IWW EUC Report for the June 2024 San Francisco Bay Area IWW General Membership Branch Meeting

By x344543 - IWW Eco Union Caucus, June 6, 2024

I. May 24 (Judi Bari Day).

A. History - On May 24, 1990, Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney (both members of the IWW and Earth First!) were the victims of an assassination attempt when a bomb, planted in Bari’s automobile exploded while they were driving through Oakland. The Oakland Police and FBI claimed that the bomb was theirs (Bari’s and Cherney’s), and that the two were knowingly transporting it for the purpose of engaging in “an act of ecoterrirism”. This was, of course, completely false, and the two would later be exonerated, and would win a $4 million+ lawsuit in 2002 against both agencies for violating their civil rights (though Bari had passed away in 1997 due to cancer). The City of Oakland would later declare May 24 as “Judi Bari Day” (but doesn’t do anything to mark the day).

B. Background - for a detailed history of our late Fellow Worker, the following sources provide useful information:

• https://ecology.iww.org/term/JudiBari
• https://judibari.info/
• https://judibari.org/
• https://youtu.be/HWApxvSjMKY?si=iGPkG5Zfa1aYMhMY

C. WISERA IWW Convention - At the invitation of the WISERA Environmental Committee, I gave a presentation on Judi Bari’s IWW organizing. It was a bit scattered at first, but ultimately well received. It was recorded, but I don’t have a copy of the video yet, so I can’t share it, but I will once it’s made available.

D. Memory Against Forgetting - Long time Bay Area Earth First!er, Karen Pickett, was interviewed by the Green and Red Podcast, and she gave an excellent overview of Judi Bari’s Earth First! / IWW organizing. It’s well worth a listen: Memory Against Forgetting: The Story of Judi Bari w/ Earth First!er Karen Pickett https://greenandredpodcast.org/2024/05/22/memory-against-forgetting-the-story-of-judi-bari-w-earth-firster-karen-pickett/

E. Marking the Moment - I attended the annual “Marking the Moment” Judi Bari Day event, where her comrades gather to keep her organizing and wisdom alive. I was the sole (currently active) dues paying IWW member present, though there were some other former members there. I was able to provide some of the IWW contextual history, which was well received (by a crowd of approximately 20).

F. It’s Going Down Podcast - There is a possibility that IGD will interview me about Judi Bari, but details are still being worked out. I will let you know more if and when it happens.

II. No Coal in Oakland

A. Background - In 2016, the Bay Area IWW became one of 21 Bay Area unions to oppose coal exports through a proposed Bulk Oversized Terminal being constructed in the Port of Oakland. (Details here: https://nocoalinoakland.info)

B. Proposal - The holding company responsible for the proposed project is trying to sue the City of Oakland for damages (lost profits, really), and the organizations and unions that endorsed the “No Coal in Oakland” campaign are being asked to reaffirm their support. Please see my proposal under “New Business” for this item.

III. Bay Area and California Green Unionism

A. SB 252 - This proposed legislation will require CalPERS and CalSTRS to divest from fossil fuels. It has support from several unions, though the CalPERS and CalSTRS boards are resistant.

B. Polluter Pays (SB 1497) - This will require fossil fuel capitalists to pay reparations to communities that are adversely affected by pollution and climate change. It has both union support (primarily SEIU) and opposition (some Building Trades, likely due to the latter’s close association to the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA), a fossil fuel capitalist lobbying group).

C. Clean Up Orphan Wells (AB 1866) - this bill has gained support from the unions affiliated with California Labor for Climate Jobs (see “E”, below), including various United Steelworkers (USW) locals, because of its potential for job creation.

D. Save the Setbacks Law (SB 1137) - SEIU 1021 has published a web page in support of it - https://www.seiu1021.org/article/fall-vote-yes-keep-oil-wells-out-your-neighborhoods

E. California Labor for Climate Jobs - This coalition formed out of the unions that initially endorsed the “California Climate Jobs Plan” - https://www.californiaclimatejobsplan.com/ . They are mostly concerned with lobbying the California State Government at this point. Details here: https://calaborforclimatejobs.org/.

F. Floating Offshore Wind - on May 16, I attended the Department of Energy “Windshot” summit. In short, while there’s a lot of back-patting by the Biden Administration, they are at least publicly acknowledging that these projects cannot be built without union, environmentalist, and indigenous support. Details here: Biden-Harris Administration Celebrates Progress in Domestic Floating Offshore Wind - https://cleantechnica.com/2024/05/16/biden-harris-administration-celebrates-progress-in-domestic-floating-offshore-wind/

G. Gaza / Student Occupations - There is growing union support for a ceasefire, the student occupations, and BDS, including among workers who create, design, build, and engineer the weapons used in Israel’s ongoing campaign of genocide. This bodes well not only for ending decades long oppression of Palestine, but workers taking a stand against ecological destruction and fossil fuel extractivism:

III. Bay Area and California Green Unionism

A. SB 252 - This proposed legislation will require CalPERS and CalSTRS to divest from fossil fuels. It has support from several unions, though the CalPERS and CalSTRS boards are resistant.

B. Polluter Pays (SB 1497) - This will require fossil fuel capitalists to pay reparations to communities that are adversely affected by pollution and climate change. It has both union support (primarily SEIU) and opposition (some Building Trades, likely due to the latter’s close association to the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA), a fossil fuel capitalist lobbying group).

C. Clean Up Orphan Wells (AB 1866) - this bill has gained support from the unions affiliated with California Labor for Climate Jobs (see “E”, below), including various United Steelworkers (USW) locals, because of its potential for job creation.

D. Save the Setbacks Law (SB 1137) - SEIU 1021 has published a web page in support of it - https://www.seiu1021.org/article/fall-vote-yes-keep-oil-wells-out-your-neighborhoods

E. California Labor for Climate Jobs - This coalition formed out of the unions that initially endorsed the “California Climate Jobs Plan” - https://www.californiaclimatejobsplan.com/ . They are mostly concerned with lobbying the California State Government at this point. Details here: https://calaborforclimatejobs.org/.

F. Floating Offshore Wind - on May 16, I attended the Department of Energy “Windshot” summit. In short, while there’s a lot of back-patting by the Biden Administration, they are at least publicly acknowledging that these projects cannot be built without union, environmentalist, and indigenous support. Details here: Biden-Harris Administration Celebrates Progress in Domestic Floating Offshore Wind - https://cleantechnica.com/2024/05/16/biden-harris-administration-celebrates-progress-in-domestic-floating-offshore-wind/

G. Gaza / Student Occupations - There is growing union support for a ceasefire, the student occupations, and BDS, including among workers who create, design, build, and engineer the weapons used in Israel’s ongoing campaign of genocide. This bodes well not only for ending decades long oppression of Palestine, but workers taking a stand against ecological destruction and fossil fuel extractivism:

1. How UC Researchers Began Saying No to Military Work - https://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2024/05/how-uc-researchers-began-saying-no-military-work
2. A letter from Black Rose Anarchist Militants in California Public Universities to our Classmates and Colleagues - https://blackrosefed.org/letter-california-public-universities/
3. Statement of Solidarity with Students, Workers, and Palestine - https://www.labor4sustainability.org/articles/statement-of-solidarity-with-students-workers-and-palestine/
4. Unions Support Student Protestors Against Campus Administrators and Police - https://www.labornotes.org/2024/05/unions-support-student-protestors-against-campus-administrators-and-police

III. Bay Area and California Green Unionism

A. SB 252 - This proposed legislation will require CalPERS and CalSTRS to divest from fossil fuels. It has support from several unions, though the CalPERS and CalSTRS boards are resistant.

B. Polluter Pays (SB 1497) - This will require fossil fuel capitalists to pay reparations to communities that are adversely affected by pollution and climate change. It has both union support (primarily SEIU) and opposition (some Building Trades, likely due to the latter’s close association to the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA), a fossil fuel capitalist lobbying group).

C. Clean Up Orphan Wells (AB 1866) - this bill has gained support from the unions affiliated with California Labor for Climate Jobs (see “E”, below), including various United Steelworkers (USW) locals, because of its potential for job creation.

D. Save the Setbacks Law (SB 1137) - SEIU 1021 has published a web page in support of it - https://www.seiu1021.org/article/fall-vote-yes-keep-oil-wells-out-your-neighborhoods

E. California Labor for Climate Jobs - This coalition formed out of the unions that initially endorsed the “California Climate Jobs Plan” - https://www.californiaclimatejobsplan.com/ . They are mostly concerned with lobbying the California State Government at this point. Details here: https://calaborforclimatejobs.org/.

F. Floating Offshore Wind - on May 16, I attended the Department of Energy “Windshot” summit. In short, while there’s a lot of back-patting by the Biden Administration, they are at least publicly acknowledging that these projects cannot be built without union, environmentalist, and indigenous support. Details here: Biden-Harris Administration Celebrates Progress in Domestic Floating Offshore Wind - https://cleantechnica.com/2024/05/16/biden-harris-administration-celebrates-progress-in-domestic-floating-offshore-wind/

G. Gaza / Student Occupations - There is growing union support for a ceasefire, the student occupations, and BDS, including among workers who create, design, build, and engineer the weapons used in Israel’s ongoing campaign of genocide. This bodes well not only for ending decades long oppression of Palestine, but workers taking a stand against ecological destruction and fossil fuel extractivism:

1. How UC Researchers Began Saying No to Military Work - https://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2024/05/how-uc-researchers-began-saying-no-military-work
2. A letter from Black Rose Anarchist Militants in California Public Universities to our Classmates and Colleagues - https://blackrosefed.org/letter-california-public-universities/
3. Statement of Solidarity with Students, Workers, and Palestine - https://www.labor4sustainability.org/articles/statement-of-solidarity-with-students-workers-and-palestine/
4. Unions Support Student Protestors Against Campus Administrators and Police - https://www.labornotes.org/2024/05/unions-support-student-protestors-against-campus-administrators-and-police

H. COP City - Tortuguita was a member of the IWW, and the movement against Cop City (or the many Cop Cities, because these are being proposed by state governments throughout the US, as opposition to carceral, surveillance, and/or police statism grows and deepens) has both ecological and class concerns:

1. Cop City: Human Rights Groups Ask International Commission to Investigate Police Killing of U.S. Environmental Activist - https://globaljusticeecology.org/human-rights-groups-request-investigation-into-police-killing-of-environmental-activist-cop-city/

IV. Miscellaneous

1. In a Clean Energy Future, What Happens to California’s Thousands of Oil Refinery Workers? - https://www.wri.org/insights/ca-oil-refineries-just-transition
2. As always, to get involved with the caucus, visit https://ecology.iww.org for details.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are not the official position of the IWW (or even the IWW’s EUC) and do not necessarily represent the views of anyone but the author.