Labor-Environmental Coalitions: Lessons from a Louisiana Petrochemical Region

Estabrook, Thomas

doi:10.2190/lec

Cited by 9 publications

(14 citation statements)

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“…Attempts to forge ties across these cross‐movement divides face challenges that are rooted in class and ideological differences that have historically generated conflict between the two movements. However, the inventory of successful attempts to build coalitions involving labor and environmental organizations in the United States continues to grow and is subsequently generating a new body of research (Estabrook 2007; Gould, Roberts, and Lewis 2003; Obach 2004; Rose 2000). When environmental organizations develop organizational ties with nontraditional allies such as labor, there is great potential for overcoming past political conflicts and regulatory roadblocks (Gottlieb 2005, Gordon 2004, Obach 2004).…”

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confidence: 99%

Cross‐Movement Coalition Formation: Bridging the Labor‐Environment Divide*

Mayer

2009

Sociological Inquiry

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Relations between the labor and environmental movements exist within a complex web of clashing interests, electoral politics, and attempts to form enduring blue‐green coalitions. Unions and other labor organizations are often portrayed as solely interested in economic growth. Environmental organizations are often seen as solely interested in preserving the natural world at the expense of economic growth, thus creating a direct conflict between the interests of labor and environmental organizations. Despite these perceived differences, efforts to bridge the divide between the two movements are increasingly common. This article examines the formation of a collective identity shared by workers and environmentalists participating in the coalition. I develop this argument through an ethnographic analysis of the formation of a blue‐green coalition, the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, using in‐depth interviews, observations, and content analyses. I demonstrate how coalition leaders and bridge brokers work to bridge and consolidate the identities of labor and environmental groups to campaign for environmental health regulatory changes in Massachusetts.

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confidence: 99%

Cross‐Movement Coalition Formation: Bridging the Labor‐Environment Divide*

Mayer

2009

Sociological Inquiry

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“…Studies find that workers, since they depend on their employers for jobs, can be blackmailed into supporting capital interests in industry (i.e., workers are under pressure to prioritize their individual interests over the collective union's interests), which potentially sets up an antagonistic relationship between labor and environmental groups (Kazis and Grossman 1982). Specific industrial sectors such as road construction and resource extraction often take the position that "environmentalism kills jobs" or support weak ecological modernization efforts, which is often in conflict with other union organizations that support environmental protection and blue-green coalition building (Estabrook 2007;Felli 2014;Rathzel and Uzzell 2011). This can encourage public leaders and the media to use "jobs versus the environment" rhetoric, even though research shows that environmental protection does not typically contribute significantly to job losses (Bell and York 2010;Freudenburg et al 1998;Matthews 2011;Kojola 2017).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is Labor Green?

2019

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In this article, we assess whether unionization of national workforces influences growth in national carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per capita. Political-economic theories in environmental sociology propose that labor unions have the potential to affect environmental conditions. Yet, few studies have quantitatively assessed the influence of unionization on environmental outcomes using cross-national data. We estimate multilevel regression models using data on OECD member nations from 1970 to 2014. Results from our analysis indicate that unionization, measured as the percentage of workers who are union members, is negatively associated with CO2 emissions per capita, even when controlling for labor conditions. This finding suggests that unionization may promote environmental protection at the national level.

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“…There is a long history in the social movement literature of looking at how coalitions form, examples of unexpected coalitions, and how such coalitions impact movements and their successes. So-called blue-green coalitions bridge gaps between labor and environmental activists [49][50][51]. Labor and environmental groups are often assumed to have contradictory ways of approaching industrial decision making and to reflect differing class interests, and, indeed, often end up on opposite sides of proposed regulatory reforms.…”

Section: The Flame Retardant Advocacy Coalitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Firefighters and Flame Retardant Activism

Cordner¹,

Rodgers²,

Brown³

et al. 2015

New Solut

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In the past decade, exposure to flame retardant chemicals has become a pressing health concern and widely discussed topic of public safety for firefighters in the United States. Working through local, state, and national unions and independent health and advocacy organizations, firefighters have made important contributions to efforts to restrict the use of certain flame retardants. Firefighters are key members in advocacy coalitions dedicated to developing new environmental health regulations and reforming flammability standards to reflect the best available fire science. Their involvement has been motivated by substantiated health concerns and critiques of deceptive lobbying practices by the chemical industry. Drawing on observations and interviews with firefighters, fire safety experts, and other involved stakeholders, this article describes why firefighters are increasingly concerned about their exposure to flame retardant chemicals in consumer products, and analyzes their involvement in state and national environmental health coalitions.

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Labor-Environmental Coalitions: Lessons from a Louisiana Petrochemical Region

Cited by 9 publications

References 0 publications

Cross‐Movement Coalition Formation: Bridging the Labor‐Environment Divide*

Cross‐Movement Coalition Formation: Bridging the Labor‐Environment Divide*

Is Labor Green?

Firefighters and Flame Retardant Activism

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