From battling extreme heat on the job to flooding at home, the working class is on the frontlines of extreme weather this summer, fueled by an escalating climate crisis. This crisis is also making life more expensive, from higher utility bills in poorly insulated rental units to medical bills resulting from treatment after days spent in the dangerous heat. 

But at a time when the federal government is dismantling the social safety net and climate investments, working class movements are not sitting back and waiting for their bosses, landlords or politicians to act. Instead, labor and tenant unions are taking matters into their own hands, creating a blueprint for how to organize around both the climate and cost of living crises at the same time. 

In Chicago, tenants, workers, and climate advocates have united to improve homes and schools. In April, the Chicago Teachers Union ratified a contract that includes repairs and decarbonization investments, including upgrading HVAC equipment and installing heat pumps. The average age for Chicago school buildings is 84 years, with a $3 billion backlog of critical building repairs. As the confluence of the climate crisis and deteriorating facilities — from exposure to toxins like lead and asbestos to an inability to keep classrooms cool through hot days — reach a breaking point, CTU members saw the fight for healthy, green schools as necessary for connecting student learning, health and safety issues, and rising energy costs for the district.  Full aritcle at In These Times!