 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
1609 Connecticut Ave NW #400
Washington, DC 20009
Phone: 202.332.3320
Fax: 202.332.3327 |
 |
Help us SUPPORT the next generation of environmental leaders
SIGN UP for ELP updates
|
| newsletter Winter/Spring 2003
|
|
Download PDF*
ELP News:
|
Fellow Profile
LULA ODOM
 Lula Odom, ELP Fellow 2002-2004, is labor liaison and public policy director for the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists/Community Action and Response Against Toxics (CARAT) Teams, where she develops labor-community alliances to promote environmental justice. Lula is an appointee to the Detroit City Council Brownfield's Citizens Advisory Board, board chair of ICON of Youth and Family Services, and a volunteer with the Kirkpatrick for Mayor Transition Team.
Tell us about your work to develop labor-community alliances and promote environmental justice through the CARAT teams.
Each year, manufacturers produce billions of pounds of chemicals that are released into our environment. Research indicates that many of these manufacturers are located near homes, schools and churches in minority communities. In fact, careful studies suggest that ethnic minorities experience disproportionate exposures to toxic waste when compared to the majority population. Minority communities have little information and few skills with which to protect themselves from the harmful health effects of toxic chemicals.
Recognizing the compelling need for ethnic minorities to have access to information about toxics and the strategic role that trade unions can play in this process, the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists adopted an Environmental Justice resolution at their 1995 convention in Detroit, Michigan. Following this resolution, Community Action and Response Against Toxics Teams were formed, known as CARAT Teams.
The CARAT Teams are an urban prototype for a permanent "infrastructure," and act as agents to insure the flow of information between affected parties so as to reduce exposures to toxic chemicals. They are based on a concept of labor-community alliance, that is, collective efforts made by trade unionists and community residents to promote environmental justice. CARAT Teams operate as a task force for the community through which information about pollution prevention and response may be acquired and exchanged. The Teams consist of trade unionists, affected and concerned residents, environmental justice advocates, legislators, community leaders, scientists, educators and others that form a collective environmental health protection effort.
 CARAT Teams do not replace existing environmental justice activities. Rather, they augment existing efforts by having the distinct advantage of being able to lend resources and assistance through already established avenues of communication used by traditional labor groups. The Teams work in conjunction with grassroots efforts to help coordinate and empower community-based organizations and their members.
How does this connect to your experience with labor unions and worker safety?
Worker health and safety has always been a priority for labor unions. However, the focus has primarily been inside the plant or related specifically to dangers on the job. Only in recent years have labor groups made a conscious effort to embrace environmental issues on a broader scale. However, unions are cautious in moving forward on some environmental concerns, because management at times continues to argue that workers have to choose between environmental safety or job security. Workers usually will place jobs over the environment, but in most cases the choice can be environmental safety as well as job security.
What challenges and rewards have you encountered bridging labor and environmental groups?
One might imagine that our successes would be primarily in cities where we have a strong labor presence. "Right-to-Work" states, where employees have the right to decide for themselves individually whether or not to join or financially support a union, can be more challenging. But, in fact, the success of any campaign is related to the issues at hand and who those issues impact, regardless of where it is located. For example, take Anniston, Alabama, a case that was in the national news in early 2002. In Anniston, a Monsanto plant released PCBs and other toxic chemicals into the community for years, while company officials covered up the fact that they knew it was harmful. Although Alabama is a "Right-to-Work" state, a retired union representative directs the leading community organization in Anniston. Implementing tactics and skills used by unions, Anniston activists mobilized the community and pushed this long-standing issue of environmental injustice into the national spot light. Senate hearings later resulted in the award of $3.2 million to determine the health effects of PCB's on Anniston residents.
CARAT Teams offer trainings and exchange of information to enable environmental justice activists to garner successes like the one in Anniston. CARAT Team training courses help community members utilize resources and skills that already exist through labor organizations. Our trainings are not designed to develop experts but to provide a base for participants to build on with additional environmental courses.
As with all alliances, it is imperative to develop trust when trying to establish relationships between labor organizations and grassroots environmental groups. It takes time, persistence and honesty. It is critical that grassroots organizations lead the community to action rather than having an outside source dictate what should be done. Sometimes that can be challenging, but it is necessary in order to empower those affected by environmental degradation. Through this work, I have seen changes and successes in communities where people think they have been forgotten and where no resources have previously been available for them to utilize.
|
Cassandra Carmichael,
Lula Odom,
James Spencer,
next  |
Home | About
Us | ELP Fellowship | New
England Regional Network | Eastern
Regional Network | Mid-Atlantic
Regional Network | Southeast Regional
Network | Meet ELP Fellows and Associates
| ELP Activity Fund Projects | Other
ELP Initiatives | Read Our Newsletter
| Jobs & Leadership Development Resources
| Support
ELP | Site Map | ELP
Community Site
© 1999-2007 Environmental
Leadership Program. All rights reserved. |
|
 |
