On the final day of Women’s History Month, Joelle Hall, President of the Alaska AFL-CIO joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast. The Alaska AFL-CIO represents nearly 50,000 union members from 50 affiliated unions statewide.
Hall joined the podcast to discuss becoming not only the first female president of the AFL-CIO in Alaska, but the first president not to come through the rank-and-file union members. Instead, Hall had a political background and was trained on the ins and outs of the labor movement. Since coming into office, Hall has seen a significant increase of females in leadership positions as well as more female apprentices joining the trades.
The Willow Project, recently approved by the Biden Administration, looks to provide a much-needed source of petroleum for the United States. Hall admits there is a need to transition to renewable energy sources, but, due to our current reliance on fossil fuels, this project will serve as a bridge for the U.S. After the initial pipeline is run from the source, it will connect to the already-built Trans-Atlantic Pipeline System, reusing an already established part of Alaska’s infrastructure. The Willow Project is projected to create as many as 3,000 new jobs, Hall said.
Hall is excited about the role Alaska is poised to play in developing the future of renewable energy in America. The resources for the next chapter in renewable energy development are already in Alaska, which is why Hall is excited about Alaska’s ability to fulfill old and new energy needs for all of America.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more.