On a press call Thursday morning, 19 California labor unions—including AFSCME Council 57—joined economist Dr. Robert Pollin to release a new study examining California’s pathways to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic recession and the prospects for jobs growth under the state’s existing climate policies.
The United Steelworkers Local 675 also shared plans for budget advocacy to finance an Equitable Transition.
“I’m here today because, as Local 675, we’ve seen every side of this situation, we’re wide
awake to the transition that is happening in the energy sector,” said Dave Campbell, secretary-treasurer of USW Local 675, which represents 4,500 workers, including at the El Segundo Chevron refinery and Proterra’s zero-emissions electric bus manufacturing plant. “Steelworkers Local 675 is already in contact with elected officials about the need for an Equitable Transition, and we are prepared to take Dr. Pollin’s proposal on an Equitable Transition to Governor Newsom for a serious discussion about securing the funding for this disaster relief and recovery package for fossil fuel workers, in this budget cycle.”
The new study, “A Program for Economic Recovery and Clean Energy Transition in California,” was commissioned by USW 675, the California Federation of Teachers and AFSCME Local 3299, and it has the endorsement of 19 California labor unions. AFSCME Council 57 is part of the coalition that supported the study.
Dr. Pollin explained the key finding that California’s existing climate policy goals can spur one million new jobs in the state by 2030, if coupled with public investments to manage the transition to more reliance on clean energy.
“As the chair of the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee, I am committed to keeping workers at the forefront of the conversation as we look to achieve our state's climate goals.” said Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose). “It's great to see the report break down these major new opportunities in green energy sectors and how we can mitigate displacement and guarantee good pay and benefits.”
The good news is that good paying union jobs in clean energy manufacturing have already come to California. Blanchard Pinto, zero-emissions electric bus builder at ProTerra, member of USW 675 and father of five explained: “I’m so proud that my kids are so interested in the electric busses I build. They see the new electric vehicles and they know their dad is working on something for the future. They are proud that our family is part of this shift to make our air cleaner, to make our neighborhoods quieter, to bring our planet back into balance. We are the groundbreakers in this industry now. This is the beginning.”
Kim Moore, of United Domestic Workers, AFSCME Local 3930, added: “As a Black woman, I can’t ignore the fact that life spans are shortened, lives are lost–Black Lives, are ended–because of the fossil fuel air pollution that forces us to stay inside, or rely on an inhaler or nebulizer, just to breathe...This environmental racism must end. We don’t have to make a false choice between breathable air and a liveable wage.”
Maribel Castillion, a public health nurse and member of SEUI 721, added: “As we recover from the pandemic and move forward together, now is the time to guarantee that these new jobs uplift workers and their families—provide union scale wages, benefits, good healthcare, pensions, opportunities for children to thrive, good retirement and a fair shot at the California Dream—along with the many other rights that come with union membership.”
Liz Ortega-Toro, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of Alameda Labor Council, representing 35 unions with 135,000 workers, addressed unionization in clean energy industries head on: “In Alameda County, we have the Tesla factory in our backyard. Tesla owner Elon Musk, who is worth a staggering $150 billion, has been aggressively anti-union, and he even threatened to leave our state because of our commitment to protecting workers from coronavirus. We’re not going to allow billionaires like Musk to divide working people for their own profit or political gain.”
“Working in a refinery, it’s hard not to see the writing on the wall with the Prius, Tesla,
the Hummer and now the Ford F150 Lightning coming onto the market.” said Norman
Rogers, vice president of USW 675, who works at the Marathon Carson refinery in L.A. County.
“In California, every car sold after 2035 is to be an electric vehicle. We may have a decade to pivot into this, maybe less. But as labor leaders, we have the responsibility of looking out for our membership. I want to make sure there’s a plan to take care of those workers nearing retirement, those in mid-career and those just starting out, and the good news is there are about a million new jobs that lay ahead as we make this transition.”
Dr. Kelly Mayhew, a member of American Federation of Teachers 1931 and a professor at San Diego City College, commented: “California will need teachers, particularly at trade schools and community colleges, to prepare one million Californians for careers in nursing, public health, public planning, engineering and, of course, we’re looking at a gold rush of jobs in electrification, clean energy and retrofitting every building in our state. These are high skill jobs. These are union jobs! With the leadership of the labor movement here today, nobody is going to be left behind in California.”
The report was endorsed by: SEIU California, California Federation of Teachers, AFSCME 3299,
AFSCME Council 57, AFSCME UDW, SEIU 1021, SEIU 721, SEIU Nurse Alliance of California, SEIU United Service Workers West, USW 675, USW 5, Communication Workers of America District 9, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Local 21,
California Faculty Association–San Francisco State University Chapter, UAW 5810, UAW 2865, Unite Here Local 30, University Professional and Technical Employees-CWA 9119, Alameda Labor Council.
The full study, “A Program for Economic Recovery and Clean Energy Transition in California,” fact sheets of key findings and more is available at californiaclimatejobsplan.com.
