Students can’t learn and teachers can’t teach amidst budget cuts, little support, crumbling and unhealthy school buildings, and climate disasters.
Publicly funded, healthy, green investments can start to alleviate all of these crises at the same time - covering upfront costs for healthy renovations, renewable energy, and energy efficiency - swelling budgets to avoid cuts to critical resources and staff.
Last October 2023, the AFT passed a historic resolution for climate justice. The resolution did two major things:
(1) Demanded that President Biden declare a national climate emergency.
(2) Called on the union to mobilize its members to organize for federally funded green, healthy schools projects.
The AFT resolution was groundbreaking for the U.S. labor movement and shows how the labor, youth, and climate justice movements share a common goal where everyone can make a living, with healthy working conditions, and on a living planet!
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