AFL-CIO Announces Infrastructure Investments

AFL-CIO ^ | Sep 20, 2011 | James Parks

[mdittmar]

he AFL-CIO announced it has invested  more than $150 million in job-creating infrastructure projects and registered 8,000 more apprenticeships in clean energy training.

During the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) meeting in Chicago last June, the AFL-CIO outlined plans to work with member unions, pension funds, investment professionals and the government to invest at least $10 billion in job-creating infrastructure projects. The federation also committed to invest at least $20 million in specific energy retrofits over the next year, to retrofit our headquarters building, and to train tens of thousands of workers in the skills necessary to work on 21st century infrastructure.

Here’s what has been accomplished so far:

• The AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust has funded a $134 million energy efficiency and asbestos removal project for Penn South Mutual Cooperative in New York City. The Trust has also developed a pipeline for $79 million dollars in further investment in energy efficient and retrofit projects. The Trust’s board also passed a resolution to work with Fannie Mae to invest in Fannie Mae’s Green Refinance Plus mortgage backed securities.

• The AFL-CIO, with the assistance of CGI, has issued a request for proposals for a $3 million energy efficiency retrofit of its headquarters.
• The AFL-CIO, the Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD) and investment funds affiliated with the labor movement continue to work on financing energy efficiency retrofits for commercial, industrial and public buildings, including in particular public housing. Promising conversations are underway with new state-sponsored entities seeking to sponsor such retrofits in Oregon and in Colorado.
• Joint labor-management apprenticeship programs in the U.S. construction industry added some 8,000 new registered apprenticeships since CGI Chicago. These same joint labor-management apprenticeship and training programs have enabled approximately 40,000 construction workers in the clean energy workforce to complete their certification training and obtain certifications in specialty fields. 

The AFL-CIO is coordinating the efforts to reinvest in the infrastructure along with a broad coalition of unions chaired by AFT, and including SEIU, AFSCME, National Education Association (NEA), Firefighters (IAFF), the BCTD and investment funds affiliated with the labor movement.

[mdittmar]

Lot of union dues there.

[ronnie raygun]

Much like the MTA using increased tolls on the NYC bridges and tunnels to fund realestate projects, aka the new world trade center. 13 dollars to cross a bridge or tunnel, 13 dollars for each axle if you have a truck or trailer. Nice!

[BobP]

[RetiredTexasVet]

I’d be more concerned about low flying pigs!