Climate Justice Session Encourages Member-Lead Green Initiatives

Early on the third day of the APWU All Craft Conference, APWU Executive Vice President Debby Szeredy hosted a climate justice session for APWU members who are interested in addressing climate change at their postal installations and in their communities. Szeredy opened the meeting by encouraging attendees to talk to members at their locals and state union organizations and at conventions. The more people who are interested, the more effective the APWU can be in enacting climate initiatives.

The first order of business was to discuss the new APWU website. The website recently underwent a new facelift, including the Climate Justice page. Attendees learned how to navigate the new website, heard a presentation on the mission of the Climate Justice Network that the APWU is part of, and watched a video to learn more. Participants also heard about management’s commitment to postal workers in terms of climate justice.

Next, the attendees discussed ways to get involved in helping the environment in their postal installations and through their local and state unions. One way is to start local climate justice committees. Holding regular meetings and making plans for new green initiatives at work is an effective way to help move environmental projects forward.

Scott Adams, president of APWU Local 458 from Maine, shared how he had tried to help build electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at post offices but found resistance because of the weather in Maine. Instead, he started pushing for the installation of solar panels on the rooftops of postal buildings. So far, three installations have installed solar panels!

Next, APWU National Safety Specialist Don Barron spoke about how his role can help locals advance green initiatives. He said that climate issues are safety issues. For example, last year, during a wildfire, some APWU locals filed PS Form 1767s to report hazards, unsafe conditions, or practices to make sure their management team was providing personal protective equipment (PPE) and filters. Barron said that establishing a joint labor-management safety and health committee before you need one is key and invited members to contact him if they want to get started.

Szeredy closed the meeting out by reiterating that no matter the size of your local, the best way to get started is to just start talking about climate justice initiatives and organize a committee based on who is interested. Then, it is simply taking small, actionable steps to make big changes at your local level. When we all pitch in together, we can make a change for the better for our environment.