Sierra Club, CWA Join Forces on Broadband Build-Out

In a win-win-win proposition for workers, consumers and the environment, CWA and the Sierra Club are working together to ensure that all Americans have access to high-speed broadband networks.

Representing Iowa, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia, about 40 state and local Sierra Club and CWA leaders met at CWA headquarters. The meeting grew out of the Blue-Green Alliance, bringing unions and environmentalists together to support truly high speed Internet (1 gigabit to anchor institutions) to network sustainable communities in the green economy with union jobs.

"The growth of broadband will mean stable jobs in the communications industry and new opportunities to save energy and protect the environment," CWA President Larry Cohen said. "It is fundamental to the shared goals of the Blue-Green Alliance."

A key goal is to bring one gigabit of broadband service to to schools, hospitals and public buildings in every community in the country, one element of the FCC's national broadband plan. Another priority is getting utility providers to use broadband for "smart grids" that allow consumers to more efficiently use power, saving energy and money.

Jonathan  Kevles, senior strategist for the Sierra Club's Clean Energy Campaign, said the meeting was very positive, with "two influential groups sitting together for the first time, articulating their mutual goal of a national smart grid, and putting together a plan to implement it."

CWA and Sierra Club members will be building coalitions in the five states.