Climate, Jobs and Justice Newsletter: July 2024
Edition 14
English | Spanish
SEIU members and worker leaders in the Fight for $15 and a Union are confronted daily by the impacts of climate change and environmental injustice. This newsletter offers a snapshot of how we’re combating climate change and fighting against environmental injustice in our workplaces and communities as well as calling on major industries, corporations, and governments to protect the health, safety and long-term economic well-being of all working people across America.
This Union Cares about Climate Jobs and Justice: Convention 2024!
On May 21, 2024 our union adopted a resolution reaffirming our commitment to Climate and Environmental Justice at the 2024 SEIU International Convention in Philadelphia. This commitment includes supporting actions to decrease emissions, transition to clean energy and build resilience to the impacts of climate change that we know are coming.
In addition to our efforts to advance massive clean energy investments, SEIU members will continue their work in addressing climate and environmental justice by
Fighting for new and expanding existing workplace initiatives that reduce emissions and build resilience for front-line workers.
Using their power through bargaining, organizing, and politics to identify and address environmental issues that resonate with their communities.
Expanding our work in Canada to support Climate Action and Environmental Justice.
During the convention, each of the more than one thousand SEIU members who visited our Union City Storefront brought with them a unique story about climate, the actions they are taking in their communities, and their shared hopes for a clean and just energy future.
To date, we have gathered more than 1800 signatures on the petition to Congress, calling on them to defend our climate progress from attacks by corporate polluters. If you didn’t get a chance to sign the petition, you can do so below.
Here is a resource guide that will allow you to access all of the information we shared in our Union City Store.
Airport, fast-food employees among those demanding protections from dangerous temperatures during record heat wave
The record-setting heat wave that enveloped much of the country in late June has cast a spotlight on workers who are increasingly faced with dangerous heat levels on the job.
For airport workers, especially those who work outside or have to clean airplane cabins, and fast food cooks who spend all day in boiling kitchens- the increasing outdoor temperatures can make simply showing up for their shifts a life-threatening event if proper precautions are not taken.
Several of these workers were joined fast-food and other employees from across the country as they visited their members of Congress to urge them to support heat safety legislation. Linda Ressler, a cabin cleaner at Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport who helped fight for a city ordinance aimed at protecting workers from extreme heat, has had to clean airplane cabins in nearly 100-degree temperatures and has fallen ill from the extreme heat while on the job. “Just having access to water and a place to cool can be the difference between life and death when you are experiencing heat-related illness,” said Ressler. “It’s so simple. But someone – our employers, the city, or the airlines – who controls our workplace conditions, needs to ensure ALL workers are safe from the heat.”
While Ramona Martinez, a fast food worker from San Jose, said that it sometimes reaches up to 95 degrees in the kitchen where she works. “In the 4 years I have been here, the AC has never worked properly. Working in these hot conditions makes me feel desperate and causes me to have headaches. I have never been given training about how to monitor for symptoms of heat illness, or what to do in case of heat illness. We also do not get cooling nor water breaks.”
Linda, Ramona and dozens of other workers who face extreme heat on the job workers were backing the new proposed rule from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration-- which aims to safeguard around 50 million people who regularly face high temperatures at work.
This historic measure would be the first major federal government regulation to protect workers from extreme heat on the job, and in many cases would require more breaks and access to water, shade, and air-conditioning. Earlier this month, workers in California were able to win new safety measures from CALOSHA that require employers to provide cooling areas and monitor workers for signs of heat illness when indoor workplace temperatures reach or surpass 82 degrees. Temperatures over 87 degrees will require additional precautions to be taken.
Read SEIU President April Verrett’s statement on the new proposed heat rule.
Solutions for Pollution
SEIU Joined the Climate Action Campaigns Solutions for Pollution Campaign learn more here: https://www.actonclimate.com/solutions/ because, without tough action to hold corporate polluters accountable and clean up emissions, we won’t slow climate change fast enough to keep our planet liveable for our children, nor will we tackle the environmental injustice associated with the health impacts of air pollution from dirty fossil fuels.
Our members testified at EPA Hearings and wrote more than a thousand letters demanding action https://youtu.be/jrVoLpuBz04?si=JLRRmalrhC0eMDWa
We won big victories to cut down soot pollution and reduce harmful emissions from power plants https://youtu.be/zbOqmp6TJQU?si=SIudN0KmHtL_8sQ6
More of EPA’s Climate Change Actions are discussed here. https://www.epa.gov/climate-change/climate-change-regulatory-actions-and-initiatives
HELP today by signing the Call to Action to stop Congress and Corporate Polluters from undoing the progress we’ve made.
Updated Jul 10, 2024