Kate helps Sierra Club fight for Green jobs and workers’ rights

Protecting workers' freedom of association is closely linked to efforts to protect the environment. Workers serve as the first line of defense against toxic pollution, chemical spills and other accidents that can devastate communities. Union workers are better trained to recognize the health and safety risks of hazardous chemicals and have greater protection to blow the whistle if accidents or other health risks arise in the workplace. Allowing workers the basic right to form a union and to play a greater role in the workplace is an essential component of building a green economy. The Economic Policy Institute estimates that $100 billion invested in public investments, like green jobs, would result in 100,000 unionized jobs in the United States.

May 6, 2009: The Sierra Club participated in a 24-hour vigil for the Employee Free Choice Act in downtown Los Angeles. Photo: Bill Corcoran/Sierra Club collection, all rights reserved.

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