Elected Officials, Union and Business Leaders Tout Fracking at Shale Insight Conference
Friday September 23, 2016
Labor leaders, elected officials, and business groups came to Pittsburgh this week in support of domestic oil and natural gas development at the 2016 Shale Insight Conference. The gathering featured speakers and panel discussions that highlighted a broad-base of support for hydraulic fracturing and the economic benefits that go along with it.
As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports, Jim Kunz, business manager for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 66, explained how shale turned the job situation around for his union:
“Half a dozen years ago, Mr. Kunz said his union was nearing 10 percent unemployment. A year later, when the shale industry started to take off, employment ramped up to 100 percent. In fact, Mr. Kunz said, the local had to recruit operators from other areas to fill the need.
And while he’s seen a dip in jobs in the past year that parallels the oil and gas downturn, he expects to be back up to full employment next year.
“It’s all driven by this industry,” he said.
Another labor leader, Roland “Butch” Taylor, retired business manager for the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union Local 396 in Ohio told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that oil and natural gas development has created enormous opportunities:
““I’m here because the industry has given us so much opportunity,” he said.”
“It wasn’t a political decision, Mr. Taylor said. In fact, his message was about how successful his union has been in banding with business groups and members of both parties at the local level to oppose efforts by citizen and environmental groups to restrict natural gas development.”
Other speakers, like Harold Hamm, chairman and CEO of Continental Resources told attendees that fracking has “changed the world.” As DC Media Group reports:
“Speaking at the Shale Insight con...