Latest news with #MikeSweeney
BBC News
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Salford Quays: Looking back on 50 years of city's famous docks
From docker to DJ, BBC Radio Manchester presenter Mike Sweeney first started working on the docks in Salford in his early 20s. Fifty-five years later, he still has the same commute."I was 22 when I started working as a docker – and I'm still here today at BBC Radio Manchester playing tunes on the wireless," he told how he has witnessed first-hand the transformation of the canal-crossed land, originally known as Manchester Docks, from industrial heartland into the bustling Salford Quays of has taken a trip down memory lane as The Lowry theatre – one of the many developments in the area – marks its 25th anniversary. "I did everything from making the tea to laying railway track," said the veteran broadcaster, who presents his mid-morning show from Monday to was based at Mode Wheel Locks and remembers playing the card game crib at lunch and would "brew up" in a tin can."Cargo from all over the world sailed into here from Liverpool," he said."It was a sight to behold. But even then I could tell it was the beginning of the end."The new container ships were too big to sail down the canal and by the 1980s it had all gone." Built at the end of the 35-mile (56 km) Manchester Ship Canal, the docks were opened in 1894 by Queen the main cargo was more local cotton, grain and timber, commodities were brought from around the world, including tea, fruit, live and frozen cattle, lard, oil, petroleum and included textiles, machinery, cars and locomotives, thanks to Manchester's huge industrial the shipyards eventually wound down and traditional industry declined, making way for a new era for the docks, which are now home to flats, shops, bar and restaurants and a thriving media hub. Jonathan Schofield, who is a Blue Badge Tourist Guide, said the construction of The Lowry was pivotal in that transition."The thing about the Quays, it's not like Albert Dock in Liverpool, they're not Grade-I listed structures," he said."They were thrown up basically, quite temporary in some respects."The whole site was cleared and it became an enterprise zone. There were tax incentives for people to come here."And it needed two landmark buildings here."The first being The Lowry 25 years ago, which then motivated and put in place other big decisions such as bringing the Imperial War Museum North on to the Trafford side rather than the Salford side." Sweeney said he never imagined that he would still be working on the same site all these years later – albeit in a very different job."Five years ago, I was live on the stage at The Lowry," he said."If you'd have told me when I was a docker that I'd be here 55 years later, I'd have been absolutely amazed." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Labor unions are leading the way to a clean energy future in Colorado
A row of wind turbines are part of the 60-megawatt Busch Ranch II wind project east of Walsenburg. (Mike Sweeney, special to Colorado Newsline) The climate crisis is hurting working people first and worst. Our members are burdened by constantly increasing energy costs; they're the ones who put their safety on the line by working outside in the scorching summer heat or in aging buildings with poor air quality; they're the ones often cleaning up in dangerous conditions after climate-amplified disasters; and our members are the ones often disproportionately affected by toxic pollutants like nitrogen oxide, benzene, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide due to the proximity of emitting facilities near their homes. The inequality crisis and the climate crisis feed into each other and make it more difficult and dangerous for working families across Colorado to make ends meet. But Colorado has an opportunity to change that and build a clean, equitable and worker-centered economy. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX That's why a wide group of labor unions representing hundreds of thousands of workers across Colorado have formed Climate Jobs Colorado, a coalition united behind a transformative plan to take on climate breakdown and inequality by building a strong clean energy economy that prioritizes the needs of Colorado workers and their families. The clean energy economy is already picking up momentum. Every day, more and more workers are installing solar panels, erecting wind turbines, manufacturing the technology of the future, and building out thermal energy networks. But our state needs to ensure that these jobs protecting our environment are also protecting workers. All climate jobs should provide family-supporting wages, good benefits, retirement security, safe workplaces, training opportunities and a collective voice. We get this kind of high-quality job by making them union jobs, and Coloradans across the state should be able to access these jobs through union apprenticeships. Apprenticeship programs create pathways to lifelong union careers, especially for women and people of color, and allow people to earn while they learn. Our state is known for its natural beauty and resources. We are also seen as a leader in clean energy and climate initiatives. But we still have a lot of work to do when it comes to protecting our climate, and we know we can make more progress if workers lead the way. If Colorado's leaders are serious about creating a clean energy economy that works for everyone, then they need to prioritize the people who are building, operating and maintaining it. Working with researchers from the Climate Jobs Institute at Cornell University's ILR School, our coalition has released the report, 'Colorado's Clean Energy Jobs Path.' This report outlines 26 key recommendations, including making Colorado a premier state in geothermal and green hydrogen production, positioning our state as a national leader in clean energy manufacturing and renewables recycling, decarbonizing Colorado's public schools by 2030, modernizing our energy grid, scaling up union-built and net-zero affordable housing, expanding access to clean public transit, and developing heat standards and regulations to protect workers. The report also highlights how we can maximize the amount of high-quality climate jobs created by ensuring strong labor standards, expanding funding for pre-apprentice programs, improving conditions for organizing, and ensuring a just transition for Colorado workers. Together, union jobs and clean energy can help lower energy costs, decrease pollution in our air and water, and increase the quality of life for working people in our state. We have the opportunity to build a sustainable and resilient economy at the scale and speed climate science demands and create thousands of union careers in our communities. Together, we can create a future beyond just surviving — we can create a future in which we all thrive. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
