Climate justice is worker justice

AFSCME Local 1072 member Rhonda Leneski speaks at AFL-CIO's "Climate, Equity & Jobs" convening in honor of Earth Day 2024 Heat is the leading cause of death among workers. Millions of U.S. workers are exposed to heat in their workplaces, both outdoors and indoors, and Black and Brown workers can be the ones hardest hit. The connection between labor, racial justice, and environmental justice was the theme of today's Climate, Equity & Jobs Convening hosted by AFL-CIO. The event discussed the challenges climate change has created for workers and the need for increasing federal funding to build a worker-friendly and sustainable green economy. “I have worked for 27 years to keep the dorms clean for the students," Rhonda Leneski, a member of AFSCME Local 1072 and housekeeper at the University of Maryland, said at the event. "Climate change has presented a new challenge to AFSCME members and the community. In my work, climate change has created worsening working conditions for myself and my coworkers caused by stress and heat.” Watch the recorded event » Taken from the Metro Washingto Council AFL-CIO