Tulsa Union To Hold Rally In Support Of Keystone XL Pipeline

An Oklahoma-based union will hold a rally Tuesday in support of a pipeline construction project that it says would create jobs and improve the economies of cities along the route.

The rally by the Pipeliners Local 798 is planned at the local's training center at 4835 South 83rd East Avenue in Tulsa.

Organizers say they expect up to 1,000 workers and politicians to attend in support of the Keystone XL Pipeline, a project that would transport oil from tar sands in Canada to refineries along the Texas gulf coast.

Environmentalists have criticized the project, saying the pipeline could be prone to leaks and spills and possibly threaten sensitive lands and animal species along the route.

Organizers say Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett and Prague city manager Jim Greff are scheduled to speak at the rally.

9/21/2011 Related Story: Pipeline Construction Would Bring Thousands Of Jobs To Oklahoma

The union says 50 welders a day go through classes at Pipeliners Union Local 798, one of the largest union training centers in the country.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.