Take Action: Support Climate Legislation!
Dear Labor Foes of Climate Change:
I don’t write this kind of letter to you often. But right now
there is a critical role for people in the labor movement to
speak out on climate protection.
We are at a tipping point — but unfortunately one where the balance of forces may be tipping against those who want to create millions of new green jobs to protect the earth’s climate.
The friends of global warming ““ fossil fuel producers and users, free market ideologues, and climate change deniers — are maneuvering to block all progress toward protecting the planet from devastating climate change.
Their number one argument is that climate protection measures will hurt workers. And they are using that argument to roll back the momentum for climate legislation. They have almost succeeded in the Senate.
A small number of labor-based statements will have strong leverage to counter this. And so I am asking you to write your Senator to say that you and many other workers see things very differently. Please identify yourself as a labor person, including your job and any union affiliation, and tell your two Senators:
- You support strong climate protection legislation both for the planet and for the benefit of labor.
- Only climate legislation with strong targets for carbon emission reduction will ensure rapid growth in investment for green jobs.
- Workers must be protected from the side effects of climate legislation directly by providing new jobs, education, and support ““ not just by providing subsidies and exceptions to polluting industries.