The United Steelworkers is one of the founding leaders of
the Apollo Alliance and our members play central roles in a
number of state affiliate projects. The New
York State Apollo Alliance (NYSAA), for instance, was convened by the Sierra
Club, the USW and
the Environmental Business Association of New York State to
fight for good jobs, clean energy and New York’s energy
independent future. USW Associate Members are encouraged to
participate in Apollo Alliance projects and events and to carry
the principles of the alliance into their other work across
the country.
The Apollo Alliance provides
a message of optimism and hope, framed around rejuvenating
our nation’s economy by creating
the next generation of American industrial jobs and treating
clean energy as an economic and security mandate to rebuild
America. America needs to hope again, to dream again, to think
big, and to be called to the best of our potential by tapping
the optimism and can-do spirit that is embedded in our nation’s
history.
In 1961, John F. Kennedy challenged
the nation to send a man to the moon and return him safely
home again within the decade. It was an audacious dare. The
technology did not yet exist, but he marshaled the resources
of a nation -- focusing public investment, research, science
and technology education, worker training, and America’s
industrial might on a common purpose. It was leadership toward
a common positive goal and it worked. In less than eight
years Neil Armstrong placed the first human footprint on
the lunar surface, and President Kennedy to this day remains
honored for his vision and as a leader of courage.
Now America has an Apollo project for the 21st century. Today
the stakes are much, much higher. We face an economy hemorrhaging
its highest paying and most productive jobs, cities falling
apart with over a trillion dollars in unmet public investment
in crumbling schools, transportation, and infrastructure. The
middle class is increasingly insecure as career ladders are
broken and not replaced in new service sector jobs. And on
a global scale we face never before seen environmental disruption,
rising social inequity, and the emergence of fundamentalist
anger that threatens our very security. We need new leaders
of vision, and a new unifying call to action.
By November, 2006, The Apollo Challenge seeks to:
• organize at least a quarter million Americans to
support these objectives
• empower these Americans to step into the leadership
void once filled by President John F. Kennedy, when he challenged
our nation to accomplish what seemed like the impossible --
send a man to the moon and return him safely to the earth in
just ten years.
• mobilize these citizen-leaders to challenge our elected
officials in Washington to adopt the bold measures needed to
achieve American energy independence.
The Apollo Alliance is a joint project
of the Institute for America's Future and the Center on Wisconsin
Strategy. The Alliance has been endorsed by UNITE, the national
AFL-CIO and a number of its industrial councils along with
12 state AFL-CIO affiliates, 16 international labor unions,
20 environmental organizations, 12 Economic, Social Justice,
Faith-Based, and State & Local Partners and 72 Business
Partners Supportive of Apollo. The work has received support
from 21 foundations.
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