Trade Unions For Energy Democracy

Trade Unions for Energy Democracy (TUED) convened an International Discussion on Union Strategy and Policy, April 3rd and 4th at the Educational and Cultural Trust Fund’s Long Island Education Center and April 5th, 6th and 7th at the Pocantico Center of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. In addition to Local 3 Business Manager Christopher Erikson and Education & Cultural Fund Director Michael Yee, there were union representatives from IBEW Local 11, California, New Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Netherlands, Nepal, Canada, Mexico, Italy, South Africa, South Korea, Philippines, India, Geneva, Norway, Australia, Germany and Great Britain. During the week of discussions, the group deliberated on President Trump’s enthusiastic support for pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement and how to develop an effective strategy to combat him and other like-minded world leaders; while working towards creating a transformative shift in energy production and consumption to meet the challenges in the U.S. and around the globe.
Presentations were made by several of the representatives about the state of energy production in their country, as well as special guest speakers from Labor Network for Sustainability, Sierra Club, 350.org, National Resources Defense Council, Moving Beyond Oil Campaign and Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. Each of them provided the group with relevant information on the impact of policies in the energy sector and fostered stimulating conversation about various approaches to tackle the challenges. The TUED conveners, Sean Sweeney, John Treat, Irene Shen and Stefanie Ehmsen guided the conversation, providing the group with leadership for framing the resultant ideas into cohesive proposals.
About TUED:
Trade Unions for Energy Democracy (TUED) is a global, multi-sector initiative to advance democratic direction and control of energy in a way that promotes solutions to the climate crisis, energy, poverty, the degradation of both land and people, and responds to the attacks on workers’ rights and protections.
It has become increasingly clear that the transition to an equitable, sustainable energy system can only occur if there is a decisive shift in power towards workers, communities and the public. The goals of the project are:
Help build and strengthen a global trade union community for energy democracy. TUED is a platform for trade unions from all sectors and countries to debate, develop and promote real solutions to the climate crisis, land grabs, energy, poverty, and pollution generated by fossil fuels ‰ÛÓ solutions that can build unions, worker and community power, and advance social and environmental justice.
Develop high-impact union educational materials, distribute an electronic bulletin, and convene meetings and working retreats that encourage debate and help create a shared analysis of key energy and climate issues.
Connect the energy democracy agenda to union struggles and campaigns in ways that build broad membership engagement, increase worker power and facilitate solidarity across movements that share similar goals.