Voices For A Sustainable Future Inc

VOICES FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE AND THE LABOR NETWORK FOR SUSTAINABILITY (LNS) WAS FOUNDED ON THE BELIEF THAT ALIGNING THE LABOR AND CLIMATE MOVEMENTS AROUND AN AGENDA THAT CONFRONTS THE CLIMATE CRISIS AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE WOULD ADVANCE THE GOALS OF BOTH MOVEMENTS AND OFFER THE BEST HOPE FOR AVERTING THE MOST CATASTROPHIC CONSEQUENCES OF CLIMATE CHANGE. OUR MISSION IS TO ENGAGE WORKERS AND COMMUNITIES IN BUILDING A TRANSITION TO A SOCIETY THAT IS ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE AND ECONOMICALLY JUST.

LONG-TERM GOALS ARE TO: -SUPPORT THE LABOR MOVEMENT TO BECOME A LEADING FORCE FOR A JUST TRANSITION TO A REGENERATIVE ECONOMY, BY BUILDING AND ADVANCING A CLIMATE ACTION PROGRAM OF ITS OWN. -SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTALISTS AND OTHER CLIMATE LEADERS TO UNDERSTAND: 1) LABOR'S IMPORTANCE TO THE SUCCESS OF THE CLIMATE MOVEMENT, TO RESTORE DEMOCRACY AND TO REDUCE INEQUALITY; 2) HOW CENTRAL WORK IS TO PEOPLE'S LIVES; 3) THAT GOOD JOBS ARE AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF A JUST TRANSITION. -BUILD BRIDGES AND DEEP RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE LABOR AND CLIMATE MOVEMENTS AND HELP THEM ENGAGE TOGETHER IN RISING TO THE CHALLENGES OF THE CURRENT CLIMATE CRISIS. JUST TRANSITION LISTENING PROJECT THE NEED FOR A LARGE-SCALE JUST TRANSITION FOR WORKERS AND COMMUNITIES HAS NEVER BEEN MORE URGENT. IN APRIL 2020 ALONE, MORE THAN 30 MILLION WORKERS APPLIED FOR UNEMPLOYMENT. MANY FACE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THEY WILL NEVER GO BACK TO THEIR PREVIOUS JOBS. THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC AND THE ECONOMIC CRISIS DEVELOPING AS A RESULT OFFER AN IMPORTANT BAROMETER OF WHETHER AND HOW WE ARE PREPARED SOCIALLY, POLITICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY FOR MASSIVE CHANGES TO OUR ECONOMY. THE SHIFT TO A GREEN ECONOMY WE NEED IN ORDER TO CONFRONT THE CLIMATE CRISIS WILL REQUIRE ECONOMIC SHIFTS ON A SIMILAR SCALE. ON MAY 27, 2020, THE LABOR NETWORK FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND PARTNERS LAUNCHED THE JUST TRANSITION LISTENING PROJECT, KICKING OFF THE PANDEMIC, THE ECONOMIC CRISIS AND JUST TRANSITION, FEATURING RENOWNED LINGUIST, HISTORIAN AND PHILOSOPHER NOAM CHOMSKY AND ECONOMIC EXPERTS THEA LEE, PRESIDENT OF THE ECONOMIC POLICY INSTITUTE AND ROBERT POLLIN, CO-DIRECTOR OF THE POLITICAL ECONOMY RESEARCH INSTITUTE. MARIA CASTANEDA, LNS BOARD MEMBER, SECRETARY-TREASURE OF 1199 SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL-UNITED HEALTHCARE WORKERS EAST GAVE THE OPENING REMARKS.