Machinists Call for Just Transition on Climate Change

For years John Harrity, retired president of the Connecticut State Council of Machinists has persistently called upon his union to discuss how climate change issues affect them Last week at the 2024 IAM Grand Lodge Convention in New York City, Harrity and Zach Cunningham of the Cornell University Climate Jobs Institute gave panel presentations that led to passage of a ground breaking resolution.

Harrity, also president emeritus of the Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs, said “You have heard some about the dangers of climate, and the incredible opportunities it can also mean in terms of organizing workers in the emerging green technologies. This fight on climate change is literally about our collective survival – but it is also about our growth and renewal as a union if we are smart enough to seize the opportunities before us.”

After considering new findings, members passed a resolution to include the concept of “Just Transition” in action on climate change. This concept asserts that workers displaced from jobs by climate change should receive supplemental income, insurance, and pension benefits. 

It aims to address and correct the inequities faced by people of color who have been systematically excluded from jobs in the energy sector. Additionally, it seeks to support their communities, which have been disproportionately impacted by the presence of highly polluting power plants. The resolution also includes language to ensure that green technology used in America is made in America by IAM members.

Reporting on the groundbreaking convention results, the union said that “This commitment to ‘Just Transition’ underscores IAM’s dedication to social justice and equality in the face of climate change.” The report from the convention emphasized, “The IAM’s proactive stance on climate change is a testament to its commitment to not only preserving the planet but also securing a prosperous future for its members. By embracing innovative solutions and advocating for sustainable industrial practices, IAM is leading by example in the labor movement’s fight against climate change. This advocacy involves not only implementing green technologies within IAM-represented industries but also influencing and encouraging key players to adopt and advocate sustainable practices.”

The IAM represents 7,000 workers in Connecticut including machinists at Pratt & Whitney aerospace, and also school bus drivers and healthcare workers. The Connecticut State Council of Machinists was the first organization to affiliate with the Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs saying. “The most important thing which we can leave our children and grandchildren is a healthy and clean planet earth, and the Roundtable provides us that opportunity. This is the real “National Emergency” of our lifetime and will be a legacy which humanity will be measured on.”