Union labor agreement signed for proposed Enbridge Line 3 pipeline upgrade

A project labor agreement signed today specifies that entirely union workers will build the proposed upgrade to Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline through northern Minnesota. Leaders of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 49 have lobbied for the project for a number of years and say union labor means the project will not only be done correctly, but also safely. But Line 3 remains embroiled in legal disputes. The state Court of Appeals ordered a “re-do” of the environmental impact statement, saying it didn’t adequately examine the effect of a possible oil spill on the Lake Superior watershed. Tomorrow afternoon, opponents bring their message to the state Pollution Control Agency headquarters with anti-Line-3 Christmas carols.