USW Praises Obama on $5 Billion Commitment to Green Manufacturing

Contact: Gary Hubbard, 202-778-4384,  202-256-8125, ghubbard@usw.org

Washington, DC (Dec. 16, 2009) – Leo W. Gerard, International President of the United Steelworkers (USW), today  responded to a press report that the Obama Administration will be providing  additional  tax credits  for domestic manufacturing of renewable energy products.

“The Obama Administration’s support of $5 billion of additional tax credits for building and equipping domestic manufacturing facilities that make renewable energy products provides a huge shot in the arm to spark economic growth and expand America’s ability to create clean and green jobs for the future. It is just what the doctor ordered.

“In recent weeks, the USW has raised substantial concerns about projects — such as the Texas Wind Energy Project — that exposed the need to rapidly increase domestic manufacturing capacity to ensure that the U.S. is a leader in the clean and green economy of the future.

“Expanding alternative and renewable power generation must be coupled with the expansion of the capacity to produce the power generation equipment itself. President Obama’s commitment to this $5 billion will do exactly that.” 

The USW is North America’s largest industrial union, representing 850,000 actively employed workers in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy producing industries.

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