Thank you for sharing the Dakota Access Project announcement regarding their selection of union contractors and utilization of Iowa-based manufacturers [“Contractors hired for Bakken project,” Sept. 23]. It makes comments such as those by Iowa State’s David Swenson regarding the nature of construction jobs and impact on Iowa’s economy all the more puzzling.
The company building the project has made a commitment to employ local labor members, like myself, and many other residents of Iowa. The paychecks earned building this pipeline will go back into our local economy. However, Swenson disparages these jobs as “temporary,” insinuating that the project should therefore be rejected.
I’m sure many readers have built barns, houses or other structures on their property and can attest to the fact that construction work should be completed as safely, quickly and efficiently as possible. Building one project doesn’t make a career. All construction projects are temporary. But, individuals can build a successful career, buy a home, provide for their family, and create an educational future for their children by being employed on such major construction projects.
The Dakota Access Pipeline is a project that can help our local craft workers build their futures, and should be approved.