“We’re excited to be coming together to fight for good, safe jobs and to tackle climate change and other pressing environmental challenges,” said Dennis Dougherty, executive director of the Colorado AFL-CIO. “We’re focused on finding common sense solutions that create good-paying, union jobs in communities all around our state in ways that protect our environment.”

“We know that a clean environment, a strong economy, and good-paying jobs can and must go hand-in-hand,” said Kelly Nordini, executive director of Conservation Colorado. “We will stand together with our allies in the labor movement to move our state forward to a cleaner economy that supports working families.”

The leaders said their immediate focus would be on building consensus and supporting policies that will grow clean energy jobs and projects across the state, as well as limiting emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas pollutants in order to leave a healthy, livable climate for future generations.

“We feel it is our job, as the union, to use every avenue possible to advocate for our members,” said Eppie Martinez the business manager/financial secretary of IBEW Local Union 111. “What better way is there to vocalize and advance our ideas regarding any transition for our members than to actually be a part of this evolving industry? I believe that if both sides work together, we can create new jobs in the energy sector that sustain families and their communities while ultimately protecting the environment. We realize that we are far stronger together than we can ever be separately, and we all share many of the same common values. We want to be good stewards of the environment, as well as make sure that we have safe, healthy workplaces and communities and good-paying jobs that will support working families and their communites.”

“Coloradans are feeling the effects of climate change today, in the form of drought, wildfires, and poor air quality—but we also know that we can fight climate change while creating good jobs and a healthy economy,” said Erin Overturf, deputy director of the Clean Energy Program at Western Resource Advocates. “Together with our partners in the labor movement, we will work to reduce carbon pollution within our state, while building a strong and fair economy for all Coloradans.”

The members of the newly founded chapter include:

• American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Colorado
• Colorado AFL-CIO
• Colorado Building & Construction Trades Council
• Colorado Education Association\
• Colorado State Council of Electrical Workers
• Conservation Colorado
• Communications Workers of America (CWA) District 7
• IBEW Locals 12, 68, 111, 113, 667, 969
• Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
• Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 105
• Sierra Club
• International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) Local 9
• SMART Transportation Division
• United Association (UA) Local 208
• United Steelworkers District (USW) 12
• Western Resources Advocates (WRA)

“Colorado is a state that we feel we can really make a difference in when it comes to policies and investments to tackle climate change in ways that create good-paying jobs,” said JB Tengco, west coast director for the BlueGreen Alliance. “We look forward to working on the ground here to build a better future for us all.”