https://socialistaction.org/2017/01/26/connecticut-activists-demand-100-renewable-energy-and-jobs/
Connecticut activists demand 100% renewable energy, jobs and justice
/ 12 hours ago
jan-2017-connecticutBy SUSAN ROGERS
“To Change Everything, It Takes Everyone!” Under this mantra of the new
climate justice movement, 400 Connecticut activists joined a “March for
Jobs, Justice, and a Livable Earth” on Dec. 3. Picket signs carried the
slogans voted up by the planning committee and included: Emergency
Transition to 100% Renewable Energy Grid! Mass Electrified Transit for
All! No to the Fracked Gas Buildout! No to Environmental Racism! No to
the State Budget Cuts! and Yes to Jobs & Justice!
The event broke new ground for the climate movement in the state,
garnering significant union endorsement and the participation of some of
the newest strikers from the Hartford Fight for Fifteen.
The speaker’s platform and march route demonstrated the organizers’ goal
of making concrete the relationship of the fight to halt runaway climate
change and the struggles for jobs and racial justice. For example, at
the kickoff rally of the event, activists heard from John Harrity, the
president of the state machinists’ council, who spoke of the
contribution workers can make to building a fossil-fuel-free world.
Bishop John Selders, of Moral Majority CT, a group well-known for
actions against police brutality, educated the crowd about the power of
the Black radical tradition and the need for social movements to learn
this history.
The first stop on the march was Union Station, a train and bus depot,
where Mustafa Salahuddin, the president of the Bridgeport, Conn.,
Transit Workers Local 1336, spoke of his union’s commitment to fight for
green mass transit for all. At TD Bank, activists expressed solidarity
with the water protectors and veterans at Standing Rock.
At the Main St. Burger King franchise, Vanessa Rodriquez, a Dunkin’
Donuts worker who was arrested in the recent Fight for 15 day of action,
explained why she had chosen to sit down in the street. “I did it
because we are all strong together. Whether it is the Fight for 15,
climate change, or immigration, if we stand together we will win!”
Although the protest was launched by the usual trinity of the most
active state climate organizations—that is, 350 CT, the Connecticut
Sierra Club, and the Interreligious Eco-Justice Network—organizers
hammered away in the call on the need for a climate movement that was
linked to the everyday struggles of working people. The call began, “The
fight to preserve our planet and halt climate warming is inextricably
tied to the struggle for all the other elements of a decent human life:
jobs, health, equality, and justice.”
The drive for endorsements was accompanied by more language about this
commitment and said: “The climate movement stands ready to cam-paign
with the labor movement, the Movement for Black Lives, Native Americans,
climate refugees, immigrant communities, environmental jus—tice
activists, conservationists, and other community movements for a massive
program of good green jobs and a turn to focusing on the needs of people
over fossil fuel profits.”
Immigrant rights activists who were approached about participating in
the march asked for more explicit attention to the threat hanging over
them of more deportations, and the 350 chapter voted to add that the
march was not only against environmental racism but would “Stand with
Immigrants and Climate Refugees.”
In the end, the protest was endorsed by not only a large number of local
climate action and peace groups, but also by the Connecticut chapter of
the National Association of Social Workers, and by four major state
labor organizations. The latter included the State Council of
Machinists, the Amalgamated Transit Union, the Greater Connecticut Area
Local of the American Postal Workers Union, and the Connecticut UAW Cap
Council.
The increased willingness of labor unions to endorse local climate
actions is likely based, in part, on the opening created when many
national AFL-CIO affiliates openly bucked the reactionary position on
Standing Rock that was expressed by the federation president, Richard
Trumka. But the now daily media coverage of the growing evidence that
catastrophic change is inevitable without drastic encroachments on the
prerogatives of big business is also having its impact on the ranks of
the labor movement.
All this speaks to the potential of the April 29 People’s Climate March
in Washington, D.C., to put hundreds of thousands of working people in
the streets and to kick off a new wave of organizing the unorganized
millions who are ready to fight for a decent life in an unpolluted world.
Photo: Courtesy of Connecticut Sierra Club.
Share this:
Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
January 26, 2017 in Connecticut, Environment.
Related posts
Boston climate march built solidarity
Climate activists call for end to fossil fuels
Join the People’s Climate March
Post navigation
← Can capitalism liberate women?
Say no to discrimination against Muslims! →
Get Involved!
Donate to help support our work
Get email updates
Join Socialist Action
Newspaper Archives
Newspaper Archives Select Month January 2017 (11) December 2016 (12)
November 2016 (19) October 2016 (12) September 2016 (10) August 2016
(10) July 2016 (14) June 2016 (14) May 2016 (9) April 2016 (12)
March 2016 (14) February 2016 (8) January 2016 (11) December 2015
(11) November 2015 (9) October 2015 (8) September 2015 (10) August
2015 (7) July 2015 (13) June 2015 (9) May 2015 (10) April 2015 (12)
March 2015 (9) February 2015 (11) January 2015 (10) December 2014
(12) November 2014 (11) October 2014 (9) September 2014 (6) August
2014 (10) July 2014 (11) June 2014 (10) May 2014 (11) April 2014
(10) March 2014 (9) February 2014 (11) January 2014 (11) December
2013 (10) November 2013 (11) October 2013 (17) September 2013 (13)
August 2013 (10) July 2013 (11) June 2013 (15) May 2013 (14) April
2013 (14) March 2013 (12) February 2013 (10) January 2013 (17)
December 2012 (7) November 2012 (8) October 2012 (19) September 2012
(2) August 2012 (27) July 2012 (18) June 2012 (3) May 2012 (19)
April 2012 (14) March 2012 (17) February 2012 (19) January 2012 (17)
December 2011 (3) November 2011 (33) October 2011 (14) September
2011 (13) August 2011 (34) July 2011 (24) June 2011 (19) May 2011
(19) April 2011 (15) March 2011 (15) February 2011 (16) January 2011
(15) December 2010 (17) November 2010 (1) October 2010 (6) September
2010 (3) August 2010 (8) July 2010 (7) June 2010 (2) May 2010 (9)
April 2010 (3) March 2010 (8) February 2010 (3) January 2010 (9)
December 2009 (6) November 2009 (5) October 2009 (16) September 2009
(3) August 2009 (2) July 2009 (5) June 2009 (2) May 2009 (7) April
2009 (6) March 2009 (16) February 2009 (9) January 2009 (10) December
2008 (11) November 2008 (8) October 2008 (16) September 2008 (14)
August 2008 (18) July 2008 (12) June 2008 (3) May 2008 (2) April
2008 (3) March 2008 (14) February 2008 (11) January 2008 (11)
December 2007 (8) November 2007 (1) July 2007 (1) June 2007 (1)
April 2007 (1) March 2007 (1) February 2007 (3) December 2006 (11)
November 2006 (11) October 2006 (13) September 2006 (15) August 2006
(11) July 2006 (18) June 2006 (7) May 2006 (14) April 2006 (6) March
2006 (14) February 2006 (5) January 2006 (2) December 2005 (9)
November 2005 (8) October 2005 (13) September 2005 (12) August 2005
(9) July 2005 (16) June 2005 (16) May 2005 (16) April 2005 (12)
March 2005 (14) February 2005 (19) January 2005 (15) December 2004
(14) November 2002 (17) October 2002 (19) September 2002 (22) August
2002 (21) July 2002 (15) May 2002 (21) April 2002 (21) February
2002 (15) January 2002 (15) December 2001 (17) October 2001 (24)
September 2001 (18) July 2001 (19) June 2001 (18) October 2000 (17)
September 2000 (21) August 2000 (19) July 2000 (16) June 2000 (26)
May 2000 (21) April 2000 (22) March 2000 (28) February 2000 (18)
January 2000 (20) December 1999 (20) November 1999 (26) October 1999
(25) September 1999 (18) August 1999 (40) July 1999 (38) June 1999
(24) May 1999 (27) April 1999 (25) March 1999 (26) February 1999
(29) January 1999 (24) July 1998 (12)
Search
View socialistactionusa’s profile on Facebook
View SocialistActUS’s profile on Twitter
View SocialistActionCT’s profile on YouTube
Subscribe to Our Newspaper
Upcoming Events
No upcoming events
Category Cloud
Actions & Protest Africa Anti-War Arts & Culture Black Liberation Canada
Caribbean Civil Liberties Cuba East Asia Economy Education & Schools
Elections Environment Europe Immigration Indigenous Rights International
Labor Latin America Latino Civil Liberties Marxist Theory & History
Middle East National Oppression Police & FBI Prisons South Asia
Uncategorized Vote Socialist Action Women's Liberation
View Calendar
Blog at WordPress.com.
