Can you believe it’s less than a week to the start of Good Jobs, Green Jobs South? After so much planning, we are incredibly excited to start our first Regional Conference in Atlanta. Union leaders and members, environmentalists, business owners, community leaders and others from throughout the south have signed up to attend the conference, and we are certain our diverse schedule of 40 workshops will have subjects of interest to everyone.

We are pleased to announce we will have two plenary sessions at Good Jobs, Green Jobs South in Atlanta on February 23!

For the past four years, a variety of the leading traditional and new economy companies and trade associations have stood up and agreed to help us put on our Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conferences, and this year is no exception.

Read more in the #GJGJ2012 blog.

Some people have asked us why we picked Atlanta as our home for the Good Jobs, Green Jobs South Regional Conference February 23-24. There are obviously a large variety of factors and consideration that go into picking a location for a meeting of our size — accessibility, meeting space, hotel availability, etc. — but one thing that was particularly attractive about Atlanta is the variety of activities the city is undertaking in its effort to become one of the nation’s Top 10 Sustainable Cities.

When Mayor Kasim Reed unveiled his plan during his first year in office — called the “Power to Change” — he said, “I believe the City of Atlanta should be a leading example of how a major urban municipality can take greater responsibility for efficient energy and water use, the conservation of green space, and the promotion of a healthier, cleaner and greener environment. It is vital we take concrete, measurable actions around sustainability now to protect the future of our city.”

Read more in the #GJGJ2012 blog

Did you know the U.S. spends approximately $1 billion a day on foreign oil and transportation accounts for nearly two-thirds of our oil use and one-third of America’s greenhouse gas emissions? At all of our Good Jobs, Green Jobs Regional Conferences, we will have an entire workshop track focused on discussing America’s transportation infrastructure challenges and how they represent a great opportunity for job creation. Some of these workshops include:

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 4,547 workers died on the job in 2010. That is 4,547 people whose families sent them off to work thinking it was a day of work just like every day, but had their lives forever changed when their loved one didn’t come home.

As part of the Good Jobs, Green Jobs Regional Conferences, we will be holding workshops that talk about the importance of ensuring the new jobs being created in the green economy are not only sustainable, but  also safe. Some of these workshops include:

President Obama addressed the Congress and the nation to give his State of the Union address. Sitting next to First Lady Michelle Obama was Jackie Bray, a single mother from Kings Mountain, North Carolina.

Jackie was laid off from her job as a high-speed packaging mechanic a year ago and is now working as a Process Operator at Siemens Charlotte Energy Hub, a turbine manufacturing company, thanks to training she received at Central Piedmont Community College.

In his speech, President Obama explained that Bray and Central Piedmont Community College is an example of what we need more of in this country, greater partnerships between community colleges and businesses that ensure Americans are getting the training to do green economy jobs. He said:

I hear from many business leaders who want to hire in the United States but can't find workers with the right skills. Growing industries in science and technology have twice as many openings as we have workers who can do the job. Think about that: openings at a time when millions of Americans are looking for work.

What is the future of manufacturing in the Detroit? How can we ensure that the fuel-efficient vehicles of today and tomorrow are built here in the U.S.? How can we finance transportation projects to make our systemsmore modern and efficient? At Good Jobs, Green Jobs Midwest, we will explore the unique challenges and opportunities to creating good, green jobs in the Midwestern United States. 

Good Jobs, Green Jobs Midwest - May 10 and 11 at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center - is the region's leading forum for sharing ideas and strategies for building a stronger, more efficient and more competitive American economy - an economy that creates good jobs and preserves our economic and environmental future. 

Good Jobs, Green Jobs South in Atlanta is only one month away!  Register now and secure your hotel room before the hotel reservation deadline of January 28.

What workshops are you looking forward to? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter. So far, we’ve heard from people saying these workshops are not to be missed:

• Not Just Green, But Great Jobs: This panel — moderated by Anne Claire Broughton who is the Senior Director of the SJF Institute — will include leaders from several green job-creating companies who will share their inspiring stories and best practices in green workforce engagement.
• Innovative Transportation Financing for the 21^st Century: Innovations in funding are the only way for transportation infrastructure to survive and thrive. This workshop looks at four methods: ballot box financing tools, value-pricing techniques such as toll roads, usage fees based on vehicle miles traveled, and the current federal funding opportunities.

You don’t want to miss out on any of the exciting workshops at Good Jobs, Green Jobs South so make sure to sign up today! Registration is only $195 for this two-day conference.

Have you reserved a hotel room for the Good Jobs, Green Jobs South Conference in Atlanta February 23-24?

We’ve made arrangements with our hotel — the Hyatt Regency Atlanta at 265 Peachtree Street NE — to ensure our participants can book a room at the decreased nightly rate of $165 Single/Double, $175 Triple; $185 Quad + 15% tax.

However, we can only guarantee this rate will be available until January 28, 2012, so make sure to sign up today.

To reserve a room call 1-888-421-1442 and reference the Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference or visit the Hyatt Regency Hotel Request. Don’t contact the hotel directly, as it cannot give you this reduced rate.