homes and their livelihoods as they struggle to find work."
Laborers' International Union of North America General President Terry O'Sullivan pulled his union out of the BlueGreen Alliance -- a coalition of unions and environmental groups -- after Obama's action blocking Keystone XL.
"We're repulsed by some of our supposed brothers and sisters lining up with job killers like the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council to destroy the lives of working men and women," said O'Sullivan, whose union represents more than 500,000 construction industry workers in the U.S. and Canada. "We believe in protecting the planet, but we must also care about the people on it."
Other unions supporting construction of the Keystone XL pipeline include the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the International Union of Operating Engineers, the Teamsters, and the United Association of Plumbers & Pipe Fitters for the United States & Canada. Leaders of these unions understand that supporting jobs for their members is the reason the unions exist, not to join with the enemy and fight against their own members' best interests.
Ken Blackwell is a former Ohio Treasurer. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Club for Growth and the National Taxpayers Union.
I can't dispute everything in this article, you may have a COUPLE points.
But I live in Nebraska. It was not RADICAL environmentalists leading the charge, it was ranchers and farmers wondering where they would get water from if there was a leak. A Republican Governor took a stand against it, and not a very ballsy one at that.
I also dispute this 20,000 jobs figure, I think there is some double counting going on. And couldn't we get almost as many jobs if we built new refineries in the north instead of pumping the oil to the Gulf where much of it will be exported out of the US?
Finally, a disconnect between union leadership and membership is actually a problem that needs to be addressed for Unionism to be successful into the next century. Of course many of the people who comment on it are actually working to destroy all unions but there does need to be some serious liberal attention to this to make the unions stronger. It is amazing how many working people think unions don't have their interests at heart, and unfortunately I've actually seen a couple instances where that was true. Unions need to be the leaders in reforming themselves so these sorts of anti-Union screeds can't get traction.
Blackwell also presents himself as speaking on behalf of union workers. Even for a Washington insider, he takes the prize for his cynical attempt to dupe workers into thinking that he's looking out for their interests. In fact, Blackwell has made a career touting his anti-worker agenda. When he was running for governor of Ohio he declared the minimum wage an "ill-conceived idea" and opposed the worker's right to organize. He is one the Board of Directors of the Club for Growth, one of the most high-profile anti-worker organizations in the country. Workers won't be duped by the very same Republicans that have spent decades attacking the labor movement.
Unfortunately, in his post he tries to slam a union President who has given his waking hours to protect workers and their jobs, unlike many Republicans who are supporting big oil companies and outrageous profits for the sake of contributions.
If Mr. Blackwell investigated all of the safety issues dealing with the pipe being used and the type of pipe, he may have not been so quick to rush to judgment. Would he forgo the safety of his family if the pipeline was to be built in his backyard?
And, if he was really concerned about the closing of refineries, he should take a look at why big oil and gas companies are shipping more of the product overseas and the high reserve amounts in America which is allowing these companies and speculators to keep the price of as artificially inflated.
Hmmm, I wonder if Mr. Blackwell had campaign support from Big Oil companies when he was in office?
The reason it is being built across our country (to export it out of our country for the most part) is because they were prevented from building west to Vancouver.
For once decent Americans are being abused by evil big-business Canadians. Go figgure.
Rising energy prices will increase the pressure to bring the oil to market one way or another. There are already 55,000 miles of crude oil pipeline in United States and 305,000 miles of gas pipeline.
Then there is the higher fuel costs that will result from it. Currently the oil from the Canadian tar sands is piped to Midwest refineries. The point behind the Keystone XL Pipeline is to get that oil to Gulf Coast refineries to be sold at higher prices and exported out of the country which will significantly raise fuel prices in the Midwest. Doesn’t sound like it’s a good deal for unions and workers, just sounds like a bunch of money for TransCanada with working Americans picking up the tab.
Hmmmmm....
The guy not only doesn't know what he's talking about, he just can't talk.