Climate Strikes

On March 20 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, [IPCC], the world’s most definitive voice of climate science, released its latest Synthesis Report.

On March 13, the Biden administration announced approval of ConocoPhillips’ Willow Project, the largest fossil fuel extraction project on federal lands in history. It is expected to produce five hundred and seventy-five million barrels of oil over the next thirty years.

There is a through-line between the denial of sick days to railroad workers and residents of East Palestine fleeing their homes in the aftermath of a derailed freight train poisoning their town. The through-line is the rail industry’s drive for profit costing workers and communities their health and safety. The through-line is workers sounding the alarm, to no avail.

Seventeen years ago California passed one of the nation’s first workplace heat stress rules. Since then California has been inundated with heat waves resulting from global warming.

In the past two years there has been a wave of state legislation and executive action that sets and implements new standards for greenhouse gas emissions. States have greatly expanded their plans for wind and solar energy and energy efficiency. In most cases these are combined with policies specifically designed to create good quality jobs and to counter inequality.

Members of the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) have been integral to the LNS Young Worker Organizing Committee since its inception. CLUW is a national organization that advocates for the rights and empowerment of women in the workplace. Now, participants in the LNS Young Worker Project are organizing the first ever CLUW Young Working Women Conference, May 7 – 9 in Las Vegas, Nevada!

The Labor Network for Sustainability is pleased to introduce you to our new Co-Directors, Joshua Dedmond and Liz Ratzloff. Both are experienced activists in labor, environmental, and other movements who have been promoted from the LNS staff to serve as Co-Directors.

Earlier this month, LNS wrapped up one of LNS’s most visible events — Transit Equity Day. Transit Equity Day is a national day-of-action where many local transit advocates, environmental justice organizations, and labor unions come together to increase awareness of the vast amount of transit inequities within their transit system – as well as their solutions.

Union educators organizing with the Educators Climate Action Network are planning to mobilize their coworkers and with youth movements for action during the week leading up to Earth Day 2023 (April 17th – 22nd).