White House Highlights IUE-CWA President as 'Champion of Change'

IUE-CWA President Jim Clark was honored at the White House as a “Champion of Change”.

IUE-CWA President Jim Clark was honored at the White House as a "Champion of Change" Thursday for his advocacy of energy efficiency opportunities that improve green manufacturing, performance and competitiveness.

"I believe manufacturing is the backbone of our economy and our country needs manufacturing to be strong," Clark said. "That's why as president of IUE-CWA I've made it my mission to bring innovative and progressive programs to our shop floors — programs that make our plants more competitive and more efficient."

Clark was one of eight individuals recognized by the program, which was created as a part of President Barack Obama's Winning the Future initiative. Each week, the White House commends the leaders of different sectors for their work to serve and strengthen their communities.

"Cutting waste, reducing energy use and operating more sustainably translates to less pollution and lower utility bills for businesses across the country," said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. "The leaders we've selected as Champions of Change are proving that sustainable practices work for companies' bottom lines, and work for the health of American communities."

As a member of the Executive Board of the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council, Clark steered the creation of a new Green Production Module, which teaches front-line manufacturing workers about environmental practices and regulations related to "green production." The module, launched last year, is the only nationally certified and portable green tech credential.

Within IUE-CWA, Clark has raised awareness among workers about energy efficiency and energy saving opportunities on the job. For instance, an energy efficiency treasure hunt, in which members analyzed energy use in the building systems and production process, cut a dramatic amount of waste. For an average one-time implementation investment of only $34,500, the treasure hunt program saved an average of $97,500 and 779 metric tons of carbon annually, the union said.