Solar installation trainees, Richmond, California. Photo courtesy of Ella Baker Center, 2007. Contact: Cheryl Brown Phone: (510) 642-1851 Email: Contact: Andrea Buffa Phone: (510) 642-6371 Email:

Green jobs and the green economy are hot topics of discussion in California. As Californians seek products and services that will minimize their impact on the environment, green businesses are arising to meet consumers’ demand for everything from solar panels to environmentally certified building materials. Demand is also being created by state and local legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, like California’s Global Warming Solutions Act, AB 32.

There are high hopes that thousands of green jobs will be created – jobs that contribute in some way to reducing environmental impact by consumers and businesses. Some of these jobs will be new jobs – like solar panel installers – and some will be modifications of existing jobs – like construction workers who will apply the newest green building technologies to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. A term that is also being used to refer to these jobs is “green collar jobs.” Green collar jobs are manual labor jobs in the green economy, comparable to traditional blue collar jobs.

In addition to the excitement about these prospective jobs, there are many questions that are being asked by employers, economic development planners, policy makers, workforce development professionals, labor unions and other stakeholders:

How will these changes transform economic sectors, and what do businesses, labor unions and others need to do to be prepared for this transformation? Will the new green jobs be high quality jobs in terms of pay and benefits, and what interventions could raise labor standards in the new green economy? What kind of training programs can make high-quality jobs in the green economy accessible to low-income communities that suffer from high unemployment and a dearth of family-wage jobs?

The Labor Center hopes to be able to provide answers to some of these questions through a new education and research program on green jobs in California.

The goals of our work will be to:

• Make a significant contribution to the research literature on the green economy and climate change legislation, particularly in terms of how these relate to the labor market.
• Provide research, technical assistance, and training to stakeholders, including labor, engaged in developing policy related to climate change and employment.
• Showcase best practices that have been developed for green jobs’ training programs, green certification programs and green economic development programs.
• Bring together labor unions, community groups, academics, policy makers, businesses and others who have a stake in issues of climate change and employment in order to foster collaboration and identify research and training gaps in the field.

Labor Center Projects

California Labor Federation Workforce and Economic Development Conference: Green Jobs Workshop Track
June 11 through 13, 2008

The Labor Center is assisting with the development of a green jobs workshop track to be offered at the June 11-13 Workforce and Economic Development Conference in Los Angeles. Expected workshop topics include what and where are the jobs; green manufacturing possibilities; job quality and the green economy; and best practices in environmental/labor collaborations; among others.

Briefing Paper on AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act
The Labor Center is working on a briefing paper for labor unions, policy makers and others on the expected economic impacts of AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act. The paper will cover the main policy and regulatory options as AB 32 is implemented, as well as the expected impact on California economic sectors and jobs.

Technical Assistance to East Bay Labor and Community Groups
In 2007, the Labor Center assisted in efforts that brought together housing, faith-based, labor, environmental and neighborhood organizations in a coalition to push for community benefits in the reuse plan of the Concord Naval Weapons Station. As part of forming the coalition, the Labor Center and the Contra Costa Central Labor Council convened elected and labor leaders from Concord and Richmond to learn about green building, LEED standards, sustainable development and green job training opportunities. The Labor Center participates in the Research Committee of the East Bay Green Corridor Initiative spearheaded by UC Berkeley and the Mayors of Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland and Richmond. We also serve on the Steering Committee of the Oakland Apollo Alliance.

Labor and California Climate Change Legislation: Can Cooling the Climate Also Create Jobs?
February 8, 2008 panel discussion

California’s Global Warming Solutions Act, AB 32, will reduce California’s greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020. How might this legislation impact California’s economy and workers? How might certain industries, like transportation, construction, energy and manufacturing, be impacted? And what can be done to ensure that this legislation creates high-quality jobs in California rather than sending jobs to states with less stringent environmental regulations? Come learn how you can have a positive effect on the implementation of AB 32.

Peter Cooper, California Labor Federation Workforce & Economic Development Program Senior Manager
Carla Din, Apollo Alliance Western Regional Field Director
Jay Hansen, State Building and Construction Trades Council Legislative Director
Andrew Hoerner, Redefining Progress Sustainable Economics Program Director

Sponsored by the Apollo Alliance, California Labor Federation Workforce & Economic Development Program, Redefining Progress, and the UC Berkeley Labor Center.

Green Collar Jobs in the San Francisco Bay Area: Can the green economy reduce global warming AND fight poverty?
November 29, 2007 panel discussion

The green economy is exploding. Solar panels, wind turbines, green buildings, and plug-in hybrid cars are just a few examples of the new products and technologies that are being introduced. Find out how this green wave is impacting the Bay Area job market and what policies can ensure that green collar jobs don’t just benefit an “eco-elite,” but also provide living wages for poor people and people of color.

Featured speakers:

Raquel Rivera Pinderhughes, Professor of Urban Studies, San Francisco State University
Ian Kim, Green-Collar Jobs Campaign Policy Director at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights

This event is sponsored by the Institute for the Study of Social Change and the UC Berkeley Labor Center.  It is hosted by the College of Natural Resources Dean’s Office.