Reclaiming Our Future: A Climate Jobs Agenda for the IAM

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IAM members are on the frontlines of the climate crisis. As global temperatures continue to rise due to human activity, workers must contend with deteriorating conditions on the jobsite and in their communities. In the last three years alone, dozens of IAM members have already seen their homes damaged or destroyed by climate-related weather events. Extreme heat and other threats make it more and more difficult for IAM members to carry out their work safely.

We are also entering a time of major change in the economy at large. Many of the IAM’s core industries—from aerospace and manufacturing, to healthcare and the federal government—are large energy consumers. As major employers look to implement new technologies and reduce emissions, IAM members are understandably wondering: What does this mean for me? How will my industry be affected?

Fortunately, the IAM has been proactive in addressing the climate crisis. IAM delegates passed climate resolutions at the union’s 2016 and 2022 conventions, calling on the union to take leadership in making industry more sustainable, creating high-quality union jobs, and expanding opportunities for members to gain the skills needed to thrive in a climate-safe economy. This report is a result of those efforts.

Combating climate change is a massive undertaking, but the IAM is poised to push for solutions that protect our planet while building union power. In order to prepare for the clean energy economy of the future, the IAM must understand the threats climate change poses to members and prepare for how it will affect core industries and geographies. The IAM must also have a plan to advocate for climate action that creates good, union jobs while preserving a bright future for the next generation.

Climate change is the rapid warming of the Earth's atmosphere and oceans that is changing weather patterns. Climate change is primarily driven by our use of fossil fuels to power homes, businesses, and transportation systems. Fossil fuels emit gasses, like carbon dioxide (CO2), that trap heat in the atmosphere and warm the planet. Since the pre-industrial era, human activities have increased atmospheric CO2 levels to concentrations not seen in over 2 million years.

Climate change increases health risks for workers across industries, especially those working outdoors or in unairconditioned facilities. Record temperatures and more frequent heat waves can lead to heat stress, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke. Extreme weather events such as hurricanes, floods, or wildfires, damage infrastructure, lead to operational delays, increase maintenance costs, and can cause stress, injury, or even death. Deteriorating air quality exacerbates respiratory diseases, affecting workers' health and productivity. Climate change threatens entire industries, which could cause unemployment and migration, disrupt labor markets, and reduce economic output. Working-class communities, people of color, and older workers, are disproportionately vulnerable to the health impacts of climate change.

Climate threats also impact industry. For example, in the aviation sector, record heat affects aircraft performance, reducing plane carrying capacity and even grounding flights. Similarly, the rail industry faces risks from temperature-related delays that could cost the U.S. rail network up to $60 billion by 2100. Railroads could be a cleaner and more efficient method of transporting goods and people. However, deteriorating safety standards and working conditions in the industry, caused by practices such as “precision scheduled railroading” (PSR), are obstacles to building a 21st-century rail network.

To tackle the climate crisis, we need to cut CO2 emissions drastically by 2030. By 2050, we must achieve "net-zero" emissions, which means that any remaining CO2 emissions are balanced out by removing an equivalent amount from the atmosphere. If we can meet these targets, we could limit global temperature rise to a level that can prevent the worst effects of climate change. Meeting our targets will require changing our energy, transportation, buildings, infrastructure, and industrial systems on an unprecedented scale. Emissions reduction will come from adopting renewable energy, enhancing energy efficiency, promoting low-emission transportation, developing resilient infrastructure, and introducing cleaner industrial processes. The adaptive measures listed below also have significant job creation potential.

● In the energy sector, shifting away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy, enhancing efficiency, and decarbonizing buildings and personal vehicles–is key. IAM members in manufacturing can make many of the machines needed to expand clean energy, while others in utilities can apply their skills to build, install, operate and maintain renewable energy systems.

● In transportation, developing sustainable aviation fuels, expanding electric and low carbon vehicles, massively expanding rail transportation, and decarbonizing rail and aerospace manufacturing are priorities. These new technologies create opportunities for IAM members in these industries to manufacture and maintain cleaner technologies.

● In the industrial sector, critical steps include improving energy efficiency through retrofits, introducing more sustainable business practices, increasing the use of renewable energy and low-carbon fuels, and deploying carbon capture, use, and storage technologies where appropriate.

● For the buildings sector, reducing emissions requires deep energy retrofits, decarbonization of heating/cooling, on-site renewable energy installations, and reducing carbon in construction materials. The healthcare sector, with its large, energy-intensive infrastructure, can lead by example on decarbonization.

● Government facilities like military bases must increase energy efficiency, deploy renewables and energy storage, decarbonize operations and vehicle fleets, and enhance resilience planning. The IAM's federal workers can support sustainable practices at military bases and other sites.

Our current moment provides new opportunities for climate action, with major investments and commitments at the federal, state, and local levels that include strong labor and equity standards. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is set to boost key industries, including renewable energy, electric vehicles (EVs), clean hydrogen, and advanced manufacturing. These industries are expected to create millions of jobs with strong labor standards. Investments in clean energy infrastructure alone could create up to 1.5 million jobs by the end of the decade, with the most generous subsidies going to projects that pay prevailing wages and use registered apprentices on the jobsite. The IRA has already stimulated new investments, with 123 new manufacturing facilities announced, representing over $35 billion in capital investment and supporting nearly 42,000 new manufacturing jobs.

Complementing the IRA, the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $550 billion into new projects to improve and modernize the nation’s infrastructure. This includes $102 billion for rail upgrades, $65 billion for clean energy transmission and grid improvements, $7.5 billion for building a network of EV chargers, and significant funds for public transit. These investments are expected to create many jobs in construction, engineering, and manufacturing, and they passed with strong union support.

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Photo Credit: Courtesy of the IAM