Climate Change, Younger Workers and Sustainable Good Green Jobs 

Resolution Presented to the 
AFL-CIO Convention in Bend, Oregon, October 2009 


WHEREAS the national AFL-CIO passed at its 2009 convention a resolution aimed at 
bringing younger workers into the labor movement at the national, state and local levels, 
and encouraging the leadership development of younger union members throughout the 
country (Resolution 55); and 

WHEREAS the national AFL-CIO also passed a resolution calling on the labor movement to 
help address climate change by supporting the creation and maintenance of sustainable 
good green jobs (Resolution 10); and 

WHEREAS addressing global climate change, protecting our environment and achieving 
energy independence are critical to the economic, environmental and security interests of 
the United States; and 

WHEREAS America must lead a technological revolution in the way energy is generated and 
used. This must occur through massive investments in labor enhancing technologies and 
energy efficiency. We need a strong political leadership and a new industrial policy that 
includes environmental and economic development in order to guarantee that such 
investments are made in the United States, resulting in sustainable good green jobs within 
the United States; and 

WHEREAS the "Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change" report from 2006 stated 
that "our actions over the coming few decades could create risks of major disruption to 
economic and social activity, later in this century and in the next, on a scale similar to those 
associated with the great wars and the economic depression of the first half of the 20th 
century. And it will be difficult or impossible to reverse these changes."; and 

WHEREAS 18-to-35-year-olds make up a quarter of the AFL-CIO union membership; and 

WHEREAS younger workers are twice as likely to be unemployed as the overall population: 
while the overall unemployment rate is 9.7 percent, 18 percent of workers under 35 cannot 
find work. Younger people of color face even worse indicators: the jobless rate soars to 27.3 
percent for younger African American workers and 21.3 percent for Hispanic workers; and 

WHEREAS employment, income and benefits have fallen sharply for younger workers over 
the past decade. These trends are even worse for the growing share of younger workers 
with incomes of less than $30,000 a year; and 

WHEREAS providing new education and economic opportunities in growing sectors such as 
sustainable good green jobs supports a sustainable future for younger workers; and 

WHEREAS unions are in an ideal position to build a green economy and sustain an 
infrastructure that closes the gaps in income, wealth, health, security and opportunity 
across the U.S.; and 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Oregon AFL-CIO and its affiliate unions shall work to 
enact Federal and state legislation on Climate Change that reflects our goals of putting our 
unemployed members to work through the creation of good family wage jobs with benefits, 


building pathways out of poverty, and providing opportunities for people of color, women 
and youth; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oregon AFL-CIO and its affiliate unions shall support 
economic opportunities and robust job training programs which provide pathways out of 
poverty, and specifically target people of color, women and youth; and 

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Oregon AFL-CIO position itself as a national leader on 
these issues by convening a summit of affiliate unions, member activists, and community 
partners on the subject of sustainable good green jobs, pathways out of poverty, and 
engaging more people of color, women and youth. This gathering will work to develop the 
Oregon AFL-CIO's strategy and deepen its commitment to these issues. 

Submitted by: 
Molly Chidsey, AFSCME Local 3580 
Rosalyn Greene, AFSCME Local 350 
Michael Hanna, AFSCME Local 88