Climate Strikes

For the past several months, LNS has had the privilege of convening the monthly meetings of a newly formed Educators Climate Action Network (ECAN), formed by union educators across the United States in both the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA).

On November 17, Starbucks’ annual “Red Cup Day,” workers at 114 Starbucks cafes around the country held a one-day “Red Cup Rebellion” strike. Members of Starbucks Workers United, organizing under the umbrella of Service Employees International Union (SEIU)’s affiliate Workers United, picketed in front of Starbucks stores and gave away red cups emblazoned with union messages.

The Labor Network for Sustainability is proud to join the Worker Power Coalition and progressive organizations calling on Congressional leaders to fully fund the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Nearly 50,000 academic workers across the University of California system went on strike November 14 in the largest US work stoppage of 2022. After more than a year of bargaining, teaching assistants, researchers, post-doctoral students, and others on ten campuses represented by the United Auto Workers left their classrooms and labs.

A sign-on letter from the Union of Concerned Scientists is calling for the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Administration to design and implement critical worker protections to save their lives and livelihoods from climate-driven extreme heat. The letter states an acceptable heat standard should…

After a week-long occupation of the University of Barcelona campus by students from End Fossil Barcelona, the university agreed that all students will have to take a mandatory course on the climate crisis. The university will also devise a training program on climate issues for its 6,000 academic staff.

my Calandrella is an Operating Engineer with IUOE Local 98 in Western Massachusetts, USA. She operates heavy equipment (bobcats, loaders, bulldozers, etc) on construction sites all over Massachusetts, VT, and NH ranging from road construction to rail line repair. Amy began her work as an Operator in 2015 as an apprentice in her union.

Larry Williams, Jr. Executive Director of the Labor Network for Sustainability, sent a message to LNS friends and supporters that said in part: “We’re celebrating the recent defeat of US Senator Joe Manchin’s “Dirty Deal.” This was a proposal to undermine environmental reviews and fast-track fossil fuel projects like the Mountain Valley Pipeline…”

The International Association of Machinists, a venerable union representing half-a-million workers in more than 200 manufacturing and transportation industries, passed a powerful resolution on climate change at its October national convention.

In a convergence of labor, student, community, and climate forces, Rutgers University students, faculty, graduate workers, and staff joined for a day of speakouts, rallies, and marches for climate justice and fair contracts for the university’s 19,000 union employees.