Fracking foes cringe as unions back drilling boom

[Omaha Steve]

Last edited Mon Apr 21, 2014, 10:52 AM - Edit history (1)

I in no way support fracking.

OS

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140420/DAD9VIT80.html

Apr 20, 12:44 PM (ET)

By KEVIN BEGOS

PITTSBURGH (AP) - After early complaints that out-of-state firms got the most jobs, some local construction trade workers and union members in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia say they're now benefiting in a big way from the Marcellus and Utica Shale oil and gas boom.

That vocal support from blue-collar workers complicates efforts by environmentalists to limit the drilling process known as fracking.


In this April 17, 2014 photo, workers continue the construction at a gas pipeline site in Harmony, Pa. Dennis Martire, from the Laborers’ International Union, or LIUNA, said that the man-hours of union work on large pipeline jobs in Pennsylvania and West Virginia have increased by more than 14 times since 2008. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

"The shale became a lifesaver and a lifeline for a lot of working families," said Dennis Martire, the mid-Atlantic regional manager for the Laborers' International Union, or LIUNA, which represents workers in numerous construction trades.

Martire said that as huge quantities of natural gas were extracted from the vast shale reserves over the last five years, union work on large pipeline jobs in Pennsylvania and West Virginia has increased significantly. In 2008, LIUNA members worked about 400,000 hours on such jobs; by 2012, that had risen to 5.7 million hours.

FULL story at link.

[Champion Jack]

1. Around here , wv, it's all contract workers

[intheflow]

2. My boyfriend's union is all over this,

spewing lies about how safe fracking is, peddled by the API. He's super-pissed about it, and is trying his hardest to educate other members. He sits on a board, but it's a small local that won't even benefit from any jobs created because their trade doesn't do work that would get any jobs. Hopefully, though, small ripples...

Edited to add, we're in Colorado. Our trollish county was one of the counties that wanted to secede, our politicians are orgasmic about fracking. I'm glad Pennsylvania is getting some air time on the dangers. Good God, if we're going to create union energy jobs, WTF is wrong with solar and wind?

[Sherman A1]

3. Indeed

We have had Unions supporting the Keystone pipeline here in MO and while I know that jobs are critical, I kinda think the environment might be as well.