Michigan workers are on the frontlines of climate change. Low income and working class union members live in every community in this state and are disproportionately affected by pollution, extreme heat, and catastrophic weather. 

As the Michigan legislature moves to pass policies to transition our energy economy away from fossil fuels, it is imperative that working class Michiganders aren’t left behind. We need Just Transition policies in place to protect good-paying union jobs, ensure strong labor standards, and invest in retooling Michigan’s workforce to thrive in the growing clean energy industry. Working people must be front and center in the fight for a cleaner, greener future.   

The creation of all green, clean-energy jobs incentivized by Michigan’s state government should come with a good wages that people can raise their families and a strong union contract. As we race to address the climate crisis, we can’t afford poverty wages that hinder economic prosperity and leave workers behind.