Moment In Time

We are now at a unique and exciting moment in time that affords an unprecedented opportunity to work with organized labor on issues related to climate change, sustainability, and corporate accountability. Select labor organizations are beginning to realize that there are some jobs to be gained in the green revolution — primarily in energy production and conservation, and in general construction (green building). Moreover, a select number of individual union leaders understand the severity of the climate crisis and are beginning to think about what role organized labor might play?

Pitfalls & Possibilities

Increased interest in energy policy within certain sectors of the labor movement represents a very important advancement, and an excellent starting point. New jobs being created by the green revolution is at the heart of labor’s self-interest and should be pursued with verve and vigor. This work can provide a jumping off point for labor’s involvement in the broader fight to tackle the climate challenge, and for involvement in the sustainability and corporate accountability movement. However, no matter how important jobs are — and they are paramount to the labor movement — to make jobs the sole focus is to miss the target. Every union stands to lose jobs if we fail to address the climate crisis, but not every union stands to gain jobs. Each union has a different self-interest and the entire movement must be engaged, not only those unions that will gain jobs. There is also a real possibility that labor will endorse only those measures that create new energy jobs, and oppose all other climate measures. A broad-based program is needed to facilitate labor’s full involvement in addressing the climate crisis.

Understanding Labor’s Reluctance

The labor movement has been subject to a sustained assault on its very existence waged by America’s corporations since Reagan fired the air traffic controllers in the early 80’s (and really, throughout its entire history with the exception of the World War II years). The 80’s and 90’s also brought a corporate focused globalization that transferred jobs to countries around the world where labor is the cheapest and easiest to exploit. This corporate globalization cost American unions millions of jobs. These attacks, and the shrinking of the movement, result in the movement turning inward. Hard economic times also make it more difficult for labor to reach out and address broad social issues.

Labor’s most impressive broad social work was done at times of power — the new Deal work in the 30’s (CIO organizing manufacturing workers coupled with AFL density and power in the skilled trades), and civil rights and other work in the 60’s (Great Society). At its peak power in the 50’s and 60’s the labor movement enjoyed 30-35% density in the American economy, and in manufacturing, 52.4% of all workers belonged to a union (1958) — this power helped build a middle class. However, when it came to issues of the environment in the 70’s, labor remained resistant due to fear: job blackmail on the part of the employers.

Understanding of How Labor Tackles Difficult Social Issues

The labor movement has always been at the center of the progressive movement and has fought for nearly every major initiative that was to the benefit of humanity, not just union members. However, on some issues, like the environment, they have often been persuaded by the employers that it is in their self-interest to not only remain neutral, but to oppose such initiatives. “Corporate Social Responsibility” has been viewed by many in the labor movement as an oxymoron. Distrust of CSR comes from decades of corporate hostility toward unions and all other programs that benefit humanity. This new project proposes to work closely with unions to help them understand how addressing climate change, being involved in corporate accountability efforts, and working to build a sustainable economy, is in their future interest. This project will also work with the environmental movement to better understand the concerns of the labor movement.

Historically, when unions have been confronted with social issues on which their membership might be split, yet they knew these issues had to be addressed, they created organizations and other vehicles for addressing these issues. Civil rights is a good example. In the late 50’s and early 60’s leaders of the industrial unions were convinced that civil rights had to be addressed in the workplace and in society at large. Some, like Walter Reuther (UAW), took the lead. Others held back but allowed important civil rights work to be done thru a newly created entity called the Industrial Union Department, AFL-CIO. This industrial division was created by the CIO at the time of the merger with the AFL as a way to preserve the progressive vision, programs and policies of the CIO – Walter Reuther was the first President of the IUD. Through this financially and otherwise autonomous division, the manufacturing unions supported progressive work on civil rights. Later, they did the same thing on environmental issues, allowing the IUD to take the lead by creating the OSHA-Environmental Network in the early 80’s.

John Sweeney’s election as President of the AFL-CIO in 1995 signaled a major shift and ushered in more progressive policies at the Federation. However, on environmental issues, the AFL-CIO’s early initiatives met with insurmountable obstacles. A top labor/environmentalist was brought in to advance environmental initiatives. The project didn’t work out. The AFL-CIO remains compromised on environmental matters due to the diverse nature of the member unions.

New Vehicles for the Labor Involvement

The ideas embodied in sustainability and corporate accountability, with full-spectrum reporting, address concerns at the heart of organized labor’s self-interest. The triple bottom line focus on economic, social, and environmental concerns creates space for the consideration of human capital and human rights, including the right to organize and bargain collectively, and community interests. However, for many, especially in the corporate world, sustainability means environmental only. A critical challenge for the environmental movement and the labor movement is to make certain that sustainability includes an equal focus on all three aspects of the spectrum.