Laborer’s Union: We Are Not Climate Deniers On Keystone Pipeline

[KansDem]

Heard this on KKFI this morning driving to work--

The Laborer’s International Union of North America supports the Keystone XL Pipeline project and the construction work it would bring. The Laborers’ Dave Mallino says LIUNA is frustrated by Democrats in Congress and environmentalists when it comes to the pipeline.

(Dave Mallino): “The laborer’s union believes that climate change is real. We are not climate deniers. But all of the official studies that have been done continue to confirm that this oil is coming out of the ground one way or the other. So if you’re going to move the commodity to market, frankly the most environmentally sensitive way to do that is via the pipeline. Are we upset that there are Democrats who continually oppose this pipeline and oppose our jobs? Absolutely. Are we assessing the politics? Certainly. But decisions on who we support and who we oppose are made on an individual basis.”

WIN

Doesn't the union know that these construction jobs are temporary?

From "Media Matters"--

NBCNews.com falsely claimed that a recent report by the State Department found that the Keystone XL pipeline would create "as many as 42,000 new construction jobs." In fact, the report found that the pipeline would create less than 4,000 construction jobs and only 35 permanent jobs.

Late Friday, the State Department issued a draft Supplementary Environmental Impact Assessment of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline that was largely supportive of the project, which will inform President Barack Obama's decision later this year. The report found that "Including direct, indirect, and induced effects, the proposed Project would potentially support approximately 42,100 average annual jobs across the United States over a 1-to 2-year construction period." Those jobs encompass everything from food service to health care to finance, which the report estimates would be temporary ripple effects from the "approximately 3,900" annual construction jobs created for the 1- to 2-year construction period.

NBCNews.com not only inflated the number of construction jobs anticipated, but it failed to mention that the long-term economic impact of the project would be minimal contrary to persistent conservative claims. The State Department found that "Operation of the proposed Project would generate 35 permanent and 15 temporary jobs, primarily for routine inspections, maintenance, and repairs. Based on this estimate, routine operation of the proposed Pipeline would have negligible socioeconomic impacts."

Knowing the true economic impact of the pipeline is critical to weighing the benefits and costs of another infrastructure project facilitating catastrophic climate change.

Media Matters

So, after the KochBros get their pipeline and the billion$ start rolling in, they'll lay off all the workers who built their pipeline and send them to the unemployment line?

[pintobean]

1. All construction jobs are temporary

by their nature. Yes, any building trades union knows this. The idea is to get the workers out of the unemployment line. Hopefully, they can stay out of the unemployment line when a project is completed by going to a new project.

[KansDem]

9. "Hopefully, they can stay out of the unemployment line when a project is completed...

...by going to a new project."

And one would think the KochBros could make that offer. They must have plenty of construction projects going on. Why not signal that they would give preference to workers laid off from previous Koch jobs?

They could say, "You made us a couple billion dollars richer, so we'd like to offer you first-in-line for our next construction job."

No, really! They could!

[pintobean]

11. It doesn't work that way.

Most projects are divided up and put out for bid in segments. General contractors divide their portion up and put most of that out for bid with sub-contractors. The general that gets the work does it with their contracted subs. A large project can span across areas with different local unions, so the worker pool is different, depending on location. The Laborers union is speaking for all of their local unions and all the companies that they have a labor agreement with.

[joeglow3]

13. Stole my comment

That is a weak argument

[Brickbat]

15. Whoops, I need to read the whole thread before I comment so I don't end up repeating someone else's

post. Twice.

[pintobean]

20. There's nothing wrong with that.

[leftyohiolib]

2. short sighted and stupid - we could keep jobs flowing by cutting down every fucking tree in america

but that would be stupid. while we're at it lets blacktop the country

[jwirr]

3. Maybe not but they are not interested in the water under Nebraska and that is what concerns most of

us. The land and water in Nebraska are farm land - it is much more valuable that way than used to get dirty oil to the rest of the world.

Plus if you think you are going to get jobs - temps is what you will get. A pipeline went through our woods about a mile from our home. Many of the cars parked beside the road were out of state licenses and yes they hired some of the locals (mostly ones who sold the land to them). Now a year later the only time anyone works on that line is when there is a spill and those are almost ALL out of state workers.

Plus you are ignoring that this pipeline will take the dirty oil down to the Gulf to be put on the world market and sold to the highest bidder - most likely not the USA. No jobs in that. If Canada wants to sell their dirty oil to the rest of the world let them run their pipelines across their own land.

[joeglow3]

14. The US will collect income taxes on those sales.

[jwirr]

16. I had not heard that. Don't they go down to the Gulf and ships waiting to take them to buyers. When

do they change ownership in that process? This dirty oil belongs to Canada.

[joeglow3]

19. I won't claim to be an expert

While I am a tax CPA, I have very little in taxation of the oil and gas industry. There are so many different rules, that conventional logic may not apply. That said, I would guess there would have to be some activities resulting in transfer pricing studies and taxes being owed (i.e. the ownership of property in all states with the pipeline should create nexus in those states).

[pscot]

18. That isn't true

Foreign sales aren't taxed under U.S. law. All they have to do is keep the profits offshore in the Cayman Islands or some similar profit haven, of which there are many.

[joeglow3]

21. The question is if a transfer pricing study would need to be done.

[rickford66]

4. Ever visit a European Cathedral?

Those buildings of stone are many hundreds of years old and they are constantly under repair. That's what we need here. Bridges and roads always maintained. Not waiting until the road crumbles or the bridge collapses. It's cheaper to maintain our infrastructure than having to rebuild it. This would provide many thousands of permanent jobs for the construction industry. We wouldn't have to compromise the environment in return for temporary employment. The jobs supposedly created by the fracking industry are also inflated. I believe they multiply the number of workers needed to drill one well by the total number of wells to be drilled. Neglecting the obvious that each worker will be employed on a large number of wells. Also the economic boom is really a movement of money from one location to another. Did those workers not eat, sleep or consume products and services anywhere before?

[Brickbat]

5. "Doesn't the union know that these construction jobs are temporary?"

What would a "permanent" construction job look like?

[KansDem]

7. I don't know, I suppose a "good faith" reaction from the Kochs would be a start...

Why couldn't they say "Well, all you construction guys will make us billions. In return, we'd like to assist you in your next job after you're laid off from this one." I'm sure the KochBros have all kinds of construction jobs going on. Perhaps they could give preference to workers laid off from this job? That is, if this project is approved.

But apparently the One Percenters are not capable of this kind of humanity.

And, it appears any reference to the Keystone pipeline in the M$M will include the number of jobs "created" but no mention of these jobs being temporary. But, I suppose the Kochs want it that way...

[Brickbat]

12. It seems you don't quite understand how construction jobs work.

All construction jobs are, by their nature, temporary. And, it appears any reference to the Keystone pipeline in the M$M will include the number of jobs "created" but no mention of these jobs being temporary.

They're construction jobs. A good construction company moves from project to project -- each one "temporary" -- and if it manages things well, its employees don't go through a hire/layoff cycle. So you can look at it as a "temporary" job, in that the work that is done in that space at that time is indeed temporary. Or you can look at is as part of the business cycle of a construction company, one in a series of contract projects that it's involved in and that keeps its employees on the payroll. And that's what a union advocates for -- a strong construction environment that raises all the boats.

[jwirr]

17. Yes, I read that construction jobs are almost always temp jobs. That is true from year to year but I

do not think that they will be building another pipeline next year.

[JaneyVee]

6. If they're so concerned about construction jobs,

This is a lousy way to do it. Want serious long term construction jobs? Infrastructure infrastructure infrastructure. Roads, bridges, airports, electric grids, aquifers, seaports, high speed rail, climate change prep, etc. Building a 21st century America.

[KansDem]

10. No argument from me...

Rather than giving billions to the Koch Bros for their pipeline, why not put those billions into the public infrastructure. There's a lot to be done and experienced workers to do it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. The construction trades are usually "wrong" on these issues

because their job is to get construction jobs to their members.

So them being in favor of the pipeline is just as not shocking as them being for the construction of the Quail Brush Peaker station locally.

Once you understand this, heating the Trades being in favor is internally consistent.