Howie Hawkins, Green Party candidate for New York governor, discussed the Green New Deal during his Dec. 12 appearance on America’s Work Force Radio.
Hawkins, who finished third in New York’s governor’s race, described his vision of the Green New Deal, which includes items such as revitalizing the public sector through the investment in cleaner energy, improved infrastructure and mass transit. He talked about using the distribution of wealth, which he labeled as shared prosperity through progressive tax reforms, to fund schools and public services. Hawkins promoted the New York OFF Fossil Fuels Act, which is an effort to force the use of renewable energy, in an attempt to make New York the national leader in renewable energy.
Tom Germuska, Jr., with the Labor Citizen, joined AWF and talked about the recent announcement of the Columbus Community Sports Complex project. The project utilizes a Community Benefit Agreement, which guarantees the use of highly trained and highly skilled local workers to construct the new sports complex. There was also an announcement about the construction of a new Major League Soccer stadium in Columbus for the Crew SC. MLS must approve the sale of the team to Dee and Jimmy Haslam before the project to build the new stadium can move forward. Germuska also discussed the December edition of the Labor Citizen. Within this 48-page publication is the Sixth Annual Holiday Gift Guide, which features union-made and U.S. made products.
America’s Work Force Radio host Ed “Flash” Ferenc recapped President Trump’s meeting with incoming House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.), where Trump threatened to shutdown the government if lawmakers do not agree to build his wall along the U.S. southern border. Ferenc also discussed how the Unite Here union and Marriott Hotels reached a contract agreement, which should be a blueprint for all collective bargaining agreements moving forward.