The conference opens Friday evening, Jan. 19, with a keynote address by Jack Rasmus, a former union organizer who has been studying global warming and how the climate crisis is affecting working people. The theme of his talk is "Building a Movement for Sustainability: How Labor Can Respond to the Climate Crisis."
A series of workshops on Saturday, Jan. 20, offer the opportunity to discuss labor and the environment from a variety of angles. A complete conference schedule can be found at www.laborandsustainability.org
Topics to be discussed include "Saving the Ford plant through green manufacturing," "How can environmentalists dialogue effectively with organized labor?" and "Sustainable collective bargaining in union contracts."
Speakers will include labor leaders, environmental activists, fair trade organizers, businesspeople, farmers, scientists and others.
"Most of the panels are educational in nature and are intended to provide information and awareness of the issues workers face as well as offer alternatives focusing on a just transition from our present fossil fuel economy to one that is based on clean, renewable energy," organizers said.
"This rests on the notion that we can have both a healthy environment and good-paying union jobs in a green economy. Although everyone may not agree on the issues at this point in time, we believe it is crucial, for the sake of our own survival, that they be put on the table for serious consideration, which is long overdue."
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The conference opens Friday evening, Jan. 19, with a keynote address by Jack Rasmus, a former union organizer who has been studying global warming and how the climate crisis is affecting working people. The theme of his talk is "Building a Movement for Sustainability: How Labor Can Respond to the Climate Crisis."
A series of workshops on Saturday, Jan. 20, offer the opportunity to discuss labor and the environment from a variety of angles. A complete conference schedule can be found at www.laborandsustainability.org
Topics to be discussed include "Saving the Ford plant through green manufacturing," "How can environmentalists dialogue effectively with organized labor?" and "Sustainable collective bargaining in union contracts."
Speakers will include labor leaders, environmental activists, fair trade organizers, businesspeople, farmers, scientists and others.
"Most of the panels are educational in nature and are intended to provide information and awareness of the issues workers face as well as offer alternatives focusing on a just transition from our present fossil fuel economy to one that is based on clean, renewable energy," organizers said.
"This rests on the notion that we can have both a healthy environment and good-paying union jobs in a green economy. Although everyone may not agree on the issues at this point in time, we believe it is crucial, for the sake of our own survival, that they be put on the table for serious consideration, which is long overdue."