Towards a just transition to sustainable jobs

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Klain’s assertion. As in many cities, the Water Services he has focused on the job-killing argument. Jobs are a Department in my hometown of Kansas City cannot big and legitimate concern of the working-class major­ keep up with even major leaks in water and sewer Those pointedly not invited for a White House chat lines, some dating back to the 19th century. But the with the Denier-in-Chief include such major unions sole KC project on the preliminary list is a refurbishing as the Service Employees International Union, Amal­ of passenger terminals at Kansas City International Largely overlooked in all the turmoil was Trump’s gamated Transit Union, and National Nurses United. duplicitous reach-out to sectors of trade-union leader­ Those unions have made a good start in educating and ship, promising to save and create middle-class jobs. mobilizing their members around climate issues. They He invited AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, and The unions expecting to get such work should keep built mass actions around KXL and DAPL with member Teamsters president James P. Hoffa to the White House in mind that the Davis-Bacon Prevailing Wage law— participation and material contributions. NNU nurses to celebrate his canceling of the Trans-Pacific Partner­ enacted during the Hoover administration—which has cared for those peaceful protesters at Standing Rock long guaranteed union jurisdiction on public projects, All unions and environmental groups had strongly These unions are affiliated to coalitions like the Labor opposed TPP for good reasons. Like NAFTA and other The expansion of the 200,000-mile network of pipe­ Network for Sustainability (www.labor4sustainability. such regional agreements, TPP is more about the un­ lines will exacerbate climate change and inflict major org) in North America, and the global Trade Unions for restricted movement of capital across borders than environmental damage. Leaks are inevitable. Over the Energy Democracy (unionsforenergydemocracy.org).

past decade, 38 million gallons have polluted land and This labor wing of the climate justice movement un­ Trump also summoned leaders of several construc­ derstands the working-class majority is the only force tion-based unions to unveil his plans to create jobs by The proposed Keystone Pipeline (KXL) would move with both the material interest and potential power to rebuilding infrastructure and reviving the Keystone XL not oil but bitumen—a hydrocarbon often used as an defeat capitalist climate wrecking and replace it with a ingredient in asphalt. It is mined in the Tar Sands of Of course, there’s plenty that needs to be done to re­ Alberta and injected with chemicals to create a sludge These climate-conscious unionists realize that over­ pair or replace dangerous bridges and tunnels, dete­ suitable for flowing through the pipeline to special re­ coming the threat of job loss is task #1 in winning over riorating water and sewer lines, aging rail and urban fineries that convert it into a synthetic oil. Unlike oil, workers. They have revived and adapted the long pro­ mass-transit systems, and many more projects that bitumen is heavier than water and when it leaks into moted principle of Just Transition. In a nutshell, this have been long neglected through “deferred mainte­ rivers and streams it does more damage by sinking means when workers lose their livelihood for the good to the bottom. It is the dirtiest fuel on the planet. Mass of society, society must guarantee their living stan­ The head of the Ironworkers union was cautiously protests by climate activists pressured Obama to con­ dards and, if necessary, provide retraining and reloca­ enthusiastic: “The Ironworkers union applauds Don­ ald Trump’s infrastructure program. We have to have The Dakota Access Pipeline would transfer shale oil This principle can apply to many areas, such as the a sustainable maintenance program that recognizes extracted through hydraulic fracturing (fracking) from armaments industries and workers in the billing and that the existing bridges need to have ongoing main­ the Bakken in North Dakota to also special refineries advertising branches of health insurance companies. tenance, and quite frankly politicians in both parties in Illinois. Bakken oil has a very high methane content. The required restructuring of the American and world Methane is a greenhouse gas more potent than car­ economy to stop global warming short of global disas­ The brother will likely see more disservice. Trump’s bon dioxide. It also makes the oil much more volatile. ter will mean eliminating and replacing tens of mil­ scheme, still being fleshed out, is no grand plan for use­ Currently Bakken oil is shipped by rail and there have ful public works—as is sorely needed. Ronald A Klain, been numerous fiery, sometimes deadly transport ac­ Just Transition is a necessary first step in unifying the who headed Obama’s “shovel ready” project to stim­ struggles for class and climate justice that can secure ulate jobs during the height of the Great Recession, Once KXL is completed, the owners expect to operate a peaceful, democratic, sustainable future. The work­ wrote in a Washington Post Op-Ed piece, “Trump’s plan it 24/7 with only about 35 regular employees. If DAPL ing class needs to lead the discussion and the planned is not really an infrastructure plan. It’s a tax-cut plan is ultimately completed one way or another, it too will implementation of this goal that is indispensable to for utility-industry and construction-sector investors, provide only a few dozen long term maintenance and inspection jobs. But a substantial number of rail jobs Socialists have much to contribute to this fight that The initial list of Trump’s proposed projects supports will be lost once the pipeline is flowing—creating an we cannot afford to lose. n The Trump administration wasted no time be­ fore launching a veritable blitzkrieg on all fronts in pursuit of an “alt-right” America First agenda. But resistance has been swift and massive. Some examples of those counter-attacks are reported elsewhere in this newspaper.

In addition to various movements mobilizing in action, we also heard from scientists. Agence France Presse (AFP) reported: “Comments by U.S. President Donald Trump on nuclear weap­ ons and climate change have helped make the world less safe, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scien­ tists warned … moving its symbolic ‘Doomsday Clock’ 30 seconds closer to midnight.”

This heightened warning by atomic scientists about two overarching crises closely followed an announcement by climate scientists at the Na­ tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that, for the third consecutive year, 2016 had been the hottest since record keeping began in 1880.

Trump replaces an Obama administration that offered token gestures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which are the prime culprit in heat­ ing our planet, while at the same time also pro­ moting fossil-fuel expansion through destructive fracking of gas and oil.

Now, the 45th president has dismissed global warming as a job-killing hoax perpetrated by China to sabotage the American economy. Rather than presenting any of his signature “alternative facts” to bolster this fantastic conspiracy theory, ity.

Making nice to some unions ship deal negotiated by President Obama.

trade. Trumka and Hoffa endorsed Trump’s action.

and Dakota Access pipeline projects.

nance” imposed by austerity budgets. have done us a disservice.” and a massive corporate welfare plan.” airport to facilitate more efficient security. Prevailing wage law targeted is targeted for repeal by Congress.

water. sign the project to purgatory. cidents. sustainable economy. lions of jobs.

Sue Ogrucki / AP overall net loss of middle class union jobs. Some unions not welcomed injured by police pepper gas and rubber bullets. tion expenses until they find suitable new work. the survival of human civilization.