Even as Green New Deal proponents site the need to enlist labor unions to carry the weight of the fight, what is emerging is an interesting hybrid of labor tactics (strikes and demonstrations) put to use by folks that aren’t necessarily members of a union. Many employees of larger firms are raising the mantra of “corporate responsibility” – such as the Google employees’ recent scuttling of a company project on behalf of the military. This activity is even running contrary to Big Labor interests at times. The national office of the AFL-CIO took a stand against the Green New Deal (in defense of jobs), while the Maine AFL-CIO became the first state federation to support it. Luckily for the Maine affiliate, it happens to be the only affiliate whose charter allows such defiance of the national leadership. When you remember the disenchantment of many unionistas over the backing of Hillary Clinton by Big Labor leadership in 2016, there may be more unrest in the labor camp as rank-and-file take on issues more directly.
