CJI Prepares Union Members to Testify Before Legislators
As legislative efforts heat up around the country, CJI is working with coalition partners to train union members to fight for climate action and union jobs.
On February 27th, CJI’s Melissa Shetler and Zach Cunningham, along with Tory Kaso from Climate Jobs NY, trained New York City union members to deliver compelling public testimony in front of the city council. Climate Jobs NY is currently running a legislative campaign calling on city leaders to invest in upgrading public school infrastructure to be carbon-free and healthy for students and staff. One major campaign element is mobilizing union members to speak directly with legislators in public forums.
Members of IBEW Local 3, Laborers Local 79, and the United Federation of Teachers gathered at the NYC Building and Construction Trades Council office to learn about the role public testimony plays in legislative hearings, look at examples of high-quality testimony, and draft their own testimony based on personal stories. Several people who underwent the training have already testified, sharing their stories with legislators and advocating for climate action in the city’s public schools.
In Maine, the Maine Labor Climate Council (MLCC) is pushing for significant investments in the state’s offshore wind industry. Currently, the Maine legislature is considering two bills: one to invest in offshore wind procurement and another to upgrade the state’s port facilities to service the offshore wind industry. MLCC wants the legislature to include strong labor protections in the legislation, and union members are joining the fight.
On April 26th and May 4th, Shetler and Cunningham facilitated two separate public testimony training sessions for Maine trade unionists. Several MLCC staff members also joined to facilitate portions of the training. Participants attended virtually to learn more about the legislation and craft their own testimonies.
At the first session, one member shared that he often has to travel to Massachusetts for work because there are not enough union construction projects in Maine. He argued that building the state’s offshore wind industry would provide an important clean energy source while also allowing Mainers to work high-quality, union jobs in their own backyards.
On May 9th, several participants joined a legislative committee meeting and shared their testimonies. In the coming days and weeks, participants will be able to refine their testimony with MLCC staff and continue preparing for future speaking opportunities in front of Maine state legislative committees.
CJI will continue to work with coalition partners nationwide to build capacity amongst union members and leaders to win campaigns for climate action and union job creation.