The promise of science: Pennsylvania must support the biosciences to create cures and jobs
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For the past 20 years, I headed the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, retiring at the end of May. And I've been a union member for 50 years, so I've witnessed the incredible hardship that accompanied the decline of our state's most cherished industries, particularly steel.
But I've also seen how far the labor movement has come and how much we've accomplished. And I've come to recognize the value in supporting those industries that generate jobs and spur economic growth.
For the sake of Pennsylvania's labor force, it's important that our political leaders do the same. And an important industry to support is life sciences. By securing our state's bioscience sector, we can ensure that Pennsylvanians have opportunities for gainful, secure employment well into the future.
Already, Pennsylvania is home to more than 1,700 bioscience businesses. These companies don't just employ trained scientists; they also provide jobs for a wide range of professionals, many of whom are in unions -- from the construction workers and engineers who build the facilities to the sanitation workers, groundskeepers and administrative professionals who keep the plants running.
In fact, the life sciences sector is responsible for nearly 340,000 high-paying jobs, both directly and indirectly, throughout the state.
Pennsylvania's bioscience sector also has distinguished itself as one of the most innovative in the country. Our state ranks fourth in the nation when it comes to bioscience-related patents. It's exciting to think that, in the coming years, Pennsylvania's science community could create cures for illnesses such as cancer, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis.
We can't, however, take the success of the life sciences industry for granted. We need to make sure that bioscience firms continue to find a home here in Pennsylvania over the long term.
Incentives need to be put in place to motivate existing bioscience firms to stay or locate in Pennsylvania and to encourage start-up companies to grow here. Pennsylvania needs to be a place where creativity is fostered and where innovative researchers can be rewarded for their contributions to medical science.
First Published June 17, 2010 12:00 am
