Recap of Climate Action Council Meeting on Workforce Considerations in NY’s Clean Energy Future - July 2022
On Monday, July 11, 2022, the Climate Action Council (CAC) convened a virtual meeting to discuss “Workforce Considerations” and receive updates from the sub-committees driving the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act).
Approximately 41 CAC members were in attendance and numerous labor leaders were invited to speak at the beginning of the meeting. The full meeting agenda is available here and the video of the event will be posted on the CAC’s website in the near future.
The Clean Energy Jobs Coalition live tweeted during the meeting, capturing key comments and observations by panelists and participants.
Steel Workers representative David Wasiura said, “We should not lose jobs to climate rules that lead to off shoring manufacturing jobs."
His comments prompted strong responses from the CAC. NYS DOL Commissioner who responded, “The last thing we want to do is take the skills of skilled workers and flush them...Want to understand and think clearly" about achieving a just transition following the "nightmare of NAFTA."
Raya Salter asked, “How can we work together?” To which NYS Building Trades President Gary Labarbera said, “This is the beginning of that process. We are happy to collaborate and partner.”
You can view our full thread on Twitter here and get additional insight from Politico’s energy reporter Marie French here.
It is important to note that POLITICO questioned these groups meeting privately, "These groups will propose potentially sweeping polices, in secret."
The ultimate conclusion by the CAC was that, as Henry Spliethoff observed in the concluding moments of the meting, “they have not done a good enough job to figure out the jobs impact of the Climate Action Plan.” Mr. Spliethoff indicated that his key take away was that there is an “imbalance in the Climate Action Plan” and that they need to engage the workforce more to better understand and figure out how to keep and create jobs in New York’s clean energy future.
For more information, you can view past meetings and materials of the CAC as follows:
May 26, 2022
April 18, 2022
March 3, 2022