There could not have been a better way to kick off the 2012
Good Jobs, Green Jobs Midwest Conference — the last Good Jobs, Green Jobs Regional Conference for 2012 — than with a poem and song from “The
Lady Achievers,” a choir from the local Detroit School of Arts. Their uplifting
song echoed in the ballroom here at the Detroit Marriott Hotel at the
Renaissance Center.
The Deputy Director of the BlueGreen Alliance, Margrete
Strand Rangnes, provided brief, but fiery remarks, leading into a speech by Dr.
Bertram Marks, a pastor and lawyer in Detroit. Rev. Marks said, “Just like
being a lawyer and pastor are not mutually exclusive, liking manufacturing and
caring for the environment aren’t mutually exclusive.”
United Steelworkers International President Leo Gerard spoke
of the importance of the bond between environmentalists and union members to
creating a lasting impact on our country.
“When I think about the way I grew up, I came to realize
that the same people telling us you couldn’t have jobs with good wages were the ones who said
we couldn’t have good jobs and a clean environment,” said Gerard. “We can and
must have both or neither.”
“We have a tremendous opportunity by doing what’s right, by
creating and maintaining good jobs,” said Gerard, calling for greening schools
and public buildings to create good jobs and make buildings energy efficient
and healthy.
Michael Brune, the Executive Director of the Sierra Club,
took the stage and said the vision of the partnership between environmentalists
and union workers was simple. ““The Sierra Club, at its core, stands for people
and the planet. There’s far more that unites us than is pulling us apart.” He
focused on the work being done to make vehicles more efficient and the positive
impact on the environment and jobs that the new fuel efficiency standards will
create.
Jim Harrison, the President of Utility Workers Union of
America Local 223 in Michigan, took the stage next and called for a just
transition for workers as we reduce carbon and ensure the jobs we create by
doing so are good jobs with fair pay and good benefits for workers.
Read the rest of this post on the #GJGJ2012 blog
