Chicago teachers have won contract language around climate and environmental justice, and the Labor Network for Sustainability is partnering with the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) to amplify these victories.

Their victory is not only a huge win for Chicago teachers, students, and families, but it also shows how labor leads on climate action and helps build community power and sustainability. Our current moment of continual Trump shocks, Wall St. & billionaire economic shocks, public health shocks, and climate shocks is especially dangerous for public institutions. If we allow the public sector to erode, then we won’t be able to handle the climate crisis or much else. Public sector resilience means community resilience, and a fighting public sector labor movement gives us that chance at the local, state, and federal levels.

CTU members, and a leadership who listens, have made climate justice a critical priority among their other critical priorities. They’ve done an exemplary job of making the connections between healthy working conditions and environmental health, and have built powerful bridges with their neighbors in frontline community organizations. CTU is provides a model of how to organize and educate on these issues within labor.

If your union or organization wants to join in lifting up the CTU victories in the press and on social media, leading up to the webinar event right before Earth Day, please use this form to be a co-sponsor in this effort: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1yH5pMqO6_oJt72aSh3f7NVP_XlLMPtrxU3WSE_h5AcA/edit

We look forward to seeing you on the webinar on Monday, April 21, 2025!