Teachers unions leverage contracts to fight climate change – The Hechinger Report

Report on Educator Unions Leveraging Collective Bargaining for Climate Action and Sustainable Development

Introduction: A New Frontier in Labor Negotiations

A recent report highlights an emerging trend where educator unions across the United States are utilizing collective bargaining to compel school districts to adopt climate-friendly policies. This strategy directly advances several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). By integrating environmental demands into labor contracts, unions are reframing their role to encompass broader community and global well-being, a practice known as “collective good bargaining.”

Union-Led Initiatives for Sustainable School Infrastructure

Case Studies in Climate Action Bargaining

Educator unions in major U.S. cities are successfully negotiating for green initiatives, demonstrating a powerful local-level approach to achieving global sustainability targets.

• Chicago, Illinois: The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) secured a contract that includes installing solar panels on school buildings and establishing clean energy career pathways for students. This aligns with SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).
• Minneapolis, Minnesota: The Minneapolis Federation of Educators negotiated for the creation of an environmental issues task force and free public transit passes for students, promoting SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
• Los Angeles, California: The Los Angeles teachers union is demanding the electrification of the district’s bus fleet and the installation of electric vehicle charging stations, directly supporting SDG 7 and SDG 11.

Strategic Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

These union-led efforts create a synergistic effect, addressing multiple SDGs simultaneously.

1. Promoting Good Health, Well-being, and Quality Education (SDG 3 & SDG 4): By demanding upgrades to aging school facilities—many of which contain lead, mold, and asbestos—unions advocate for healthier learning environments. Improved air quality and safer buildings are fundamental to student well-being and the ability to receive a quality education.
2. Fostering Decent Work and Reducing Inequalities (SDG 8 & SDG 10): The establishment of green career pathways and apprenticeship programs in partnership with trade unions provides students, particularly those in communities impacted by environmental racism, with opportunities for future employment in the green economy.
3. Advancing Climate Action and Sustainable Communities (SDG 13 & SDG 11): The push for renewable energy, such as solar panels, and the transition away from fossil fuels in school transportation and infrastructure contribute directly to mitigating climate change and building more resilient, sustainable communities.

The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) Model: A Deeper Analysis

Rationale for Climate-Focused Bargaining

The CTU’s approach is rooted in the intersection of educational, social, and environmental crises. Key drivers for their climate demands include:

• Aging Infrastructure: With an average school building age of over 80 years, the district faces an estimated $30 billion in necessary upgrades. This presents an opportunity to rebuild sustainably.
• Environmental Justice: The contract addresses the legacy of discrimination by prioritizing improvements in communities that have been disproportionately harmed by pollution and environmental hazards, a direct effort to advance SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
• Financial Sustainability: By transitioning to renewable energy, schools can achieve energy independence, reduce operational costs, and redirect savings toward critical instructional and social-emotional student needs, creating a financially viable path to achieving SDG 4 and SDG 7.

Climate Change Impacts on Educational Outcomes

Report Findings: Extreme Heat and Academic Performance

A separate report from NWEA provides empirical evidence linking climate change to educational disparities, reinforcing the urgency of the unions’ demands. The study found that rising temperatures negatively impact student learning, undermining SDG 4 (Quality Education).

• Student math scores decline significantly when outdoor temperatures on test days rise above 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
• The negative impact is up to twice as large for students in high-poverty schools, which are less likely to have adequate air conditioning, thereby exacerbating educational inequities in violation of SDG 10.
• Testing on a 101-degree day was found to be equivalent to the loss of approximately 10% of a typical fifth-grader’s learning in a school year.

Recommended Mitigation Strategies for Educational Equity

To counteract these effects and ensure progress toward SDG 4, the report recommends several actions:

1. Invest in upgrading and modernizing school HVAC systems to provide safe, climate-controlled learning environments.
2. Schedule standardized testing during cooler times of the year and day to ensure student performance is not impaired by heat.
3. Acknowledge extreme heat as a significant barrier to learning that requires systemic infrastructure solutions in line with SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article highlights several issues that connect directly to a range of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The analysis identifies the following relevant SDGs:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article discusses the poor condition of old school buildings, mentioning the presence of “lead paint, lead pipes, mold, asbestos, PCBs, all kinds of contamination in the HVAC system,” which directly impacts the health of students and staff.
• SDG 4: Quality Education: The core theme revolves around improving the educational environment. This includes upgrading school facilities to make them safe and effective learning spaces, integrating climate change into the curriculum, and addressing how extreme heat impairs student learning and performance, particularly in math.
• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: The push by teachers’ unions for schools to “add solar panels on some buildings” and transition to renewable energy sources is a central point, directly aligning with this goal.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: The article emphasizes the creation of “clean energy career pathways for students” and establishing training and apprenticeships in fields like solar installation and electric vehicle mechanics, which promotes productive employment for youth.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The article points out that the negative effects of climate change, such as extreme heat, disproportionately affect students in “high-poverty schools, which are less likely to have air conditioning.” It also mentions addressing “environmental racism” and ensuring that communities “hit the hardest” benefit from green transformations.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The focus on upgrading aging school infrastructure, electrifying the school bus fleet, and improving indoor air quality contributes to creating more resilient, safe, and sustainable community assets.
• SDG 13: Climate Action: This is the overarching goal of the article. The efforts of teachers’ unions to negotiate for climate-related actions in their contracts, such as reducing fossil fuel dependence and improving climate education, are direct forms of climate action at the local level.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the specific actions and issues discussed, the following SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 4.7: Ensure all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed for sustainable development.
   • The article mentions the Chicago Teachers Union’s contract calls for “helping educators integrate climate change into their curriculum,” which directly supports education for sustainable development.
2. Target 4.a: Build and upgrade education facilities to provide safe and effective learning environments.
   • The article details the need for “$30 billion worth of upgrades” for Chicago’s schools, which are “84, 83 years old on average” and suffer from lead, mold, and asbestos. It also highlights the need to invest in “updating HVAC systems to keep kids cool” as extreme heat impairs learning.
3. Target 7.2: Increase substantially the share of renewable energy.
   • The demand to “add solar panels on some buildings” is a direct effort to increase the use of renewable energy in school districts.
4. Target 8.6: Substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training.
   • The contract provisions for “clean energy career pathways for students,” “training for students in clean energy jobs,” and creating apprenticeships for students to “become the electricians of the future” are aimed at preparing youth for employment in the green economy.
5. Target 11.2: Provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all.
   • The demand from the Los Angeles teachers’ union for “electrifying the district’s bus fleet” is a specific action toward creating a sustainable public transport system for students.
6. Target 11.6: Reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality.
   • The call for “expanding indoor air quality monitoring” in schools directly addresses the need to manage and improve air quality within community buildings.
7. Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation and adaptation.
   • The effort to help educators “integrate climate change into their curriculum” is a key strategy for building institutional and human capacity to address the climate crisis.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article mentions or implies several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to track progress:

• Number of schools with renewable energy installations: The article explicitly mentions adding “solar panels on some buildings.” Counting the number of schools that have completed such installations would be a direct indicator of progress.
• Percentage of school bus fleet electrified: The demand to electrify the bus fleet implies that the proportion of electric buses versus fossil-fuel buses is a key metric.
• Number of students in green career pathways: Progress on creating job opportunities can be measured by the number of students enrolled in “clean energy career pathways” and the number of “apprenticeship credentials” they gain.
• Indoor air quality measurements: The call for “expanding indoor air quality monitoring” suggests that data on levels of pollutants like mold, asbestos, and PCBs would be used as an indicator of a healthy school environment.
• Student academic performance in relation to temperature: The NWEA report provides a specific indicator: the decline in math test scores on hot days. It states students scored “roughly 0.06 standard deviations below” on 101-degree days, which can be used to measure the impact of heat and the effectiveness of cooling interventions.
• Financial savings from energy efficiency: The article mentions the Batesville School District saving money from solar, which was then used to “increase teacher salaries.” This implies that cost savings from renewable energy projects is a measurable indicator of success.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: hechingerreport.org