Mourn for the Dead; Fight for the Living
On April 28, families and allies of 62 Massachusetts workers killed on the job in 2009 joined together at the State House in Boston to commemorate their loved ones. They also were there to demand action from Beacon Hill for legislation to protect workers from avoidable injuries and deaths- like the New Bedford chemical release that sent over 100 recycling plant and other workers to the hospital last August.
"Green Jobs" are seen as some of the lowest-paid and least safe, and this is likely to continue unless efforts like the GJC grow and build power to change the direction of the emerging green economy. See the rally video and read more below:
The gathering, an annual Day of Action for workers' rights, was organized by MassCOSH, the Greater Boston Labor Council and Massachusetts AFL-CIO. Each year, labor groups commemorate the founding of the US and Canadian occupational health and safety administrations by highlighting the struggles of working people for a safe workplace.
This year, the Boston event organizers brought several folks from one of the six recycling plants in New Bedford to testify to the unsafe conditions they face. Some had been among 117 workers hospitalized in a chemical explosion at ABC Disposal, Inc. last August. Community members reported that workers, mostly immigrants hired through a temp agency, had reported safety issues to management regarding handling of hazardous materials, but had been ignored.
This paradox--companies soliciting public funds by claiming to develop a green economy that's better for the environment, while exacerbating labor abuses of low-paid, often immigrant workers--highlights what can easily go wrong with "Green Jobs" if organizing efforts like the GJC aren't replicated broadly. In fact, already these jobs are seen as some of the most poorly paid and dangerous in the economy, as shown by the experience of the recycling workers. The recent infusion of local, state and federal tax dollars is aimed only at reaching climate goals, but we must use it to win a real leg up for people in our communities who have traditionally been left out. If not, we end up simply replacing an unjust economy with new ways to make life miserable for millions.
The diverse interests in this Coalition wouldn't stand much chance alone in the face of increasing corporate pressures on workers rights and health and environmental sustainability, but our solidarity has proven they can be advanced together. Making common cause across movements has been a strength of this Coalition effort since the beginning. Building on it, as these organizers are doing with often-vilified immigrant workers like the folks in New Bedford, makes our common goals of reshaping the economy in a just and sustainable direction all the more inevitable.
