The New York State AFL-CIO supports our affiliates in addressing climate change and supporting the use of cleaner, more affordable, and renewable energy in a responsible way. Our work includes supporting measures that would protect current jobs and ensure that newly created jobs are good union jobs.

Policy Positions

• Support programs for non-renewable energy systems to help the State achieve its goal of net zero-emission energy production by 2040 and require comprehensive labor standards and protections, including prevailing rate, PLA, bona fide apprenticeships, Buy American, and labor peace.

• Invest in zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) infrastructure and charging stations across New York State with comprehensive labor standards and protections, including prevailing rate, PLA, Buy American, and labor peace. We must also ensure that no workers are displaced as public and private school bus and vehicle fleets are transitioned to ZEVs. Finally, we must enact strong Buy American provisions for the purchase of new ZEVs and associated equipment.

• Continue funding of $25 million to support workers and communities impacted by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. The just transition should include extended unemployment insurance payments, COBRA subsidies, educational grants, and a bridge to retirement where appropriate. 

• Prohibit displacement of public sector employees and require the prompt rehire of displaced private sector employees with the same or better pay and benefits while maintaining their choice of collective bargaining representative.

• We have supported the development of solar, wind, and other forms of renewable and net zero-emission energy, and we need similar standards on storage, nuclear and other zeroemissions technology. This development must adhere to comprehensive labor standards and protections, including prevailing rate, PLA, bona fide apprenticeships, Buy American, and labor peace for workers who generate and transmit renewable energy, and those who manufacture, operate, maintain, repair, construct, and install renewable and net zero-emission energy infrastructure components.

• We support the inclusion of apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship standards throughout the clean energy sector, similar to the requirements that currently exist in the cap and invest and utility thermal energy network programs.

• The New York State AFL-CIO will support capital funding, bonding authority, grants, and technical assistance funded by a new Carbon Free and Healthy Schools Bond Act that will facilitate clean energy, decarbonization, energy efficiency, sustainability, and improved air quality in schools and colleges across New York State. 

• Support the efforts of impacted affiliates and their members who work at utilities and generation, transmission, manufacturing, and smelting facilities to make them more efficient and to keep them operational.

• Oppose importing from out-of-state sources that provide cheap power because they do not adhere to climate and emissions requirements that in-state power producers do. 

• Oppose granting government subsidies or development rights to employers that do not commit to creating good jobs with comprehensive labor standards and protections, including prevailing rate, PLA, Buy American, labor peace and bona fide apprenticeship programs; or do not contribute the same revenues that existing utilities and power producers pay at the state and local level.

• Support funding for resiliency projects, dams, drinking water, sewer systems, storm preparedness, and other climate-related infrastructure improvements with comprehensive labor standards and protections, including prevailing rate, PLA, bona fide apprenticeships, Buy American, and labor peace.

• Support establishing thermal energy networks at public buildings including state office campuses, State University of New York (SUNY) campuses, state correctional facilities, and county, municipal, and school district buildings with comprehensive labor standards and protections, including prevailing rate, PLA, bona fide apprenticeships, Buy American, and labor peace.