The old saw of environment versus jobs is dying hard, but its days are numbered. The idea that concern for not being killed by poisons and pollution is a "job-killing" policy is almost a thing of the past. More and more workers and their unions are understanding this is a false choice, imposed by the owning class to make working people pay for profit and privilege one way or the other. It’s not acceptable that the only way to make a living means over the long run killing yourself, your family and your community.

It’s been 35 years since the first Earth Day sought to bring environmental consciousness to the general public. Most of today’s workers grew up with that as an accepted background moral. We now all recycle, try to avoid chemicals in our food and water and know we should conserve water and energy even if we don’t always do all we could.

Manufacturing and the ever-increasing transportation industry in the U.S. and Canada have been coming under increasing scrutiny and criticism as their health affects accumulate and become statistically obvious. Not surprisingly, where pollution is at its worse—in the California ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland—is where the movement against it is organizing the strongest and loudest.

Now the LA Harbor Commis-sion, with anti-pollution pioneer S. David Freeman as its new president and ILWU Local 13 member and Southern California District Council President Joe Radisich, is moving rapidly and radically to make Los Angeles the international model of a low-pollution port. They understand that jobs and economic expansion need sustainable systems and bold action. They are looking to quickly put in place new technologies for low- or no-polluting equipment for docking vessels, yard equipment, trucks and railroads.

Whether the Commission’s ambitious goals can be achieved, especially in the time frame being projected, remains to be seen. But it certainly won’t happen with that aggressive attitude, without the approach that you can both clean up and grow the port.

Diesel pollution has been a community issue for more than 15 years in the poor, mainly African American, West Oakland neighborhood adjacent to the port. Asthma and lead poisoning have been endemic in the children there for years.

So a movement to change the laws and culture of pollution has arisen there, a coalition of environmental, health and community groups. The ILWU, many of whose local members are from the area, has added its authentic voice, lending clout, legitimacy and moral righteousness to the cause. (see story page 4)

In the current political atmosphere the movement toward cleaner ports that have less public health impacts is so necessary that it is nearly unstoppable. From the ILWU’s top officers to its rank and file, that is understood and is increasingly becoming part of the union’s policy and program.

On-the-job injuries are not just traumas like broken bones or smashed hands. The steady poisoning of pollution and chemical exposures can take health and life too. And that business as usual will no longer be allowed.