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Building Star: The Path to Recovering Lost Jobs

Now, more than ever, is the time to get our industry moving again. (Click to Take Action!)
Building STAR, a proposed tax credit and rebate program, is expected to create at least 150,000 new jobs in the next year, many of which will be in the sheet metal industry.  Residential and commercial buildings will receive benefits and incentives for the installation of new HVAC equipment, retrofitting of existing systems, energy audits, building commissioning, and new air balancing work, to name a few.

The legislation is currently up before the US Senate for a vote. 
Now is the time to tell Congress that it must invest in American workers and the small businesses that hire them, especially in the midst of an economic crisis like we've never seen in 80 years.  Comment

Through the Building Star program, 150,000 more American workers, many of whom are employed in our industry, will be put back to work by the end of the year.

It not only makes sense for American workers, but also for our nation's future by promoting energy efficiency in a way that will cut our reliance on foreign sources of energy.


Now is the time to act!
Contact your Senators and tell them to support the Building Star program. (Click here to find your US Senators.)

After you have taken action, we ask you to do two things in support of this vital legislation. 

First, email SMWIA if your Senators let you know what their positions are on this important legislation.

Second, pass the word to all your friends and family through our tell-a-friend link, making sure that our voices are amplified on this important legislation.

Thank you for all you do.

Below is the sample letter:

Subject: Support the Building Star Program

Dear Mr. Senator,
In the current recession, no sector has been harder hit than the construction industry, which has lost approximately 2 million jobs since December of 2007.

Building STAR will create at least 125,000 jobs in 2010. It will provide opportunity to thousands of high-skilled workers, many of whom are unemployed. It will also reduce our reliance on foreign oil. The size of these retrofits ensures that we will reap large energy savings, reducing energy demand and driving down costs for everyone while ensuring that more of our energy dollars are spent at home rather than abroad.

I will be watching to see what our nation's leaders do in response to our current economic crisis. I urge you to support this program which will go a long way in recovering from the economic catastrophe we are all facing.

Thank you for your time and attention to this important matter.