America's Workers Need the Keystone XL Pipeline

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America’s Workers Need the Keystone XL Pipeline, Support Calls to Expedite Its Approval Unions and Industry to President Obama: “We Can’t Wait Until After the Election for These Jobs” December 2, 2011

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Mark Ayers and Jack Gerard, chairman and secretary-treasurer of the Oil and Natural Gas Industry Labor-Management Committee, today urged President Obama to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, lending their voices to those calling for an end to delay and an expedited review process. “Our members – the men and women who build and maintain our nation’s energy infrastructure – continue to suffer from one of the highest unemployment rates in the economy,” said Mark Ayers, President of the Building and Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO. “They fail to understand a process whereby, on the one hand, pressure is exerted to pass a jobs bill in order to put skilled craft Americans back to work repairing and re-building our nation's infrastructure, and then, on the other hand, an endless progression of regulatory foot-dragging is prolonged that keeps 20,000 Americans from getting to work on the Keystone XL pipeline.” In its announcement delaying a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline, the State Department cited two specific concerns: the routing of the pipeline through Nebraska’s Sand Hills and that state’s lack of a regulatory framework regarding pipeline routing in general. Within two weeks, the Nebraska legislature held a special session and has now passed legislation implementing a process for re-routing the pipeline, the governor signed the bill and a process has begun between the state and TransCanada on how to relocate the pipeline around the area of concern. “While we were deeply disappointed in the president’s decision to further delay the process, we commend the state of Nebraska for moving quickly to get the process back on track and

recognizing the urgent need for the energy security and job creation that Keystone XL will deliver,” said Jack Gerard, president and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute. “Following an unprecedented, comprehensive three-year review by his Department of State, President Obama must now do his part by respecting the swift, bipartisan actions of Nebraska’s elected officials and move this process forward. At a time of stubbornly high unemployment and stagnant job creation, not taking advantage of the enormous benefits of this project puts him out of touch with the vast majority of Americans who favor building this pipeline.” “The president’s decision to delay a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline, a project that met many of the administration’s stated energy security goals, was deeply disappointing,” added Mark Ayers. “Rather than allow the entire project to be delayed because a small area needs to be reexamined, we would support efforts to provide conditional approval, which would allow TransCanada to start construction on those parts of the project that are not in dispute. Our members can no longer wait.” The Oil and Natural Gas Industry Labor-Management Committee is a partnership of the companies in the oil and natural gas sector and the unions who represent their workers. This organization works to create and protect jobs in the industry by promoting public policies that encourage innovation, exploration and economic growth. When the organization was founded in 2009, the member companies and unions made a commitment to find areas of common ground, both to advance the interests of their organizations and to support initiatives that will benefit the entire nation, as is the case with the Keystone XL pipeline. Chairman Ayers and Secretary-Treasurer Gerard urge Members of Congress to pursue a similar partnership – reaching across party lines – on this issue, for the good of our economy, working families and national security. www.ongilmc.org