Labor and Environmentalists Solidify Alliance to Challenge Rogue Corporations

A meeting of historic proportions took place April 1st and 2nd in Portland, Oregon with the official forming of the Alliance for Sustainable Jobs and the Environment (ASJE). Having collaborated for over a year now, 100 members from across the United States and Canada – including Oregon, Washington, California, Minnesota, Montana, Colorado, Ohio, Kansas, and Louisiana – participated in the first annual membership meeting of the Alliance.

"We were together in Seattle to defend our inalienable right to govern ourselves and live on a healthy planet. This weekend, we came together to set the groundwork for building this Alliance into a political force across the country," stated Co-Chair Tracy Katelman.

This groundbreaking alliance of labor and environmentalists is committed to challenging the jobs-versus-environment myth head on. It is a network of environmental groups, labor unions, and individuals dedicated to holding corporations accountable to strong environmental and labor standards. The Alliance targets rogue corporations through public education, direct action, legal and public advocacy campaigns to ensure that they are held responsible for the harm they cause to workers and the environment, and to pursue new business models and policies to avoid these problems in the first place.

"We’re unleashing a power through this Alliance that will be unstoppable. If I was a rogue corporation CEO I’d be quaking in my wing-tip shoes," asserted Co-chair Don Kegley.

The founding board of directors for ASJE will be co-chaired by Don Kegley, of the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) Local #338 and Tracy Katelman, Ecoforester. Board President is Chuck Willer, Coast Range Association; Secretary/Treasurer is Erle Ingram, USWA Local #329. Remaining environmental board members elected this weekend are Karen Coulter, Blue Mountain Biodiversity Project; Susan Heitker, Buckeye Forest Council; Chris Preucil,
and Mick Garvin. Labor directors elected include Tara Widner, USWA District #11; Ted Thomas, Boilermakers Local #72 Business Manager & Secretary/Treasurer; John Goodman, USWA Local #338, and Wes Brain, SEIU Local 503. Honorary Co-Chairs are David Brower, Earth Island Institute, Founder and David Foster, USWA District 11, Director (Organizations are for identification purposes only.)