Ohio AFL-CIO Represented at Midwestern Governor's Association Meeting

As an appointee by Governor Strickland, Tim Burga is representing the Ohio AFL-CIO on the MGA New Energy Economy Advisory Group.  The group met in Detroit on June 3-4 to discuss a regional approach to maximizing job and economic development opportunities of the new energy economy. The advisory group is charged with providing a new energy economy platform and policy recommendations for the Midwest to the twelve governors to be released during a Jobs and Energy Summit in October.

During the advisory group panel discussion Burga stated that the "window of opportunity is here, but only for a short time, to use the new energy economy as a staring point to develop national and regional re-industrialization plans.  Plans that will invest in American enterprises and our workforce."  Stressing this point, Burga stated, "this group's policy platform must include domestic content standards and labor wage and benefits standards.  If not, we will continue to see the affects of unfair trade and the ongoing production of wind turbines, solar panels and other new energy products made abroad and imported here. And, these energy jobs that we invest in to manufacture the components, build the generation and distribution facilities and connect the energy to the users must be sustainable jobs that pay high wages with good benefits." 

Click here for the Midwest Governor's Energy Initiative.