It’s Getting Hot In Here

Note: This is a revised version of an older essay that was never published. With recent news concerning new green government programming and the grim news coming from Chrysler and General Motors, I hope this might broaden the debate a bit beyond what the headlines and pundits will allow.

“We hope for better days; it shall rise from the ashes.” – Motto of the City of Detroit (Coined after a citywide fire in 1805)

The green dream is coming closer every day.  Green-collar jobs are becoming more and more of a household term and are moving closer to the center of the conversation about how we should recover from the current economic recession.

It’s a relief to me as a Detroiter.  It gives me hope that our city, long hit by economic hardship, unemployment and poverty, can rise again through programs that will create millions of green jobs.  In particular, more people are calling for a greening of US automakers in an attempt to halt their freefall.  A cleaning up of the auto industry could certainly help lift the city and country out of this virtual downward spiral, but after witnessing an anti-union blitzkrieg that strong-armed workers into reluctantly accepting major concessions[i] one has to wonder, “What will a green auto industry look like?”  Does our vision of a green-collar economy include autoworkers going back to factories making plug-in hybrids on subsistence wages, rolled back healthcare and poor job security?  Or will we make a shift away from the growth-centered reasoning of the dirty energy past? Continue reading ‘Protect People and the Planet: Creating a Workers’ Powershift’

Note: This was written by my friend John Cronan who originally posted this on his blog at ZNet.

In recent weeks, the battle has intensified over the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). Its passage would greatly increase workers’ rights to organize and strengthen collective bargaining; because of this, organized labor has made its passage one of its top priorities, and in early February, thousands of workers marched on the Capitol.

No wonder why the largest opposition has come from big business and its mouthpieces, like the Wall Street Journal. The latter has been persistently spreading the lie that EFCA would eliminate employees’ right to a secret ball election to determine union representation; what it really does is leave the choice up to the workers whether they want an election or pursue card check—in fact, increasing workplace democracy. Additionally, as Dean Baker recently reported, arguments are being promoted that higher unionization rates—an expected outcome if EFCA passes—lead to higher unemployment, which in these tough economic times no one wants. Luckily, this is argument also holds no water.

Contrary to those opposing the act, EFCA would strengthen the bargaining power of the American working class, which would, if taken advantage of correctly, lead to many positive developments for the economy as a whole and the environment.

Higher unionization will increase workers’ bargaining power and ability to take collective action. This will mostly likely result in higher wages and benefits, greatly increasing the standard of living for many workers and their families. Besides being desirable on its own, this will serve as a stimulus to the economy, opting for a “high road,” wage-led growth instead of “low road,” profit-led growth. EFCA will also increase workers’ political clout for the same reasons it will increase wages—together we are what we cannot be alone. Just as we’ve seen labor mobilize to pass EFCA, the same can be done for legislation around single-payer health-care and others, but with an even stronger impact.

Continue reading ‘Employee Free Choice and the Green Economy’

“We’re living somebody else’s vision for our city.” Donele Wilkins, Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice

Detroit has a 22% unemployment rate. It is the poorest major city in the country and has the highest rate of segration out of every other city in the nation. The city counted over 45000 ecologically contaminated sites before they just simply stopped counting. The mayor, Dennis Archer, in the early 90s tried declaring the entire city a brownfield site. Detroit needs a green jobs future that will clean up Detroit’s environment and bring jobs back to the city that can lift poor residents out of poverty.

I was inspired today at a forum on bringing green jobs to Detroit at the IBEW Local 58. The event was held by the Sierra Club, AFL-CIO and Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice, but there were tons of different groups and organizations represented there from the labor, environmental and social justice movements. The three speakers covered the issues that link the environmental and labor movements together and how we can work to build a stronger “blue-green alliance.” Continue reading ‘Detroit and Labor’s Green Jobs Future’

This was written by Wayne State student and Power Voter Kim Siegel!

Power Voters set their sights on the dorms last week at Wayne State in Detroit. We wanted to bring the campaign’s message door-to-door and asked if the students are interested in pledging to vote for a clean and just energy future for the country.

Our purpose was clear: to get our fellow students to pledge to vote with clean and just energy on their minds in this election. Power Vote is engaging 1,000,000 youth-voters across the United States by November 4th, to express that us young Americans care deeply about the planet and are ready to create millions of good, green jobs in a clean energy economy.

The team split up to cover as much ground as possible. After a little over an hour passed by, we congregated to the second floor hallway to count the pledges. We gathered a total of 120 pledges in less than an hour! That averages out to more than twenty-five per person!

Going door-to-door in the dorms was an effective way to spread the word about our campaign and events. Sometimes news does not always reach everyone. Face-to-face encounters are excellent ways to get students more involved. Most students proved interested in Power Vote and willingly signed the pledge. Personally, I had no issues with students refusing to sign. Many students even invited us into their dorm rooms to talk and explain more about Power Vote!

This was  a great opportunity for others to practice and work on the way they address others. Perhaps if the leader did not properly explain the point of Power Vote, the student would ask them to elaborate on that particular point. When they knocked on the next door, they could use their experience from the previous room to explain themselves more thoroughly.

“Dorm storming” taught me that bringing information to others instead of waiting for them to come to you is a very effective method in spreading the word about new organizations. Running a dorm operation proved really simple and successful. The positive responses, pledges and “Green Jobs” stickers on the doors down the hall way are all little victories to celebrate!

Wayne State’s campus in Detroit, Michigan was rocked this past weekend when bold student leaders from across the state came together for the Power Vote Campus Storm! Anybody who took part would tell you that it was quite the adventure both to attend and throw together the training crunch that drew in students from as far as Kalamzoo College on the other side of the state!

One of the most exciting things about this training was that it got us out practicing our skills as we learned them. After learning effective skills for getting out and pledging folks, we went out to Detroit’s Eastern Market, the country’s largest historic market district and got over 220 pledges signed!

Personally, one of the most valuable part of this weekend was working with the local Sierra Club’s Environmental Justice Committee to canvas neighborhoods in Detroit’s Southwest side. It was an eye opening experience that taught me the crucial need to build our work around a strong justice focus. It also gave me a small idea about what that kind of work looks like.

Continue reading ‘Power Vote and Environmental Justice in Detroit’