Pittsburgh Summit Opportunity to Talk Green Jobs, Manufacturing
Contact: Connie Mabin, 412-562-2616, cmabin@usw.org
Pittsburgh – The United Steelworkers (USW) today kicked off its G-20 week events with a call to world leaders to address the global jobs crisis with a second round of worldwide stimulus that focuses on job creation, including investment in good, green jobs.
“Rampant global capital caused this worldwide economic disaster, which is proof that protecting and providing only for the rich and powerful does not work. It’s the responsibility of our governments and leaders to fix this mess for everyone, especially the working families of the world,” said Leo W. Gerard, international president of the USW.
North America’s largest industrial union is hosting or co-hosting several events at its Pittsburgh headquarters beginning with an all-day teach-in Wednesday, “Human Rights, Global Justice and the G-20 discussion.” New AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka will join Gerard and others at the educational seminar which begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m.
Gerard and Trumka are among the 50 union leaders from around the world that are calling on President Obama and other G-20 leaders meeting in the city this week to implement a coordinated international recovery and sustainable growth plan with a main focus on job creation, public investment and protection for the world’s most vulnerable workers.
In “The Pittsburgh Declaration,” the union leaders, as detailed in an AFL-CIO resolution passed last week, also will ask the G-20, among other things, to:
- Begin to develop a model of growth based on a balanced economy, one that is economically efficient, socially just and environmentally sustainable.
- Combat the risk of wage deflation and reverse the growth of income inequality by extending the coverage of collective bargaining, and strengthening wage-setting institutions to establish a decent floor in labor markets.
- Resolve insolvent banks immediately and establish new rules and mechanisms to control global finance with full stakeholder engagement.
- Lay groundwork for “a far-reaching and ambitious climate change” agreement later this year.
“We’re calling on the G-20 leaders to bring to an end the failed policies that have generated massive inequality between and within nations and that are the root causes of the current global crisis,” Gerard said. “We can no longer have a model of growth based on debt-financed consumption. We must invest in good jobs – jobs that help us protect our environment and our communities – while lifting workers up around the world.”
Other events planned for this week include Wednesday night’s “Rally for Clean Energy Jobs,” co-sponsored by the USW, Repower America, The Alliance for Climate Protection, Blue Green Alliance and others. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Big Head Todd & the Monsters, Kathy Matea, Da Flow Band, The Pittsburgh Gospel Choir, Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers are among the acts who will perform.
The USW represents 850,000 workers in the U.S. and Canada employed in the industries of metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining and the service sector. For more information: www.usw.org/.
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