Documents Sweeney, Sean 5 results

"Depending on whom you ask, hydraulic fracturing -commonly known as “fracking”-is either the harbinger of a new era of plentiful, cheap, clean energy or a mortal threat to health, safety, and the environment. The oil and gas industries have drastically expanded their use of this controversial practice during the past decade, and trade unions have taken stands on both sides of this issue. Supporters see fracking as a source of jobs and a driver of economic development while opponents argue that fracking is harmful to communities, dangerous for workers, and ecologically unsound. Most of the labor movement, however, has thus far remained on the sidelines of this important debate.

This study-Trade Unions for Energy Democracy's first working paper-provides the information trade unionists need to take a stand: an introduction to the shale gas industry and the movement which seeks to stop its expansion, an overview of unions' perspectives on the issue, and a consideration of whether unions should support a global moratorium on fracking. While the health and environmental consequences of fracking are not well understood, the evidence suggests that its risks are serious and unavoidable."

"For decades now, the world's governments have met with the stated goal of meeting the challenge of climate change with a global treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Years of talks have failed to bring about such an agreement. Faced with the enormous political and economic power of the fossil fuel industry, the world's governments have chosen the path of least resistance: inaction. Despite the science, despite available technology, and despite the moral clarity of the situation, greenhouse gasses continue to rise.

Trade unions have a critical role to play in getting us out of this impasse. We need a global movement demanding immediate and effective action on climate change. As hundreds of thousands of men and women from all walks of life prepare to converge on New York City for the People's Climate March, it is clear that such a movement is emerging. Workers and their unions can play a decisive role in making this movement diverse, vibrant, and effective, but in order to do so, we need to take stock of how unions have engaged in the politics of climate change—tactically, strategically, and programmatically.

In this Trade Unions for Energy Democracy working paper, Cornell University's Sean Sweeney provides an overview of the international labor movement's efforts to shape the proposed global climate treaty. The trade union staff and officials who have engaged in this process deserve praise for fighting the good fight to ensure that workers' interests are reflected in any agreement, but in the absence of an agreement, these efforts have had little concrete effect. While these activists are among labor's most important resources in this arena, the wisdom of an approach that focuses on working on the inside of a stalled process has come into question. Many trade unionists have called for mobilization of their members. They argue that outside pressure is what is needed, not inside lobbying. But more than a shift in tactics, what international labor needs is a new program. As Sweeney convincingly argues, It is only through social control of the energy system that unions can work for sustainable economy while protecting workers' rights, fighting privatization, reversing austerity, and defending public services."