Resolution of Labor Solidarity Support for Earth Day Youth Climate Strikes

WHEREAS, the growing climate crisis poses an immediate and long-term threat to working people, our communities and our economic security, and

WHEREAS, the climate crisis already disproportionately harms vulnerable and marginalized communities of color and low-income communities in New Jersey, the United States and across the globe, and

WHEREAS, the climate crisis manifests itself through increased hurricanes, droughts, flooding, heat waves, wildfires, the spread of infectious diseases, and the resulting massive disruption to the health, well-being, and economic welfare of working people in communities around the world, and

WHEREAS, the overwhelming consensus of scientists world-wide and the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is that humanity has less than 10 years to take dramatic steps to reduce carbon emissions into our atmosphere in order to avert an irreversible climate catastrophe, and

WHEREAS, in the face of this crisis the next generation of youth have stepped up to build a movement of millions of young people world-wide to address the climate crisis with the urgency it demands, and to heed the call of Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg to “act like your house is on fire, because it is”, and

WHEREAS, the global labor movement has the right and the responsibility to take action on behalf of its members, their families, and workers who have no representation to address the climate crisis and to demand and build a new clean, sustainable energy economy based on economic, racial and environmental justice, and

WHEREAS, it is the particular responsibility of the labor movement to organize and advocate for a Just Transition to protect the wages, benefits and viability of workers and communities who will be most affected by the necessary transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy, and

WHEREAS, the youth movement who is leading the campaign for urgent action to address the Climate crisis has called for massive protests and climate strikes beginning on Earth Day (April 22) with actions continuing through the international day of worker solidarity, May Day…

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the New Jersey State Industrial Union Council join in solidarity to support the Earth Day Youth Climate Strikes and Earth Day to May Day mobilizations, and use this opportunity to highlight, educate and advocate for urgent action to address the climate crisis on all levels of corporate, local, state and federal governance, and be it further

RESOLVED that the NJ State Industrial Union Council use this opportunity to accelerate education among its own membership about the causes, consequences, and necessary changes that must be taken to avert a climate catastrophe, and be it further

RESOLVED that the NJ State Industrial Union Council encourage its affiliated unions to join with the youth-led movement, local civic and community organizations, the faith community, environmental justice organizations and others to publicize and participate in whatever ways possible to support the Earth Day Climate Strikes and to use this opportunity to connect these movements to the Labor Movement in organizing for a Just Transition for workers and communities, and finally be it

RESOLVED that this Resolution be publicized and shared widely within the Labor and Climate Justice community, including with the Labor Network for Sustainability for broad circulation.

Passed: 3/11/20

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