Jobs First for A Sustainable Port
Gael Tarleton
Seattle Port Commissioner

1

Jobs First for a Sustainable Port
Why Now? Where sustainable urban ports are
headed
Strategic Perspective. Jobs for today's recovery,
clean port for tomorrow's sustainable world
The Challenge. Public policy for green jobs that
create a clean port
The Goal. Build Jobs First today for a future clean port

2

Why Now? Where sustainable urban ports are
headed
The Port of Seattle is more than trade and commerce. It's a way of
life:
Waterfronts share space with ships, fishing fleets, sailboats, retailers,
old and new industries, manufacturers, citizens, tourists, marine
transport, the US Navy, the State ferries, and vulnerable habitats
Airports share space with manufacturers, suppliers, highway systems,
neighborhoods, tourists, retailers, and vulnerable habitats
This way of life is already changing and a sustainable urban port
will be different
What infrastructure we build today defines the Port of tomorrow
Where we build infrastructure today affects land use for our lifetimes:
business, residence, public space, community institutions, waterfront,
airport
How we build infrastructure today gives us the economy, environment,
and community we live with for 50 years
3

Strategic Perspective: Jobs for today's recovery,
clean port for tomorrow's sustainable world
Key Questions:
How can we work with our diversified port customers as we go
green and clean?
How will a new clean design-build-operate-replace model
create jobs?
How will Labor, Environment, and Educational initiatives give
us a competitive advantage?
How will clean manufacturing influence our economic
recovery?

4

Strategic Perspective: Jobs for today's recovery, clean
port for tomorrow's sustainable world
Port of Seattle economic impact in 2007
(from "The 2007 Economic Impact of the Port of Seattle," January 12, 2009)
JOBS                  PERSONAL AND BUSINESS
111,317 direct jobs             INCOME and REVENUES
62,128 induced jobs            $3.8 billion direct wages and
20,540 indirect jobs             salaries
193,985 total jobs              $3.8 billion income and
TAXES                  consumption on direct wages
$867.0 million state & local taxes     $17.6 billion business revenues
$439.4 million federal aviation-      $460.1 million Port of Seattle
specific taxes                   operating income
$1.3 billion total taxes
5

The Challenge: Public policy for green jobs that
create a clean port
Current State of Affairs
Green jobs are more than a label
From concept to design to build to operation,
green jobs and clean technologies will reshape our
maritime and aviation industries.
We can't build new infrastructure under the old
ground rules
The new rule: build clean, green, energy-efficient
facilities, transportation systems, and
manufacturing
6

The Goal: Build Jobs First today for a future clean port
Create partnerships between labor, environment, and higher
learning institutions and government and industry groups.
Evaluate Port capital investment priorities during 2009-2010 in
order to allow us to:
Finance projects that employ the most people and build the sustainable
port
Invest in maritime and aviation projects that help industries restructure
for a different future
Build energy efficiency, low-impact operations, and waste reduction into
infrastructure
Change future expectations about energy use and move beyond oil
Build the infrastructure that makes a future clean port possible
7

The Goal: Build Jobs First today for a future clean port
Port of Seattle: "Where a Sustainable World is Headed"
Goal: "cleanest, greenest, most energy-efficient port in the nation"
How do we know when we're getting there?

#    Skills Type    Materials  Design  Build Run
Jobs       Company         Clean   Clean  Clean





8

Let's Get to Work on Jobs First!
Set our expectations now for what a clean port looks like 25
years from now
Bring our communities, environmentalists, educators, and
innovators to the same table
Think about infrastructure rebuilding as the path to that
future  educate, train, and mobilize the workforce
Let sustainable principles guide our thinking: conceptualize,
design, build, operate, and replace our infrastructure to
reform the future
The next revolution? Green Jobs. Clean manufacturing.
Sustainable Urban Port.

9