Affordable Housing Internship-LAANE

This summer I worked at Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy. LAANE?s vision has four major points: A real democracy ensures that workers have power over their own lives and a voice in the workplace All working people have living wages, healthcare, and dignity on the job People live in healthy communities where there are good jobs, safe and decent housing, good schools, clean air and clean water, and other basic necessities An effective government provides for the common good and holds corporations responsible to workers and communities LAANE works towards this vision by building a progressive labor movement. In Los Angeles there is a large population of people who work full time, but still do not make enough money to support themselves or their family- the working poor. LAANE targets different industries to increase wages, benefits, and representation for the workers. My research studied the feasibility of LAANE launching a green manufacturing campaign. As America invests more and more into renewable energy and works to transition away from coal to renewable sources like wind and solar, there will be a demand for things like wind turbines and solar panels. If these can be made domestically, there is an opportunity to create a large number of green jobs in America. I helped to determine how likely it is that a green manufacturing base could be created in Los Angeles and how LAANE could make sure that the jobs are stable, high paying, middle class jobs. We learned much about the nature of green manufacturing and what it takes to create a successful green manufacturing base in a city, but there are still many uncertainties. I am returning to LAANE in the fall to continue this research and hope to find answers to many of our remaining questions