By Sean Higgins
Fri., Oct. 07, 2011 5:46 PM ET
Greens held a rally in D.C. Friday to protest a proposed U.S.-Canada oil pipeline. Earlier that day, unions rallied half a block away in favor of the Keystone XL project, which would create 20,000 jobs. AP
As liberal protesters watched forlornly from across the street, a loud, rowdy crowd of about 300 in downtown Washington, D.C., demonstrated in favor of a major oil industry pipeline project.
“There are those who oppose the pipeline. They say the oil is dirty,” said one of the speakers. “Let me be as kind and as gentle as I can be: F**k them!”
Hoots and cheers followed.
Was this the Tea Party counter-protesting against the Occupy Wall Street crowd? Nope. The rally was held by the Laborers International Union of North America. The union was there to back TransCanada’s (TRP) Keystone XL pipeline, a $7 billion project that would bring oil from Alberta to Texas.
The speaker was identified to Capital Hill by union members as Mano Frey, vice president of LIUNA West, which represents Alaska, western Canada and the Northwestern U.S. For him and his members the issue was obvious: The pipeline will mean jobs for them.
The liberal protesters — in town to mark the 10th anniversary of the Afghanistan war — were mostly silent, but one shirtless dreadlocked fellow crashed the union rally. “These (oil business) people will poison you and steal your money!” he shouted.
He was quickly surrounded by union members who shouted “Jobs! Jobs!” drowning him out.
“These people — with the best of intentions — are being misled,” the anti-pipeline protestor, who identified himself as Carlos Reyes, later told Capital Hill.
Just two hours later, about the same number of green protesters organized just half a block away to oppose the pipeline project. This time it was LIUNA members’ turn to watch and hold their tongues.
“I just don’t think the pipeline is the way to go,” said Sarah Souder, a D.C. activist.
Such scenes were exactly what unions and green groups had tried to avoid. Nevertheless the U.S.-Canada pipeline project is re-opening a split in the liberal movement that both thought they had earlier buried.
Green groups have staunchly opposed the pipeline, arguing it isn’t safe and will only further U.S. dependence on fossil fuels. Fighting for the project alongside Big Business is LIUNA, which argues the project is safe and will be a boon to its members.
Liberals had hoped that such internal spats had been put aside when green groups and Big Labor formed the BlueGreen Alliance in 2006 to hash out disagreements and build a common agenda.
A prime example was President Obama’s call for 5 million green jobs during his 2008 campaign. Green energy loan guarantees were a part of the 2009 stimulus. But the collapse of Solyndra has underscored the reality that the program has created only handfuls of permanent green jobs.
Unions Torn Between Greens, Jobs
At the Take Back the American Dream conference on Monday, United Steelworkers President Leo Gerard, a co-founder of the alliance, declared that there was no conflict between supporting the environment and jobs. Carl Pope, another co-founder and president of the Sierra Club, nodded along.
But Friday morning, LIUNA President Terry O’Sullivan appeared at a press conference hosted by the National Association of Manufacturers to tout the pipeline project. O’Sullivan stood alongside Jack Gerard, president of the American Petroleum Institute, and Russ Girling, president of TransCanada.
Business groups claim that the project will pump $20 billion into the economy, create 20,000 direct jobs and provide the government with $5 billion in tax revenue.
O’Sullivan declared: “This isn’t a pipeline. It’s a lifeline.”
He said the BlueGreen Alliance, which LIUNA is a member of, had taken no position on the project.
“We had numerous discussions,” he said. “At the end of the day, we couldn’t find common ground.”
Girling conceded at the press conference that he never expected the pipeline project to become the “lightning rod” for green protests that it has become. He blamed the BP (BP) Gulf of Mexico oil spill and other recent industry accidents.
The press conference and rallies were timed to coincide with a public hearing by the State Department on the project. The Obama administration must approve the project and it’s been heavily lobbied by both sides. A decision is months down the road.
O’Sullivan went directly from NAM’s headquarters to the labor rally, where he introduced TransCanada’s Girly and API’s Gerard to the crowd. They in turn thanked the union members for rallying. Gerard even addressed the crowd as “brothers and sisters.”
At both events, O’Sullivan made a point of saying that while his union disagrees with the greens, they still respect them. He even said the scrutiny they brought to the project was good. But he made clear that his people would go to the mat over the pipeline.
“Working people have had enough of this s**t. The time for good jobs is now!” he shouted.
At the later green rally, several speakers offered sympathy for their “union brothers” but claimed they would “fight like mad” against the project.
Signs at the green rally included: “We don’t want dirty oil jobs,” “President Obama, yes, you can stop the Keystone XL Pipeline” and “Fund mass transit, not oil.”
LIUNA member Pete Bardison, a pipeline worker, watched the rally with his arms folded.
“If they stop that pipeline, then the government better get ready to dig deep with the unemployment insurance,” he said.
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