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Fact Sheet: How State and Local Governments Can Make Climate Jobs Good Jobs
Article

Fact Sheet: How State and Local Governments Can Make Climate Jobs Good Jobs

David Madland and Terry Meginniss argue that tackling climate change will require state and local action alongside federal policy change.

1. Promote good relationships between workers and employers

Labor peace and neutrality agreements, project labor agreements, and community workforce agreements can reduce labor strife, improve the quality of goods and services, and expand work opportunities in communities that are in need. These strategies need to be properly crafted to withstand common legal challenges.

2.  Protect existing compensation standards with prevailing wage requirements

Prevailing wage laws ensure that private companies hired or subsidized by taxpayer dollars for government projects pay wages and benefits at levels that don’t undermine local standards or market wages and benefits. Prevailing wage standards have long been a feature of federal contracting and have also been used in some state and local governmental projects. But the use of prevailing wage standards at the state and local level is spotty, and expanding their use can have significant benefits for workers.

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Authors

David Madland

Senior Fellow; Senior Adviser, American Worker Project

Terry Meginniss