Union Apprentices Canvass to Build Support for New Port in Maine

PHOTO: UA 716 apprentices & trainers with Maine Labor Climate Council organizer Joe Hupperich getting ready to canvass in Searsport last Saturday.

Union workers are celebrating the victory of Searsport Select Board member Doug Norman, who won his re-election this week. Union members have been canvassing Searsport voters in support of Norman and Selectboard member Linda Payson due to their support for a resolution supporting a proposed offshore wind port  that would support good union jobs in a variety of trades. Payson lost her election by five votes to Wesley Norton, who has not taken a position on the project.

On Saturday, about a dozen apprentices with UA Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 716 knocked on doors to ask Searsport voters to support Payson and Norman.

“Local 716 has been wanting to get back into the communities to make sure that the State of Maine knows that we’re here and that we support these projects that will create good union jobs,” said Local 716 Training Coordinator, Derek Armstrong

Union apprentices expressed strong support for the offshore wind port that will manufacture and deploy wind turbines far offshore.

“We’re out here in support of the offshore wind project and we’re trying to get some work out of it that will support union members,” said Local 716 apprentice John Gourde of Wiscasset. “This would generate some solid work for years that would keep unions going. We’re really excited to build some reliable clean energy.”

Master plumber Mark Rolfe of Farmingdale agreed.

“It’s going to create a lot of jobs around the local area,” said Rolfe. “We’ve got to work together and support each other. This project will hopefully lead to the next one employing union workers.”

The Maine Labor Climate Council has had canvassers in Searsport for a month now and roughly 60 percent of residents they’ve made contact with are supportive of the project. Many of them have signed a petition and postcards supporting the project and taken pro-port lawn signs.

“There are a lot of people who are supportive of the development and want to see a good blue collar workforce to be the corner stone of Searsport,” said MLCC organizer Joe Hupperich.

Last month the Maine Department of Transportation announced its decision to recommend to the federal government that a new port be built on state-owned land on Sears Island for the development of offshore wind. MDOT came up with its recommendation after engaging a broad range of stakeholders and conducting a comprehensive environment and economic analysis of a number of potential sites, including Sears Island and Mack Point. The state is expected to submit a federal permit to develop the port in the next few months.

Hupperich said that MLCC is planning to bring another crew of union workers out to collect petition signatures in support of the port at the end of the month, in advance of the April 5th town meeting.