Policy Whiplash: Checking In With Labor Unions

Climate One

News, Social Sciences, News Commentary, Science, Earth Sciences

4.7 • 583 Ratings

🗓️ 19 September 2025

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The past few years have seen a seismic shift in energy and industrial policy in the United States. Under Biden, laws like the Inflation Reduction Act led to money pouring into clean energy manufacturing and deployment. The Trump administration has reversed course, cutting off incentives in instituting massive tariffs. As a result, entire clean energy projects have been put on hold or even canceled. Workers who were counting on those projects now face an uncertain future. This situation forces tough questions for unions: Where do they go from here? Guests: Roxanne Brown, Vice President at Large, United Steelworkers Lee Anderson, Director of Governmental Affairs, Utility Workers Union of America Lara Skinner, Executive Director, Climate Jobs Institute, Cornell University Episode Highlights: 00:00 Intro 3:46 Roxanne Brown on the origins of USW’s environmental advocacy 5:50 Roxanne Brown on the effects of climate workers are feeling today 14:25 Roxanne Brown on how energy policy has affected USW members 18:45 Roxanne Brown on climate messaging within USW 24:16 Lee Anderson on the jobs of utility workers 25:41 Lee Anderson on how climate has affected the safety of workers 30:54 Lee Anderson on UWUA’s input on current federal policy 40:15 Lara Skinner on what sparked a worker centered agenda on climate policy 42:36 Lara Skinner on the ups and downs of Climate Jobs New York’s work 48:57 Lara Skinner on creating state based coalitions For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org. *** Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today. Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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1:02.6	it's about energy, right? Yeah, yeah. So our buddy Austin, who's on the show, sound engineer,
1:08.6	producer, sent me a video that i wanted to play you of an old
1:15.2	union protest song you ready okay yeah hit it come gather around children it's high time he learns
1:24.5	about a hero named hom Homer and a devil named Burns
1:29.3	We'll march to we drop the girls and the fellas
1:35.3	We'll fight till the death or else fold like umbrellas
1:41.3	So we'll march day and night by the big cooling tower.
1:48.0	They have the plant, but we have the power.
	...

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