Taking a step for the climate — without a march

Something big happened between the labor and climate change movements this month in Colorado. On September 8, more than 200 communities around the country participated in the Rise for Climate, Jobs and Justice. The headline event was a 30,000person march in San Francisco, with all the pageantry and noise you’d expect.

Here in Denver, we participated as well, but there were no banners, no dramatic floats, no march at all.

Instead, there were crucial conversations. And that could change everything.

Labor leaders understand the impacts of climate change. We know it’s real, it’s man made, it’s an existential threat to our planet and it’s here now. But we also know that the fastest and most equitable way to address climate change is for labor to be at the center of creating solutions that reduce emissions while investing in our communities so that we can maintain and create highwage union jobs.

It’s no secret, historically, there have been issues between labor and environmentalists. There have been a few transactional partnerships on specific issues, but distrust has remained. It’s understandable, as the climate movement is often focused on hastening a transition away from fossil fuels, while unions are concerned with the welfare of the workers whose livelihoods are on the line.

But last month, we sat down together for the Colorado Climate, Jobs and Justice Summit. And one after another, union members in this state told our stories. We talked about the importance of not only taking care of the climate, but also taking care of the workers and communities who currently depend on the fossil fuel industry. For many in the environmental community, it was the first time they had heard those stories, which highlighted that we cannot forget those who performed difficult and dangerous work to power America.

And in turn, it was the first time many workers got to interact facetoface with folks from the environmental movement and learn how diverse and compassionate its members could be.

I was a mediator for a decade before I joined the labor movement, and I’ve seen first hand the power of dialogue — real dialogue where people speak candidly and feel authentically listened to — to build relationships and achieve transformational results. I believe participants at both the individual and movement levels have started down the path to reaping the rewards of those conversations.

The vehicle for a lasting partnership between labor, environment, racial justice, economic justice, and faith groups already exists in the form of the Peoples Climate Movement, the coalition that organized the Rise events around the country. By providing us the opportunity to have this summit, the Peoples Climate Movement forced all of us in labor to take a hard look at how we want to approach the environmental space.

Do we want to spend our time blocking bills in the legislature that reduce carbon emissions and renewable energy? Or do we want to lead on ensuring we have a transition for fossil fuel dependent workers and create familysustaining, union jobs in the new green economy?

If all of the groups in this coalition commit to authentically listening and collaborating, the future possibilities for Colorado are enormous.

Imagine a comprehensive climate and jobs bill, one that makes Colorado a national leader in the fight for the environment and union jobs by putting hard, enforceable limits on carbon emissions while providing tangible relief for workers and their families, and expedited pathways to union jobs.

Things like wage insurance for workers in fossilfuel dependent industries, state policies for protecting the quality of schools and social services in communities that are dependent on that income, and meaningful retraining and job placement for workers in the new green economy can all be part of the answer.

Such a piece of legislation may feel like a pipe dream. But if we capitalize on our momentum, this could be a game changer.