AFL-CIO Working For America Institute

Shaping Public Policy

The Union Movement and the Environment

The AFL-CIO union movement sees a role for workers and their unions in creating a greener, safer world. Among its key positions on the environment, the AFL-CIO union movement:

Supports an approach to carbon emissions that involves timetables and standards enabling development of new technologies that can provide clean energy at prices close to conventional sources.
Supports policies designed to protect the environment and create good jobs without encouraging sending manufacturing jobs offshore.
Advocates that any carbon emission cap-and-trade program ensures that advanced developing nations also participate in a carbon emission reduction regime.

For More See Green Jobs Resources

Many unions are engaged in advocacy efforts to reform policies and encourage more government investments in a green economy.

AFSCME works with state pension funds to encourage investments in green real estate holdings and sustainable technology.

The UAW has endorsed a stringent new national fuel economy and greenhouse gas standard.

IAM has worked to improve and expand mass transit systems.

The AFT has developed a public education campaign on the advantages of green schools.

ALPA has pressed for noise and emissions reduction in air travel.

The USW sponsored 16 town hall meetings on green jobs and global warming.

Labor leaders are playing important roles in national coalitions—including the Blue Green Alliance, the Apollo Alliance and the National Commission on Energy Policy—that are working to create real energy policy reform and expand the number and quality of jobs in the green economy