Anti-energy activists have continued to say that construction jobs are just temporary, part-time work, and should not be considered as we look at building out our nation’s infrastructure – whether that be pipelines, utility lines, or wind farms. With such a silly rationale, we had to ask ourselves, if construction workers are only as good as their next job, then…
Doctors are only as good as their next patient,
Designers are only as good as their next client,
Lawyers are only as good as their next case,
Journalists are only as good as their next story,
Politicians are only as good as their next big idea,
Retail shops are only as good as their next sale,
Educators are only as good as their next students,
Fishermen are only as good as their next catch,
Truckers are only as good as their next load, and
Restaurants are only as good as their next customer.
Again, if this flawed, but often repeated argument is correct, then ask yourself, “Are we all just collectively a society of part-time jobs? And if so, does that mean none of our work matters? It’s an argument that doesn’t deserve another uttering.
Could you imagine if a developer went to build a hospital in a local neighborhood and everyone clamored down at City Hall that it wasn’t necessary since all of the workers would only be temporary? Does that take away the necessity of what the hospital provides? No, and the same goes for the energy being provided by pipelines or transmission lines. It’s time to stop disparaging the work done and the time provided by construction workers who work on vital infrastructure projects like the Great Lakes Tunnel. Despite their employment status, the end result will be the continued supply of energy to the state and the region, and of course, all the other jobs at the end of the line.