PILMA Building Star Resolution

CONCERNING: Legislation to make American biopharmaceutical manufacturers more competitive and to create jobs by passing the Building STAR legislation, which is an essential solution to our nation’s employment, energy, and economic recovery challenges; and

WHERAS, the unions and companies of the Pharmaceutical Industry Labor-Management Association recognize that a strong domestic pharmaceutical industry providing innovative, affordable medicines is vital to the American people and the nation; and

WHEREAS, Congress is currently considering energy legislation titled the Building STAR Energy Efficiency Retrofit Act of 2010 (S. 3079/H.R. 5476), which would quickly create tens of thousands of jobs in construction and related industries through the installation of energy-saving technology in offices, stores, apartment buildings, and factories; and

WHEREAS, Building STAR is needed to reduce energy waste in our building stock, improve our competitiveness, and speed up the transition to a new energy economy; and

WHEREAS, Building STAR consists of a package of rebates and financing provisions to quickly put hundreds of thousands of people to work conducting energy efficiency retrofits (i.e., improving the energy performance) of commercial and apartment building infrastructure; and

WHERAS, Building STAR would create 150,000 to 200,000 good jobs in construction and related industries in the next 18 months through efficiency renovations of commercial buildings, helping to restore some of the 2 million construction jobs lost in this recession – including 35,000 in May alone; and

WHERAS, Building STAR would maximize federal investment by leveraging $2 to $3 in private investment for every $1 spent, for a total spur to the economy of $18 - $24 billion; and

WHERAS, the program will deliver $3.3 billion a year in energy savings that can be immediately reinvested to boost local economies; and

WHERAS, Building STAR will work quickly, because the rebate and financing provision levels are established in legislation, rather than by agencies, making it possible to implement Building STAR almost immediately. In addition, this program is based on existing, already proven utility rebate programs and financing provisions; therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, the Association believes passage of the Building STAR legislation will provide an essential boost to our nation’s employment, energy and economic recovery challenges, while maintaining a competitive edge for the U.S.- based biopharmaceutical industry; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, a broad-based coalition of more than 100 contractor associations, labor unions, manufacturers, suppliers, financial services companies, distributors, and energy-efficiency advocates have come together to support Building STAR; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, a high-performance retrofit industry should provide not just jobs, but careers, so we also urge the inclusion of prevailing wage standards as Building STAR moves forward; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the trade union and company trustees of the Pharmaceutical Industry Labor-Management Association urge Members of Congress to co-sponsor and support this needed legislation to stimulate our economy and provide energy efficiency in construction and related industries for years to come; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, copies of this resolution will be forwarded to all Members of the United States Congress, as well as to the President of the United States.