Insight from the Equity In Focus Summit
On Thursday, September 22nd, The Worker Institute and the US Department of Labor Women’s Bureau co-hosted the Equity In Focus Summit: Job Creation for a Just Society. This was an in-person event held at the US Department of Labor in Washington, DC.
The program for the day began with four panels on different topics related to promoting racial and gender equity in the workplace. Panelists discussed how to battle the systemic devaluing of women’s work, how to increase investments in care jobs, and how to increase the number of women working in traditionally male-dominated careers like trades and construction
Erica Iheme, Deputy Director of Jobs to Move America (JMA), spoke about how to encourage women to join the green workforce. She noted that these jobs must not only be accessible to women but also have a welcoming environment. She stressed the importance of neutral reporting systems and unionization to give women a voice against racism, harassment, and bullying. She also noted that Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) and pre/post apprenticeship programs can be used to create job opportunities for women and BIPOC in the green jobs arena.
The day also featured remarks by Julie Su, Deputy Secretary of Labor; Joelle Gamble, US DOL Chief Economist; Marty Walsh, Secretary of Labor; Liz Shuler, President of the AFL-CIO; Douglas Emhoff, Second Gentleman of the United States, and others.
In the afternoon, participants attended workshops with the panelists to discuss avenues to achieving equity in the workplace. Attendees included labor and non-profit leaders from all across the nation who were each able to share their unique perspectives on the issues.
The green economy is rapidly expanding through huge booms in funding as well as manufacturing and industry opportunities. People from historically-underrepresented groups such as women and BIPOC need equitable access to the job opportunities that come with the green economy boom. In order to ensure a truly just green transition, work must be done intentionally to include these underrepresented groups. Events like the Equity in Focus Summit help to make sure that job access is a key part of the conversation moving forward.