October 3, 2010
On 10/10/10 thousands of organizations around the world will be holding a GLOBAL WORK PARTY for the “BIGGEST DAY OF PRACTICAL ACTION TO CUT CARBON THAT THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN.”
The climate protection movement 350.org is especially encouraging unions and their members to participate in this “Day to Celebrate Climate Solutions.”
Many unions are already involved in “practical action to cut carbon.” Here are some things workers and unions are doing in the US and around the world to help protect the earth’s climate:
• SEIU local BJ32 in New York established a program called A Thousand Green Supers to train building managers to operate their buildings to protect the environment and minimizes carbon emissions.
• The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Workers passed a resolution calling for governments to meet scientifically-established targets for greenhouse gas emissions and established a green website to let government workers around the country know how they can play a state-of-the-art role in protecting the climate.
• The United Auto Workers, after decades of opposing strong auto mileage standards, worked with auto manufacturers and the Federal government to support strong new standards to reduce auto emissions.
• Unions in New York are working with the Apollo Alliance to support the Governor’s program for major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by all institutions in the state.
• The California Federation of Labor and its member unions helping implement California’s landmark AB32 climate protection law, and have joined with a broad coalition to protect it from being undermined by a referendum promoted by Texas oil corporations.
• The International Trade Union Confederation, which represents X workers in Y countries, has campaigned globally for strong climate protection agreements.
• The Steelworkers union in cooperation with the labor-environmentalist Blue-Green Alliance has pushed legislation in Midwestern states to encourage wind energy, then encouraged manufacturers to set up green industrial production there, creating thousands of jobs while also substantially reducing carbon emissions for electrical production.
• In the Netherlands, two trade union federations joined with Friends of the Earth, the Greenpeace Foundation, and the World Wildlife Fund to develop and lobby for the Green4Sure plan to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
• British unions have initiated a campaign for “Greening the workplace.” Working with employers they have substantially reduced greenhouse gas emissions in workplaces including a “steel park” in Birmingham, four major offices of Friends’ Provident financial group, the headquarters of Scottish Power, the British Museum, government offices, and the Trade Union Congress’ own national and regional offices.
• The Congress of South African Trade Unions has launched a campaign to expand public transportation as a way to reduce provide access to jobs, improve metropolitan planning, create new jobs, reduce environment- and climate-destroying pollution.
Oh, and one more – part of the GLOBAL WORK PARTY ITSELF:
On the eve of the 10/10/10 GLOBAL WORK PARTY, Local 569 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (which even has its own “environmental organizer”!) is joining with Local 122 of the IATSE theatrical and movie workers for a kick-off “Good Tunes for Good Jobs and a Clean Environment” kick-off “Battle of the Bands” in San Diego.