This committee meets the first Monday of each month, other than June and July. New members welcomed.
Committee Members: Steve Holmes, Mike Parkinson, Tina Stevens.
Committee Members: Steve Holmes, Mike Parkinson, Tina Stevens.
Good Green Jobs Conference: April 21, 2012
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Jobs in
the
Used Resources Economy
Presentation to Green Jobs Conference April 21, 2012 by John Jackson 
Good Green Jobs Conference 2012
Plenary Session, Next Steps 1. Tour this conference Other Labour Councils Educational facilities (students readily available) 2. Political intervention is needed so employers provide a “Just Transition” for workers to transition them into green jobs. 3. Recognize the marketable skills of all including union activists. 4. Opportunity recognition - bring together employers and the unemployed. 5. Round Table – Beverly Thorpe, John Jackson and Jay Stanford (City of London, Environmental & Engineering Services Department). 6. Public control of the monetary structure. 7. Shift in Power and Politics. 8. Windsor a model for Green Job creation. 9. London and District Labour Council proposal to City of London regarding $100,000 –Internship for the Environment. Committee:Bernie Koenig, Ron Challis, George ?, Diane Szoller, Andrea ?, Ed B? Bill Thompson, Blue Green
Local Action to Build the Green Economy (Workshop D) Breakout Session (1 and 2) 
Power Point Presentations
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Good Green Jobs Conference 2012
London, Ontario What is a Good Green Job Anyway? By Angelo DiCaro and Ken Bondy Morning and Afternoon Workshop Workshop presenters, Angelo DiCaro and Ken Bondy asked participants to think critically about good green jobs by analyzing jobs named as “good green jobs” through a working class lens. To bring the point home, the presenters put participants through an activity where we looked at three jobs and we outlined the good and bad of each. Below are the three jobs with descriptions of their tasks. Recycler: A recycler helps recover materials for reuse or recycle. They usually work in a large open facility where trucks dump the recyclables that have been collected from residential or commercial areas. Lift trucks then dump the recyclables onto large conveyers and workers wearing gloves work in teams to sort plastics, metals, paper, glass, etc by hand and throw items into large designated containers. A recycler is expected to work quickly and possibly under conditions of hot and cold. There are no minimum educational requirements and pay is usually minimum wage. Software Developer: Green software developers are programmers who implement energy and resource saving techniques into computer applications. Fast-running software programs use less computer hardware and power resources. Other green practices you may implement include creating software programs that help reduce waste, such as the overuse of paper documents. To become a software developer, you need a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems or software engineering. Software developers earn $50,000 to $80,000 per year. Carpenter: In the green technology industry, carpentry is an important job. You are responsible for building the framing, baseboards, moldings or roofing on buildings or houses. You are expected to work quickly and efficiently in all areas of construction projects and work well with other building trades. This may require working on ladders, scaffolds and other heights. You will use a variety of hand and power tools including hammers, saws, drills and screw drivers. You may be required to work outside in a variety of weather conditions from extreme heat to extreme cold. Carpenter journeypersons earn $40,000 to $65,000 per year and are likely to be a member of a trade union. Below is what participants saw as the good and bad of each of the 3 jobs. 
The majority of our
group decided that the carpenter job was the most green as the materials used could be green, good environmental buildings could be constructed and it would most likely be a unionized job with good pay. The discussion among participants turned to what makes a good, green job. The power point presentation detailed Trends in Precarious Work showing the growing trend in part time and contract work affecting primarily Immigrants, women and youth and older workers. The Canadian Auto Workers did a tracking study of 3 work places that have closed and the study shows that only 25 per cent of those workers found a job and only a quarter of those found full time jobs. “We are at a crossroads of challenges,” the facilitators said. The final workshop exercise was to imagine where London would be in 10 years. Each participant put their thoughts down on a sticky. They included: 
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Much of the Great Lakes basin ecosystem has been lost, but what remains is vibrant. Great Lakes United formed to advocate for policies to protect water in the basin.
Reminder: Information Session on Proposed Changes to Great Lakes United's Bylaws
Join members of Great Lakes United's Board of Directors on a teleconference as they explain the rationale behind proposed bylaw changes, and answer your questions. Proposed Changes to the Bylaws: Information Session Monday, November 1 11:00am CDT / 12:00pm EDT 1-888-289-4573 776089# The Board of Directors is recommending changes to the bylaws to broaden the capacity of the board and reduce some of the limitations on who can join the board. Overall, they believe that this will broaden the perspective and skills of our Directors and strengthen Great Lakes United as an organization. Please join us for this special information session so you can learn more about how the Board of Directors came to these proposed changes, and ask questions. Information on how to vote using our online voting centre will be sent to you on Tuesday, November 2. Online voting will take place online on Monday November 8. Learn more at www.glu.org/meeting2010/bylaws. Donate Now Follow us @glunited Forward this email You are receiving this e-mail because you are an organizational member of Great Lakes United, and opted to receive notices from us at our website or on your membership form. Our mailing address is: Great Lakes United c/o Daemen College 4380 Main Street Amherst, New York 14226 Copenhagen police tackle 4,000-strong climate protest
On a day when NGOs were given limited access to the Copenhagen summit, protesters marched on the Bella centre to reclaim the climate debate back to the people most affected.
Click picture to view the video. |
Committee contact: Jim Mahon ~ jimahon@ody.ca
Proud Ontario Environment Network members http://oen.ca// The Ontario Environment Network (OEN) is a non-profit, non-governmental network coordinating the efforts of over 500 Ontario environmental groups working towards and promoting protection of the environment. Proud Great Lakes United members http://www.glu.org/ For over 25 years, Great Lakes United has been a unifying voice for ensuring a healthy and vibrant future for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River ecosystem. United Water’s Service Failures Indicative of Problems Suffered Under Privatized Utilities
Washington, D.C.—Billing problems, poor system maintenance, repair delays, workforce reductions and other cost-cutting measures are just some of the many problems plaguing United Water, reveals a new report released today by the national consumer advocacy group Food & Water Watch. Entitled United Water: Suez Environnement’s Poor Record in the United States , the report details how this subsidiary of the French corporation Suez Environnement, and the second-largest private operator of municipal water systems in the U.S. , compromises consumer and environmental safety at the expense of profits. “The many problems experienced by communities that have suffered under United Water’s so-called ‘service’ illustrate why the movement to stop the privatization of water is gaining momentum,” said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch. “While private water companies such as United Water often promise to improve the quality of aging, underfunded water systems, most communities find that their water service actually deteriorates under private control.” By taking over smaller municipal water systems, United Water has grown into the second-largest private provider of drinking and wastewater services in the U.S. As of 2009, the company served 7.2 million customers in 26 states. Yet expansion has come at a cost. Several municipalities, such as Atlanta , Ga. ; Milwaukee , Wis. ; Gary , Ind. ; and Gloucester , Mass. ended contracts with the company after suffering from maintenance backlogs, sewage spills, contaminated drinking water, workforce reductions and infrastructure problems. Privatized water systems often end up costing municipalities extra money in the form of fines for water quality violations and water loss, among other problems. Gary , Ind. , which terminated its contract with United Water earlier this year, expects to save $8 million a year under public operation of its water system. Ratepayers have also suffered financially under United Water’s service. North Brunswick , N.J. , cancelled its water contract with United Water in 2002, after customers there saw their bills increase by 100 to 200 percent. “Reliable public operation of water systems is the best way to ensure the integrity of these essential services. With many communities lacking funds to upgrade and maintain their water systems, the federal government should implement a dedicated source of funding so that all Americans can have access to safe, reliable, affordable drinking and wastewater services,” said Hauter. United Water: Suez Environnement’s Poor Record in the United States is available here: http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/water/report/united-water/ Contact: Kate Fried, Food & Water Watch: (202) 683-2500, kfried(at)fwwatch(dot)org |