Unions Fear Biden’s Climate Plan

July 23, 2020

Joe Biden has touted himself as pro-labor and claims his climate plan is focused on higher wages for energy workers. However, labor groups involved in the oil and gas industry are apprehensive of his proposal that outlines a rapid shift away from fossil fuels and with that, a transition away from their well-paying blue-collar jobs.

The Washington Post reports:

Yet NABTU, which represents construction workers, notes many of those building energy infrastructure see better wages and benefits in the oil and gas sector than they do in renewable projects. 

“We agree over the coming decades, we’re going to do more and more transition, but we can’t transition into careers where people take a 50 percent or 75 percent pay cut,” said Sean McGarvey, president of the North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), a federation of 14 construction unions.

The oil and gas industry supports almost 10 million jobs across the country. That’s 10 million American workers who would take a 50-75% pay cut under a Biden presidency.

In these times of economic uncertainty, where unemployment is at an all-time high and the government is rushing to bring relief to Americans with another economic rescue package – why would we wreak more havoc?

America’s blue-collar workers need job security and stability. American households need cheap and reliable energy. Our country needs the revenue and national security the industry secures. The eco-left’s war on fossil fuels is detached from economic and diplomatic reality. The American people deserve a president who is ready to defend their interests domestically and abroad, not roll over at the requests of extremist progressives in their party.