The Big 3 said electric vehicle worker protections were “impossible” – now they are becoming reality
Banner reads “”Big 3: Fair Contract Now for UAW Auto Workers”.
The Big 3 said electric vehicle worker protections were “impossible” – now they are becoming reality
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 6, 2023)–“We just won a just transition at General Motors,” UAW President Shawn Fain tweeted today in celebration of GM’s commitment to include battery production under the UAW’s national master agreement. In response, Ben Smith, Senior Climate Campaigner at Greenpeace USA, said: “Today is proof that when workers leverage their power – and the climate movement has their back – we can win a green and just future for all. They told us that this was impossible, but with the stroke of a pen, General Motors committed to making its electric vehicle jobs also good-paying, union jobs. This is a precedent-setting victory that could cascade through the rest of the auto industry and ignite a thousand new fights for a just transition in the broader clean energy revolution to follow. The UAW is putting on a masterclass of how to battle corporate greed, win big, and along the way build stronger movements united across issues.
“Let this be the death of the old tired jobs v. environment debate. The UAW is proving we can have good union jobs, economic prosperity, and tackle the climate crisis head on if we are willing to fight for it together. And this is only the beginning. When we stand together, we are unstoppable. Now, the fight continues to win a fair contract for all workers at the Big 3.”
Greenpeace USA is co-convening a national Day of Action tomorrow, Saturday, October 7 to mobilize our supporters alongside some of the nation’s largest climate and environmental groups to UAW picket lines and Big 3 car dealerships. Chief Program Officer Tefere Gebre is available for interviews and will be handing out fliers to the public at Koons Ford of Silver Spring between 3-4 pm EST (3111 Automobile Blvd # 1, Silver Spring, MD 20904), in response to the call from the UAW to set up “community canvasses” to turn up the pressure on the Big 3’s branded auto dealerships nationwide.
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Contact: Katie Nelson, Greenpeace USA Senior Communications Specialist, [email protected], +1 (678) 644-1681
Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.
