Green Shift and Labor Unions
Over the years unions have always existed from Cesar Chavez (United Farm Works) to Chris Smalls (Amazon Labor Union). Trends show that union membership has declined, however the support for unions have massively increased. This could be from the passive support through social media and technology the new generation is wielding. So this got me questioning, what are other ways unions have been changing?
A current problem in all industries is the warming of the Earth. Companies big and small are looking for ways to be more sustainable and adapt to that green energy. A great example is the auto industry. With the debut of electric vehicles and batteries this industry has been making a huge transition. This, of course, comes with its own share of problems. The United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America or the UAW is one of the United States most influential unions, including Ford, General Motors etc., and they're goals have also adapted to this shift. They're goals are to support workers, provide all workers with health insurance, while also developing a clear sustainable energy policy. Their message has been labeled interesting as they believe that this green transition is a way to provide Americans with more jobs. They want to bring people together to support both climate change and labor unions. EV parts require less workers then before, causing people to worry. So this made the UAW's goal to use this new technology to their benefit and not create a bigger gap between people.
Seeing how the auto industry is reacting to the changes in the physical condition of the Earth and how they are responding to these effects show that life is constantly moving. Everyone is constantly trying to improve and come up with new ideas. However, amidst the everchanging world unions have been and will continue to seek protection for workers.
This was such an interesting post! I love how you connected the green energy shift with labor unions, I honestly hadn’t thought about how EV production might affect workers. You explained it in a clear way, and bringing up the UAW made it feel relevant. It’s cool (and kind of hopeful) that unions like theirs are trying to balance sustainability with protecting jobs. Overall, great read!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed how you connected many of the concepts learned in APES with what we are learning right now. The burst of jobs and opportunities may have been thanks to the industrial revolution, which also led to a burst in fossil fuels.This issue remains a big question in today's world.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you used information that we didn’t discuss in class, or at least in the hour I am. I liked how you utilized a counter claim about the mixed data in the electric car industry where some factors say that it’s good but also the fact that workers still have to form labor unions in order to have good conditions and pay. The flow of the piece is really nice as you bring the ideas back to the main cause of ever-evolving unions.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you used outside info in your blog. Your take on Unions is unique and made me think of the relation between EV and unions in a different light.
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