Discuss: Unions plank

This is an experimental web page for Green Party of California (GPCA) members to discuss agenda items for the upcoming GPCA State Assembly, April 29-30, 2006 at Moorpark College in Ventura County.

Participants are encouraged to ask clarifying questions, state concerns and affirmations, and address concerns where possible, as with regular Green Party consensus-seeking processes. Email Rules of Decorum such as those established by the GPCA and the GPLAC are important additional guides to participation.

This space is designed specifically to discuss agenda item "Unions Plank."

Please share your feedback here.

‹ UNION PLATFORM
Submitted by admin on Wed, 2006-04-12 15:58. categories [ ] login or register to post comments
Unions and the Environment
Submitted by Wes on Fri, 2006-05-26 16:27.

I don't have a strong feeling about the total impact of supporting this plank or not. However, I do think that it is clearly necessary to focus on the relationship between unions and the environment and to challenge both the unions and environmental action groups to cross the current divide.

The extractive industries, petroleum, mining, forest products, have been very successful at defining environmental groups as being "against jobs" and "ruining the local economy". Environmental organizations, from the Sierra Club to individual single issue, single location ad hoc committees have been very successful at using delaying and blocking tactics, including law suits under ESA or Clean Water Act, playing right into the hands of the extractive industry that they are fighting.

As a result, we see the Teamsters holding press conferences about opening up the ANWR for oil exploratio. We even have the building trade unions supporting the worst development project, all because they see that these mean more jobs, and more union members.

We need to find a way in which we can make people understand that there are alternatives which still provide jobs, but which also are environmentally sound.

Active Blogger: PomboWatch, California Greening

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