Climate Jobs NY Rallies with City Council Members
On Thursday, Climate Jobs NY co-hosted a “Rally for Solar Power” with New York City Councilmembers Sandy Nurse, Carmen De La Rosa, Pierina Sánchez and Climate Works for All. Dozens of union workers and community members gathered at City Hall to rally in support of newly introduced city legislation sponsored by CM Nurse that would install rooftop solar on all public buildings. The rally took place a few days in advance of Climate Week.
If passed, installing solar on every public building in NYC could deliver 100 Megawatts on city-owned buildings by 2025 and 150 MW by 2030 of clean power, cut carbon pollution, save millions of dollars on energy costs, and create tens of thousands of high-quality union jobs. New York City already has one of the first net-zero schools in the country located on Staten Island and can continue to lead the nation by putting solar on schools and other public buildings and conducting climate-friendly retrofits to make its schools and public buildings as energy efficient as possible.
“We applaud Councilmember Nurse and the other bill sponsors for introducing legislation to accelerate the transition to solar on New York’s public buildings prioritizing New York City’s public schools. This is an important first step in making every New York City public school building a clean and healthy place to learn and to work in addition to creating thousands of good union green jobs. Extreme weather events like the recent wildfires remind us how urgent it is we take immediate action for a just transition to renewable energy. Let’s invest in responsible solutions to build a sustainable and just future,” said Lenore Friedlaender, Executive Director of Climate Jobs NY.
“”I saw firsthand the destruction that Hurricane Sandy caused and the suffering of people who lost their homes and all their belongings,” said Robert Brunotte, member of Laborers Local 79. “My first union job was on the Sandy Build It Back program to clean and rebuild after Hurricane Sandy. That union job was a life-changer for me. I was able to buy a car and get my family on track for a middle class life. Union members like me want clean air, clean water and want to be part of the solution. We care about our environment and want every worker to have a good union job. We are ready to do the work.”
“If I have kids, I want their future to be secure. That means good jobs and a healthy climate. I love the school where I work. For 9 years I have put my blood sweat and tears into it. Today we have the opportunity to invest in our school buildings, address climate change and create good quality jobs all at the same time. We have to do whatever we can to be part of the solution. Let’s make this happen,” said Sebastian Garcia, member of 32BJ SEIU and a cleaner at the Louis D. Brandeis High School in New York City. Follow Climate Jobs NY for updates!