Resolution: 72A-10-2
Adopted: July 27, 2010
Good jobs and a green economy lay the foundation for sustainable communities and good living standards. We must transition from the U.S. economy’s dangerous dependence on oil, domestic and foreign, consistent with policies that assist impacted workers.
The BP oil spill and resulting environmental damage in the Gulf of Mexico have claimed the lives of 11 workers, threatened the livelihoods of whole communities, and inflicted terrible damage on life-sustaining ecosystems. Less visible are other environmental and economic crises which threaten our ability to sustain our communities. For example, in Montana, climate change has led to entire communities losing their water supply and disappearing.
Even less visible are our communities without broadband. In our new economy, broadband is as essential as water. Yet today, the ability to connect to the world-wide web at world-class speeds is still out of reach to 100 million Americans. The U.S. has fallen to 15th in the world in high-speed Internet penetration and 28th in global speed comparisons. That means it is harder for communities to sustain themselves, spur economic growth, create jobs, and bridge the digital divide. Without this basic resource, many other communities will vanish like those waterless towns out west.
The United States is 5 percent of the global population, yet is responsible for around 30 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions already in our atmosphere. Not only do we consume too much fossil fuel, we have accelerated global climate change and lowered living standards through our trade policies and corporate-driven globalization model. As much as 25 percent of CO2 emissions are thought to be trade-related. Meanwhile, U.S. and World Trade Organization (WTO) policies have destroyed local manufacturing, and accelerated the export of jobs to countries that pay workers less than a living wage, deny workers’ organizational rights, and exploit child and slave labor in violation of the International Labor Organization's Core Labor Standards. WTO policy also undercuts public services in the name of cut-throat competition and private profit.
We should adopt U.S. climate change legislation that reduces emissions without causing energy-intensive industries to close their U.S. facilities and relocate them to countries that do not take effective action to curb emissions for products shipped to U.S. markets. Mechanisms available to resolve this problem include allowance allocations for energy-intensive industries, border adjustment mechanisms, and globally measurable and enforceable sectoral agreements. We also must adopt sensible technology transfer policies that assist truly developing countries without giving a free ride on new technologies to economic competitors.
We have begun this transition with IUE-CWA leading the way. New work and new jobs have flowed into U.S. manufacturing plants represented by IUE-CWA. IUE-CWA represented workers are making energy-efficient appliances, hybrid car batteries, new diesel engines that meet strict California pollution standards, hybrid buses, and solar and windmill components. Our union lean program identifies energy-saving production techniques that make U.S. employers more efficient and create green U.S. jobs. Our manufacturing certification and Green Job training programs are propelling graduates to be first in line for new work.
Labor and two key partners, the Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), have joined to form the Blue Green Alliance to push for union jobs in a sustainable environment. The Coalition has adopted our Speed Matters campaign to bring affordable high-speed Internet to every community. We are piloting a program with the Sierra Club to build a movement to bring 1 gigabyte of Internet capacity to anchor institutions. With success, the extension of truly high-speed Internet will play an important role in reducing emissions and improving our environment.
A broad Blue Green coalition, led by the Sierra Club, supported passage in the House of Representatives of the American Clean Energy Security Act (ACES) in June, 2009. This is a major piece of clean energy and climate protection that will help create new industries and new clean energy jobs while protecting the climate from the carbon pollution that causes global warming. The legislation is stalled in the Senate due to archaic rules and opposed by the same corporations that opposed the Employee Free Choice Act.
Now is the time to take decisive and swift action to improve our environment and our economy to create prosperity and opportunity for generations to come.
Resolved: CWA will work with the Sierra Club and others to strengthen and pass comprehensive climate and clean energy legislation that can create jobs, strengthen communities, reduce emissions, and protect our environment.
Resolved: CWA will partner with Sierra Club and other community allies to bring 1 gigabyte Internet service to anchor institutions such as schools, libraries, hospitals and government buildings to sustain economic development in rural and urban communities.
Resolved: CWA will work in coalition to reform international financial institutions (like the WTO, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund) and to ensure trade agreements and global climate agreements serve sustainable development and are consistent with improved labor standards worldwide.