"When we were here in February we showed that labor and environment groups share common goals-good jobs, a clean environment and a safer world," said Josh Syrjamaki, of the United Steelworkers. "Now it’s time to move Minnesota closer to meeting those goals."

In the fall of 2004, the world’s second largest wind-energy manufacturer, Gamesa of Spain, announced it would open its U.S. headquarters and a large manufacturing plant for wind turbines in Pennsylvania. The plant is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs in Pennsylvania in five years in addition to hundreds of construction jobs. Developing renewable energy creates jobs.

"It’s important to remember with Earth Day around the corner, Minnesota can lead the nation in establishing a new high-wage, high-skill manufacturing sector that links clean energy and job creation," said Tara Widner, of the United Steelworkers. "Let’s build the next manufacturing plant in Minnesota."

Several members of the Alliance also asked legislators to oppose CAFTA-the proposed Central American Free Trade Agreement, although some members of the Alliance have not taken an official stance on this issue. "CAFTA is the expansion of a failed model, the North American Free Trade Agreement. It has failed to protect workers and failed to protect the environment in all of the countries involved," noted Diana McKeown, program director for the Clean Water Action Alliance-Minnesota.

Mark Froemke, president of the Northern (Red River) Valley Labor Council, urged legislators to adopt a resolution opposing CAFTA. Froemke was among the Alliance members who gathered outside Sen. Norm Coleman’s office to ask to declare his opposition to the trade deal, which is backed by the Bush Administration. He asserted, "This agreement promises to ruin Minnesota’s $2 billion a year sugar industry, wreaking havoc on cities, rural communities and farms around the world."

"There are 20 to 40 swing [votes] in Congress right now, and Senator Coleman has stated his support for free trade," said Tara Widner, Global Justice Tour Coordinator for the Steelworkers Associate Member Program. "We cannot allow another job-killing trade deal to go forward that doesn’t include labor, environmental and human rights standards. The Senator and the corporate business lobby don’t think that is relevant, but 40,000 manufacturing jobs lost in Minnesota since 2000 should be a pretty good hint that it matters to Minnesota working families."

The Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) is a regional agreement between the US and five Central American countries: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The negotiations for the terms concluded in December 2003; the Dominican Republic was added to the deal after negotiations with the Central American countries finished.

The Blue Green Alliance is a coalition of Minnesota unions and environmental groups that represent a million Minnesotans.