Advocates for sustainability, under assault from climate deniers and drill-baby-drillers, are struggling to protect the earth from global warming, desertification, extinction of plants and animals, and other looming threats. Why should they also be concerned about the escalating attack on America’s labor unions?
According to a recent New York Times report, many governors and state legislatures are now seeking “far-reaching, structural changes that would weaken the bargaining power and political influence of unions, including private sector ones.” While much of the attack is spearheaded by Republicans, many Democratic politicians are joining in the charge.
Here are some examples:
– Legislators in ten states are planning to introduce legislation to prevent private sector unions from requiring members to pay dues or fees. (more…)
You can hear the echo chamber reverberate the talking points:
• The Independent Petroleum Association of America complains that drilling permits and pollution are curbing job growth.
• The head of the National Association of Manufacturers and the governor of Virginia write a joint article called “Proposed EPA rules could hurt job growth.”
• Presidential aspirant Newt Gingrich calls for the abolition of the Environment Protection Agency because of its “job-killing nature.”
• Sen. John Barrasso, introducing legislation to gut EPA authority, calls his bill the “Defending America’s Affordable Energy and Jobs Act.”
• Thirteen freshmen Senators begin their letter asking EPA to allow more pollution from industrial boilers by saying, “We are committed to protecting the jobs or hardworking Americans.” (more…)
How Unions Can Help Secure a Binding Global Climate Agreement in 2011
By Sean Sweeney
[Editor's Note: The international trade union movement has given little-heralded but significant support for a deal that protects the earth's climate while providing a "just transition" that protects working people around the world. In this discussion paper Sean Sweeney argues that, as the world approaches make-or-break negotiations in Durban, South Africa in December, 2011, labor can play a critical role in supporting climate protection - and in ensuring the kinds of policies that will make climate protection a centerpiece of building a more worker-friendly global economy. This paper was prepared by Sean Sweeney on behalf of the Cornell Global Labor Institute and the Labor Network for Sustainability. A PDF version of the paper is available here. Read the discussion paper in Spanish: El Reto de Durban.] (more…)
[With the defeat of US climate legislation, the stalling of international climate negotiations, and the rise of tea party climate denialism, is climate protection doomed? LNS's discussion paper, "Climate Protection Strategy: Beyond Business-as-Usual," presents a strategy designed to win popular support and make countries compete to cut greenhouse gas emissions. It was prepared for the Labor Network for Sustainability by Jeremy Brecher to help frame the debate on where the climate protection movement goes from here. The Executive Summary and Introduction follow, to read the full discussion paper click here]
Climate Protection Strategy: Beyond Business-as-Usual
Executive Summary
1. The failure of climate protection reflects the primacy of short-term competitive self-interest by nations and corporations.
2. Proposals to downplay the urgent necessity to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions for economic or political reasons only hasten climate catastrophe.
3. A real solution requires an independent global climate movement that can hold all countries and corporations accountable.
4. Such an independent movement can force countries and corporations to compete in a global race to cut greenhouse gasses, just as the global anti-nuclear movement forced countries to compete in a “peace race.” (more…)
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