BOILERMAKERS RALLY FOR COAL: Pittsburgh, Aug. 25 — With a comprehensive energy and climate bill stalled in the Senate, Local 154 members take to the street to voice their concerns about the future of coal. More than 700 Boilermakers participate, drawing a substantial police presence to keep the road clear, but only one protester is cited, for a minor violation. Copyright ©, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2010, all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.
More than 700 take to the street in Pittsburgh
CONCERNED ABOUT THE future of coal as an energy source, more than 700 members of Local 154 demonstrated outside their Pittsburgh lodge Aug. 25, drawing the attention of rush hour commuters, police, and the media.
The event was staged to raise public awareness and to alert politicians that Boilermakers demand their support for the continued use of coal. Protesting members lined both sides of Banksville Road, a major thoroughfare through the city, chanting slogans and hoisting signs reading: “Got electricity? Clean coal now.”
Pittsburgh police were present in substantial numbers to make sure the road remained clear for traffic. The demonstration was peaceful, although one member received a citation for a minor pedestrian violation.
Local 154 BM Ray Ventrone expressed his concern that “clean coal” is not getting enough support from policy makers. He told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that federal and state governments should “just keep coal in the mix. If they don’t go with clean coal technology — if they decide to go [predominantly] with windmills and solar energy — they’re going to put millions of people out of work.”
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, coal-fired plants account for 43.6 percent of the power generated in the United States, natural gas 21.2 percent, and nuclear 20.3 percent. The United States has estimated coal reserves of at least 200 years at current levels of use.
Building and maintaining coal-fired plants has long been a staple for construction Boilermakers. That work accounts for hundreds of thousands of man-hours annually. Boilermaker miners at Local S8 (Equality, Ill.) and Local S1978 (Rock Springs, Wyo.) also depend on coal for their livelihoods. However, climate change concerns have focused international attention on coal as a major contributor to atmospheric carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Emerging technologies to clean up coal — such as chilled ammonia and oxy-combustion processes — have yet to be perfected for wide-spread commercial application.
In the absence of a comprehensive energy policy, many states have curtailed new coal-fired power plant construction. The Boilermakers union has been at the forefront of pushing for an energy policy that would include advanced coal technology, and on June 26, 2009, the House passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act. However, the Senate version faced unanimous Republican opposition and failed to come to a vote.
BM Ventrone said feedback from the rally has been extremely positive. During the event, commuters honked their horns in support of the demonstration. In an interview later that night with radio station KDKA in Pittsburgh, Ventrone spoke about the importance of coal and the need to rebuild U.S. industry. He said callers to the program overwhelmingly voiced their support for the lodge’s position.
“Since our rally, we’ve gotten calls not only from Pittsburgh and other areas of Pennsylvania but from Texas, Michigan, and some of the western states,” Ventrone said. “I’ve been a little shocked about how positive people have been to our message.”
Local 154 is not missing any opportunity to promote coal. Callers to the lodge who get placed on hold will hear a recording from Ventrone stating, “Clean coal is the way to go.”
