WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 106 Business Manager/Jamestown AFL-CIO Central Labor Council President David Wilkinson (Pictured Above, On The Left) Sits Next to New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo Sunday (December 15th) in Dunkirk as the Governor Traveled to the Chautauqua County City to Announce the NRG Power Plant Would Be Repowered and Expanded – Which, In the End, Means the Creation of New Jobs and the Savings of Countless Others.  Organized Labor and Wilkinson Himself Played a Major Role in Carrying Out a High-Profile, Multi-Faceted Public Campaign that Called Attention to the Negative Implications of Closing the Dunkirk Plant.  The Subsequent Outpouring of Public Support Got the Governor’s Ear on the Issue and Ultimately Saved the Facility.  (Photo Courtesy of New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) Jamestown Representative Anna Geronimo Via the Social Network Facebook)

(DUNKIRK) – In What Could Be the Largest Labor-Led Victory in the History of Chautauqua County, Governor Andrew Cuomo Announced Sunday (December 15th) a $150 Million Plan to Repower Dunkirk’s NRG Power Plant Under a 10-Year Agreement, Which Means Jobs at the Facility Have Been Saved, Others Created and the Local Property Tax Base Stabilized – Which Quite Possibility Also Saved the City’s Immediate Future.

In a Packed Ballroom at the Clarion Hotel in Dunkirk, Governor Cuomo Detailed the Agreement that Had Been Reached to Repower and Expand the Dunkirk NRG Energy Incorporated Power Plant from a Coal Operation to a 435 Megawatt (MW) Natural Gas Facility.  Under the Plan, the Facility - Which Will Be In Service by Fall 2015, Will Improve the Reliability of the Electric System and Bring Lower Electric Supply Costs to Consumers, the State said.  In Addition, the Agreement Assures the Operation of the Plant for 10 Years.

“(This) is Another Example of Government ‘Working’ for the People,” Governor Cuomo said. “This Will Result in a Larger, Cleaner Power Plant at Dunkirk That Will Meet Reliability Needs, Reduce Costs for Consumers, Create Jobs and Stabilize the Local Property Tax Base.  ‘Thanks’ to the Dunkirk Community, which Brought the Information and Facts to the Table and Worked with the State and Local Governments, and the (New York State) PSC (Public Service Commission) Staff who Directed NRG and National Grid to Develop a More Cost-Effective Project, We Have Arrived at a ‘Win-Win’ Solution.”

Seated Next to the Governor at the News Conference was David Wilkinson, Business Manager of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 106 in Jamestown – the New President of the Jamestown AFL-CIO Central Labor Council and Founder of the Chautauqua County Labor Coalition, Which Combines the Strength of the Dunkirk and Jamestown AFL-CIO Labor Councils. 

It Was an Important Public Nod Given by the Governor and State Officials to Organized Labor, Which Played a Major and Key Role in Creating and Carrying Out a High-Profile Public Campaign to Garner and Mobilize Public Support for Saving the NRG Plant – Including Motivating 2,000 Area Residents Who Attended a Summer Forum in Dunkirk and Another 700 Hearty Souls Who Braved Bitter Temperatures and Winds on Dunkirk’s Harbor Front Earlier This Month Who Rallied and Spoke For the Governor to Get Involved in Order to Ensure the NRG Plant Would Not Be Closed.

At the News Conference, Wilkinson Delivered the Following Comments:

The Dunkirk Power Plant is a ‘Perfect Example’ of Those Important Pieces of Infrastructure, Playing an ‘Essential Role’ in Promoting Economic Activity Throughout the Region and Nothing ‘Grows’ a Community Like My Brothers and Sisters from the (Southwestern Building & Construction) Trades Returning to Work at the NRG Facility Operated by IBEW Local 97.

It’s Also a Source of Employment for Many of Our Hard-Working Friends, Family and Neighbors Supporting Local Business – the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Our Education Institutes – the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), and Our Ability to Serve and Protect – Through the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA).

The Dunkirk AFL-CIO Area Labor Council, Combined with Local Leadership Senator Cathy Young, State Assemblyman Andy Goodell and Dunkirk Mayor (Anthony) Dolce - Recognized the Effects of Such a Loss and Today Governor Cuomo has Answered Our Need.

In Short, Supporting the Dunkirk Power Plant Means ‘Supporting Western New Yorkers,’ and We Are Grateful for the Governor’s Involvement in Making this Plant an ‘Institution’ in Our Community for Years to Come.

Governor Cuomo Has Been a ‘True’ Supporter of the Men and Women in Organized Labor, and with Him at the Table I Am Sure We Will Continue to ‘Deliver’ for New Yorkers. 

Governor Cuomo - You Have ‘Delivered ‘to this Community Joy at Christmas and on Behalf of the Residents of Chautauqua County, I wish You and Yours a Happy Holiday.

After the News Conference, Wilkinson Spoke to WNYLaborToday.com, Telling Your Regional, On-Line Labor Newspaper: “Isn’t This Something!”

“The Rally We Had a Week Ago Made a Huge Impact and We Shattered Attendance Records with Our Rally in the Summer,” said Wilkinson, Whose Labor Organizations Took Full Advantage of the Social Networks to Inform, Educate, Motivate and Mobilize Not Only Union Members Across the County, but the General Public.  “As I Sat There Next to the Governor I Was Thinking to Myself: ‘How Impactful Labor Was In All of This.’

It Had Been Extremely Hard for Wilkinson Not to Talk About What He Knew What Was Going On During the Past Couple of Days, He Told WNYLaborToday.com:  “There Were Things I Knew Late Last Week That I Couldn’t Tell People.  Stuff I Couldn’t Share.  But Today, This Announcement Put Labor in the Forefront Here in Dunkirk and Chautauqua County.  ‘We Are’ the ‘Lead’ Organization When It Comes to Getting People Out and Getting Things Moving.”

Under the Agreement Announced by Governor Cuomo, NRG and National Grid will Agree that Three Coal Units at the Facility - With a Capacity of 435 MW - Will Be Repowered With Natural Gas.  Currently Only One 75 MW Unit is Operating on Coal.

The Repowering Provides an Environmental Benefit by Switching to Cleaner-Burning Natural Gas and Provides Critical Local System Reliability Benefits for National Grid Customers. The Project Will Also Help Relieve Transmission Bottlenecks in the Region and Will Reduce Electricity Supply Costs to Consumers.  The Project Also Will Provide an Opportunity to Convert the Plant to an Advanced Combined Cycle Facility If Future Market Conditions Warrant.

State Officials, meanwhile, say the Repowering Plan Will Create Approximately 50 Construction Jobs, Preserve Permanent Jobs at the Site, and Restore Tax Payments to Local Governments to Their Previous Level of Approximately $8 Million Annually.  The Plan Will Approximately Double the Number of Permanent Jobs in the Proposal Endorsed by Local Labor Groups and Maintain the Existing 68 Jobs at Least Through Mid-2015.

The Terms of the Deal Must Be Submitted to the PSC for Final Approval.

WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: This Labor Story Contains Information Provided by Governor Cuomo’s Press Office.  For Further Information, Access Your Regional, On-Line Labor Newspaper’s Story Headlined: Southern Tier Labor Leader Says Governor Cuomo Has The ‘Power’ To Solve The Dilemma Facing Dunkirk’s NRG Plant… New Jamestown AFL-CIO Labor Council President Dave Wilkinson Tells WNYLaborToday.com If New York State’s Governor ‘Wants’ The Dunkirk Plant Repowered – “It Would Be Done And You Can’t Convince Me Otherwise”