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Climate change is a pressing global issue, yet achieving international consensus on enforceable action remains a significant challenge. In the United States, climate policy is often dictated by the political party in power at the federal level, leading to inconsistent progress. Given the current political landscape, substantial federal action on climate change appears unlikely.

As a result, meaningful climate initiatives are increasingly being pursued at the state and local levels, where policies can be implemented more effectively. Notably, unions are emerging as key players in the fight for climate justice, using their collective power to push for a greener, more resilient future.

As human-driven climate change fuels more extreme weather—heat waves, droughts, floods and wildfires—public schools are feeling the impact. Todd Vachon, an expert in labor and climate issues, director of the Labor Education Action Research Network and an AFT New Jersey vice president for higher education, points out that public schools offer a unique opportunity for climate action. Schools consume enormous amounts of energy, create significant waste and operate large bus fleets, which predominantly run on fossil fuels, contributing to carbon emissions and local air pollution. However, they also represent a vast amount of real estate and rooftop space that could be used for renewable energy generation.

So how do schools become a focal point for climate action? One answer lies in collective bargaining. Unions can use their negotiating power to advocate for school district policies that cut carbon emissions, invest in renewable energy and emphasize sustainable practices in schools.

Traditionally, unions negotiate over wages, health benefits and working hours—issues that employers are legally required to discuss. But unions can also raise other issues, which employers are not required to negotiate unless both sides agree. Climate justice falls into this category.

Several AFT affiliates, including United Teachers Los Angeles, the Chicago Teachers Union and the Boston Teachers Union, are proving that climate action can be woven into labor negotiations, setting powerful precedents for other unions across the country.

Los Angeles: The fight for healthy green public schools

United Teachers Los Angeles has been at the forefront of integrating climate justice into its bargaining strategy. Julie Van Winkle, an educator and UTLA AFT vice president, says the union gradually introduced climate demands in the mid-2010s through “bargaining for the common good.” This strategy builds coalitions between workers, students, parents and community members to push for broader social changes through collective bargaining.

In 2023, UTLA secured a memorandum of understanding with the Los Angeles Unified School District called Healthy Green Public Schools. This initiative includes the creation, expansion and maintenance of outdoor education space, programs and green space; installation of water filtration stations and the removal of detectable levels of lead; increasing the number of electric buses in the school district’s bus fleet; installation of solar panels on school campuses; and creating Climate Champions—educators who receive stipends to integrate environmental justice into school curricula and sustainability programs.

While progress has been made, challenges remain. For example, the union discovered that fossil fuel generators were being used to charge electric buses—an issue UTLA is actively addressing.

With billions in new funding from local measures, UTLA is poised to expand its climate justice efforts in the coming years.

Chicago: A historic victory for green schools

In December 2024, the Chicago Teachers Union won a tentative agreement on green schools—a historic victory that will, for the first time, bring climate and environmental justice demands into the collective bargaining agreement between CTU and Chicago Public Schools. This breakthrough, achieved even as broader contract negotiations stall, stems from a developing strategy among teachers and environmental activists: exposing the urgent facilities problems facing students and educators and linking that fight to the larger struggles for racial and climate justice.

CTU’s new contract language will create learning pathways leading to green jobs for high school students, increase resources to teach climate justice and open the door for green building upgrades. Notably, the language will also establish a joint labor-management Green Schools and Climate Preparedness Committee that forces the district to work with the union to secure specific funding for initiatives.

Boston: Infusing climate justice into education

The Boston Teachers Union has also been pushing for climate justice through its Climate Justice Committee, led by Betsy Drinan. Unlike other unions focusing on infrastructure changes, BTU has concentrated on embedding climate justice into the curriculum.

BTU recently secured a tentative agreement on a proposal that will be included in the new contract that would create a joint labor-management team that will work on infusing climate justice, climate literacy and climate science into the Boston K-12 curriculum.

This development represents a significant step in ensuring that climate education becomes a fundamental part of students’ learning experience across all disciplines.

On the national level

Unions aren’t just fighting for climate justice at the local level, they’re also working to influence national policy. In 2017, the AFT passed a resolution titled, “A Just Transition to a Peaceful and Sustainable Economy.” The resolution commits the AFT to being at the forefront of the climate justice movement by supporting community efforts for climate justice, including education campaigns, nonviolent direct action and the election of public officials who prioritize climate action.

To further these goals, the union has also established the AFT Climate Justice Task Force to promote and coordinate the AFT’s broader climate justice initiatives, ensuring that unions nationwide remain engaged in sustainability efforts.

Climate action committees: A game changer for unions

One of the key strategies behind these successes has been the creation of climate action committees within unions. These committees ensure that climate justice remains a priority in negotiations, educate union members about environmental issues and develop specific bargaining demands that align with labor and climate goals.

According to Vachon, these committees play a crucial role in overcoming the many competing priorities within unions. By institutionalizing climate justice as part of union business, they help sustain a long-term commitment to environmental action.

The victories in Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston show that unions can be a formidable force in the fight for climate justice. By leveraging collective bargaining, unions are not just securing better working conditions—they’re transforming schools into healthier, more sustainable environments for students and communities.

As unions across the country watch these developments, the momentum for climate-focused collective bargaining is only growing. With strong partnerships, engaged communities and persistent advocacy, unions are proving that climate justice and labor rights go hand in hand.