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Climate Jobs Washington
In 2021, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) into law. Among other things, this bill passed an historic “cap-and-invest” program meant to reduce carbon emissions over time and raise revenue for climate-friendly projects by forcing major companies to pay for the pollution they emit.313
Unfortunately, CCA did not require strong labor standards on projects using cap-and-invest funds. As a result, IAM District 751 and much of the broader labor movement in Washington State did not support the bill. “Most people I talk to understand… that climate change is an issue,” said District 751 President Jon Holden. But “it doesn’t give you solace when someone
305 Natural Resources Canada, “Tax Incentives for Businesses.”
307 Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service, “Clean Energy Tax Incentives for Individuals.”
308 Feldman et al., “Spring 2024 Solar Industry Update.”
309 U.S. Department of Energy, “Land-Based Wind Market Report: 2023 Edition.”
310 Boyd, “The Future of Enhanced Geothermal Systems in the United States.”
311 Stefek et al., “U.S. Offshore Wind Energy Workforce Assessment.”
312 U.S. Department of Energy, “U.S. National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap.”
313 Washington State Department of Ecology, “Climate Commitment Act.”
says… we are eliminating your job, but we’re going to train you for a job that pays half with no rights.”
This experience motivated many in the state’s labor movement to set their own climate agenda. The Washington State Building & Construction Trades Council (WSBCTC), the Washington State Labor Council (WSLC), and many individual unions partnered with the Climate Jobs National Resource Center (CJNRC) and Cornell University’s Climate Jobs Institute (CJI) to do just that. In 2023, CJI released the report, “Washington Climate Jobs Roadmap: A Worker- Centered Approach to a Clean-Energy Future.” One of the report’s recommendations spoke directly to IAM members in the state, calling for Washington to become “a national leader in sustainable aviation fuel production.”314
Around the same time, the union-led coalition Climate Jobs Washington launched. With leadership from Holden, WSBCTC’s Mark Riker, and WSLC’s April Sims, Climate Jobs Washington is already seeing results. For example, District 751 helped lead the successful effort to pass legislation incentivizing in-state SAF production and expediting siting and permitting for clean energy projects.315 Labor-led coalitions like Climate Jobs Washington are playing an important role across the country to grow climate-safe industries and expand high- quality job opportunities.
END PULL OUT BOX
In addition to passing pro-worker legislation, organizing campaigns will sustain high standards in the clean energy sector. The IAM should dedicate resources to track federal funding grantees and identify strategic organizing targets; key programs to monitor include the Advanced Manufacturing Tax Credit, loans from the DOE Loans Program Office, and Green Bank finance recipients. The IAM can also partner with the Cornell ILR Climate Jobs Institute, which has developed sophisticated methods for capturing this data. At Cleveland Cliffs and Voith Hydro, the IAM has already demonstrated that it can help employers secure advanced manufacturing tax credits to expand production at unionized plants.316 Additionally, due to IRA tax credits tied to domestic manufacturing, some employers are seeking Buy American waivers as they develop capacity. The union can negotiate neutrality agreements for future manufacturing as a condition for such waivers. As clean energy production surges, the IAM can identify and execute ambitious new organizing campaigns.
Protecting IAM members’ jobs is equally important. Training programs can build on existing skills while introducing new renewable energy concepts. The IAM should strategically transfer its members' existing skills in legacy industries to the renewable energy sector. Finally, expanded manufacturing apprenticeship programs can help diversify membership by recruiting women and people from underrepresented communities into high-quality manufacturing jobs.
315 Groves, “Unions Launch Climate Jobs Washington.”
316 Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service, “Clean Energy Tax Incentives for Businesses.”