CLIMATE, JOBS, JUSTICE
Edition 5
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SEIU members and worker leaders in the Fight for $15 and a Union are confronted daily by the impacts of climate change and environmental injustice. This newsletter offers a snapshot of how we’re combating climate change and fighting against environmental injustice in our workplaces and communities as well as calling on major industries, corporations, and governments to protect the health, safety and long-term economic well-being of all working people across America.
2022 Climate, Jobs, and Justice Summit
Join SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry, Secretary Treasurer Gerry Hudson, and Executive Vice President Rocio Saenz for SEIU’s second annual Climate, Jobs, and Justice Summit on Saturday April 9th 2022, 12:30pm EDT via Zoom. Come hear from experts on climate and environmental justice and distinguished guests. Learn about SEIU’s national climate program and the exciting work of our locals as we fight for clean air, clean water and climate Justice.
Major UN Climate Change Report:
This month the United Nations released its most recent report on the crisis of climate change. The report clearly states that the severe effects of climate change will grow by leaps and bounds, will hit the poorest in the world the hardest, and that we have very little time left to cut emissions drastically in order to avoid locking in certain disaster.
Written by 270 researchers from 67 countries, UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres describes the UN report released as “an atlas of human suffering and a damning indictment of failed climate leadership.” Leadership which so far has ignored the fact that nearly half of humanity is currently living in the climate danger zone, and that many ecosystems are already at the point of no return.
This abdication of leadership is criminal. The world’s biggest polluters are guilty of arson of our only home,” said Guterres. “It is essential to meet the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees. Science tells us that it will require the world to cut emissions by 45 percent by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050.”
The UN report stresses that this opportunity for action will last until 2030. "Any further delay in concerted global action will miss a brief and rapidly closing window to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all."
The authors of the report say that it's not just about spending on green energy and electric cars, but also that investing in education, health systems and social justice could help people to cope with the impacts of rising temperatures.
- Please read this excellent NY Times summary of the report
- Article summary of the five main takeways
- UN summary report
- Creating a More Resilient America Social Infrastructure’s Role in Responding to the Climate Crisis, SEIU October 2020
Member Spotlight: Marat Olfir, 32BJ SEIU
Starting with this edition of the Climate, Jobs and Justice Newsletter, we will be featuring interviews with members doing remarkable work in sustainability and environmental justice. In this edition we are pleased to feature member leader Marat Olfir:
Marat is a full time manager superintendent in his residential building in New York City. He supervises the maintenance staff, teaches Green Building courses for 32BJ SEIU members and has been a union member for over 20 years. He has developed both innovative technical solutions to address energy efficacy issues in his work and as a teacher of green building course work
Please tell me how you became interested in sustainability issues?
“I started doing this work 15 years ago with the aim to become the greenest super. When I started taking classes, my school-aged children were learning about pollution in the oceans. My daughter cried at the thought of turtles being harmed by plastic straws in the ocean. My son started changing simple day to day things like reusing paper plates when possible to help the environment. They both suffer from asthma so I am keenly aware of how pollution impacts children, especially those living in cities. As the super of my residential building I wanted to provide my team the opportunity for job growth in a building where all is included like heating and water and started water consumption, gas, and heating.”
How have you been able to increase the energy efficiency in your building?
“In both small ways and big ways. I like to tell people that are just getting started that it can be as easy as posting signs in the building to remind everyone to adjust the thermostat, turn off the lights, or recycle. I make sure that delivery trucks don’t idle outside of the building so that we reduce the amount of air pollution. I look for products that are prop65 compliant like low or no VOC paint and if you are buying appliances look for those with energy efficacy ratings. From there you can begin to think of the big picture like pursuing green building certification, filter systems supplying clean air, and recycling water. It is also important to discuss these initiatives in ways that resonate with people. Some residents may not be worried about saving on energy, but the same leaks that cause energy waste also create air flow from one unit to another carrying with it smoke or food smells. Residents want that fixed, so I have worked on ways to use technology creatively to detect and address air flow issues. We save energy for the building and the residents are happy. These are some of the things I teach in my classes.”
What advice would you give folks that are interested in pursuing this work?
“You have to be a pioneer. Be willing to have the discussion with supervisors and staff, take advantage of training opportunities, and think about communicating solutions in practical ways. For example, using the latest energy efficient bulbs can be more expensive but buying them in bulk saves money, and they need to be changed less often saving on labor time. Changing to low flow faucets when one tenant moves out and the other moves in. Most people won't notice the flow difference when they move in, they will just assume that’s the way the building works. But there can be a large reduction in water usage over time. As cities create legislation to reduce the energy use in buildings it will be essential for building staff to be knowledgeable about how to comply with regulations that help address climate change and pollution.”
Did you know: Bomb cyclones and climate change
2021-2022 has seen a string of bomb cyclones across the US, Canada, and the world. Bomb cyclones (also known as explosive cyclogenesis or winter hurricanes) are large powerful multi-latitude cyclones that depend on low pressure and intensify quickly. These storms drop heavy amounts of rain and snow. The systems depend on warm air and moisture to form storm clouds as they develop. As a result of climate change, over the last fifty years the ocean has warmed 5 times faster than past historical rates. A warmer ocean creates the ideal scenarios for increasing the power of these storms. It is anticipated that as the oceans continue to warm, bomb cyclones will be growing in intensity. To learn more about bomb cyclones visit: https://seas.umich.edu/news/more-snowmageddon-and-bomb-cyclone-winter-storms-are-our-future
Second Environmental Justice Chairs/Members meeting
On February 10th, the SEIU Environmental Justice team organized the second SEIU Environmental Justice chairs and member leaders meeting. The goal of the event was to build relationships, learn about best practices and discuss the work ahead for members involved with climate/environmental issues within their locals. More than 25 members joined the meeting, including those from SEIU locals 1, 503, 2015, 509, 1021, 1199, 32BJ, 1991, 503, 1996 and 721. The next meeting will be in June. These meetings will occur every other month with the aim of creating support for member environmental justice leaders. If you are interested in participating please send an email to: nicole.hernandez-hammer@seiu.org
News from the States
Maine:
Maine Labor Climate Council formed Unions including MSEA-SEIU, the Maine AFL-CIO, electrical workers and teachers announced that they are forming the Maine Labor Climate Council to ensure that union workers play a key role in the work of preparing the state for climate change while creating a more diverse workforce.
California:
The first cohort of 40+ caregivers began a 6 week course to receive training in building resilience to climate-related disasters so they can better help their clients, their families, other caregivers and their communities. IHSS caregivers and workers in skilled nursing facilities play a critical role in protecting California’s seniors and people with disabilities. The Center for Caregiver Advancement (CCA) and SEIU local 2015 are addressing this need for specialized training, thanks to a grant from the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB).
Colorado:
Congratulations to the first Green Janitors in Colorado! Janitors who work at Denver’s Civic Center Plaza are proud to have completed the Green Janitorial Education Program and stand ready to bring the fight for sustainable cleaning practices to Denver’s downtown. https://twitter.com/SEIU105/status/1496943637287997450?s=20&t=dGDX2PrOhsKM6tlYY1lfeA
