In a letter sent to Rep. Lynn Woolsey, Chairwoman of the House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections and Rep. Tom Price, the Subcommittee' Ranking Member, AGC CEO Steve Sandherr made the point that construction jobs meet all the criteria of the loosely defined "green job," including:
- Improving the environment;
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Offering good-paying jobs;
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Offering opportunities for advancement;
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Are jobs that cannot be outsourced; and
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Encouraging participation by a diverse population.
The letter was sent to the subcommittee in response to a March 31 hearing it held to "examine green jobs and their role in our nation's economic recovery."
In her opening statement, Chairwoman Woolsey noted: "Green industry, green technology and green jobs are our future, and will play a key role in our economic recovery."
AGC of America agrees with both the general definition of a "green job" and Chairwoman Woolsey's statement. Our point in the letter was to emphasize how large a role the construction industry plays in a green economy, how important it is to capture all of the green work that our industry does - including recycling at the highest levels of any industry - and the need to provide training for traditional crafts that may "benefit by, but do not need, training in green practices in order to work successfully on a green project."
Further, AGC stressed the need for the federal government to avoid over-defining "green jobs" so that it excludes large segments of the industry and highlighted the many ways that AGC, its members, and chapters promote training and construction in environmentally sound and "green" practices.
The letter concluded: "By building energy efficiency into existing and future infrastructure, the construction industry is an essential partner in the nation's efforts to nurture a green economy."
The
full text of the AGC letter, as well as the original Green Jobs Act and Rep. Kline's amendment, referenced in the letter, can be viewed online.
