Register Now
for the Labor Notes April 2008 Conference!
“Rebuilding Labor’s Power”
April 11-13 2008 in
Dearborn, Michigan
CONFERENCE THEMES INCLUDE
Workplace: Winning power on the job, shop floor
organizing and resisting workplace
restructuring.
Fighting Concessions: While many companies cry broke we
will explore what we can do to
fight back rather than give back.
Organizing: Organizing strategies that work to increase our
numbers.
Health Care Now: How can labor respond to the problem of
the U.S.’ broken health care
system?
Labor and Politics: What will it take to rebuild labor's
political muscle?
Rebuilding the Labor Movement from the Bottom Up: Organizing for
revival from below,
connecting with worker centers and non-majority unions and
building practical
cross-federation solidarity.
Immigrant Rights: How can the labor movement deepen our
alliances with workers fighting
for a right to live and work free of government harassment and
employer intimidation?
International Solidarity vs. Competition: Overcoming the race to
the bottom by building
solidarity across borders.
CONFIRMED
MAIN
SESSION SPEAKERS (list in progress):
Rose Ann DeMoro,
Executive Director of the California Nurses Association. Rose Ann
says,
“Labor must be in the forefront of the broad social movement we
need to win single-payer
health care reform. For unions, it is the only solution to the
escalating employer
demands for health care takeaways and cost shifting, and the best
way to fight
outsourcing of jobs to other countries. The
California Nurses
Association/National Nurses
Organizing Committee is a longtime critic of corporate,
insurance-based medical care and
incremental reforms. We look forward to working with other labor
activists at the Labor
Notes Conference on this fundamental campaign.”
Robert Whiteside, bargaining chair for UAW Local 3520
representing workers at truck
manufacturer Freightliner in
Cleveland,
North Carolina,
is proud to be a Southern union
member. Whiteside is one of five former local officers who were
fired from Freightliner
and now fight to remain members of their union after leading a
one-day strike in the face
of a concessionary contract. Whiteside and the other leaders in
the "Freightliner Five"
helped organize their plant into what is now one of the largest
UAW locals in
North
Carolina.
Baldemar Velásquez, President, Farm Labor Organizing
Committee. Baldemar guided FLOC to
high-profile victories against food giants like
Campbell Soup and Mount Olive
Pickles,
building a social-movement union for farmworkers in
Ohio
and
North Carolina.
He has led
the union's campaign to organize workers on both sides of the
U.S.-Mexico border,
speaking out for the rights of immigrants. And he sings and plays
guitar in Aguila Negra!
Anita Chan,
Contemporary China Center,
Australian
National
University.
Born and raised in
Hong Kong,
Anita is a globally recognized expert on Chinese labor. She works
to aid
workers’ grassroots struggles and has written extensively on
working conditions, labor
rights and worker organization in
China,
including China's Workers Under Assault.
Sal Rosselli, President, SEIU United HealthcareWorkers-West,
a 150,000-member union of
hospital, nursing home and homecare workers in
California.
Sal has recently emerged as a
leading voice for union democracy inside SEIU, challenging a move
to centralize control
of organizing and bargaining at the national level. He has been a
long-time activist in
the struggle for gay and lesbian rights and the fight for
healthcare reform.
Richard Berg, President of Chicago
Teamster Local 743, forged the New Leadership Slate
that ousted long time old guard officers who had stolen a previous
election. Local 743
represents a range of non-traditional Teamsters in manufacturing,
hospital, nursing home
and clerical positions. The New Leadership team has initiated
education and outreach
efforts to put the membership at the center of the union. Berg
credits Teamsters for a
Democratic Union (TDU) and events like the Labor Notes Conference
for helping him with
the information, analysis and tools necessary to launch a new day
for working Teamsters
in Local 743.
CONFIRMED WORKSHOPS (list in progress and subject to revision)
Assertive Grievance Handling; Bargaining for Social Justice;
Black Labor History;
Building Alliances between Unions and Worker Centers; Building
Power in the Public
Sector; Chinese Labor Movement; Continuous Bargaining; Contract
Campaigns; Contract
Campaigns 2: At the Bargaining Table; Creative Tactics; Dealing
with the Media; Democracy
is Power; Fighting “Blame the worker; Health and Safety Programs;
Fighting Privatization;
Fighting for Worker and Patient Rights; Fighting Racism; Fighting
Raids and No-Match
Letters; Fixing the Broken Health Care System; Flyers and
Newsletters; Getting Ahead of
Globalization; Home-Based Workers; Immigrant Workers and the
Building Trades; Internal
Organizing--Key to a Strong Union; International Solidarity; Labor
against the War; Labor
and Environmental Coalitions; Labor and Politics; Labor History;
Labor in Asia; Labor in
Latin America; Member-driven
Organizing; Non-Majority Unions; Organizing Immigrant
Workers; Organizing in a Multiracial Workplace; Organizing in
Right-to-Work States;
Organizing Online; Passing the Leadership Torch; Pension Crisis
101; Pros and Cons of
Top-Down Organizing Deals; Roots of Immigration; Running for Local
Office; Shopfloor
Tactics; Strategic Approaches to Contract Expiration; Strategic
Planning: Building a
Strong Local; Student Labor Solidarity; Trends in Auto; Women at
Work; Worker Centers:
Building Power for Low-Wage Workers; Workplace Rights for
Immigrant Workers.
CONFIRMED UNION & OTHER MEETINGS (list in progress and subject
to revision)
Airline; Higher Education Instructors; Auto; Building
Solidarity and Democracy in the
Building Trades; Health Care; Nurses; Longshore; Postal; State,
County, Municipal,
Federal Workers; Rail; Teachers; Teamsters; Telecom; Campus
workers; UNITE HERE; UFCW;
SEIU; Workers Centers; Canadian Labour; Bus Drivers; Immigrant
Solidarity/May 1st
Planning; US Labor Against the War; Post-Katrina Labor Solidarity;
Youth; Labor Media,
New Technology & A Strategy For The Labor Movement; United
Electrical Workers
International Worker Justice Campaign; Staff Unions; Global
Unionism: Prospects for
International Grassroots Solidarity; Techies; Standing for Justice
in Palestine: The Role
of Labor Solidarity; IWW; National Health Care Reform;
China; Labor and the Environment;
Retirees; Labor Educators/UALE; Transnationals Information
Exchange Health & Safety
Project Meeting (VIDAVIVA); Continental Living Wage Campaign;
Black Workers Caucus;
Black-Brown Unity Meeting; Labor & Independent Politics; On the
Campaign Trail--Labor and
the 2008 Election.
WORKSHOP TRACKS
Health Care Workers and Health Care Reform Track
Along with the keynote address by Rose Ann DeMoro of CNA this
track will include:
Workshops: Fixing the Broken Health Care System, Fighting for
Workers and Patients Rights.
Meetings: Health Care Workers and National Health Care Reform.
Immigrant Workers Track
Workshops: Organizing Immigrant Workers, Fighting Raids &
No-Match, Workplace Rights for
Immigrant Workers, Building Trades and Immigrant Workers, Labor
and Latin America, Roots
of Immigration.
Meetings: Immigrant Solidarity and May 1 Planning.
Black Workers Track
More details to be announced.
Labor and China
This track will include: Anita Chan: author of “Chinese
Workers Under Assault” and prominent Chinese labor rights scholar
and advocate as a main session speaker;
Pre-Conference China Discussion:
Friday April 11 for invited guests to compare recent
experiences and observations;
The Chinese Labor Movement: Saturday April 12 workshop on the
Chinese labor movement
designed to enlighten both experienced activists and those new to
the topic;
Special Interest Meeting: Sunday April 13 meeting for those
actively working on Chinese
labor movement issues... or those wishing to start;
Experienced and knowledgeable China
labor activists, academics and allies on Chinese
labor issues will be coming from China,
Hong Kong, Australia,
Germany,
UK, Canada and the
U.S. to lend great depth and breadth to this track.
For full participation in the Labor and
China Track, please arrange to arrive by the
morning of Friday, April 11 and stay through late afternoon of
Sunday, April 13. If you
have any questions, suggestions or proposals about this track,
please feel free to
contact Ellen David Friedman at ellendavidfriedman@hotmail.com or
802-522-6227.
SPECIAL MEETINGS OR CAUCUSES
The Labor Notes Conference is a great place for like-minded
activists to meet and
organize among themselves. We have extra meeting rooms and will
make every effort to
provide space for participants who would like to schedule meetings
or caucuses in
addition to those listed in the agenda. Contact conference@labornotes.org
if you are
interested in seeing us host your meeting at the conference.
PROGRAM (subject to change)
FRIDAY April 11, 2008
10:00 am: Registration opens
1:00 - 5:00 pm: Workshops A & B
7:30 - 9:00 pm: 1st main session
9:00 - 11:00 pm: International guest reception
SATURDAY April 12, 2008
7:30 am: Registration opens
9:00 - 10:00 am: 2nd main session
10:15 am - 12:00 pm: Workshops C
12:00 - 1:45 pm: Lunch & Special Meetings & Art in
Action Training
2:00 - 3:45 pm: Workshops D
4:00 - 5:45 pm: Union Meetings
6:00 - 7:30 pm: Free time / Special Meetings & Events
7:45 - 10:00 pm: Banquet & Keynote Address
10:00 pm: Open Mike Talent Show
SUNDAY April 13
9:00 - 10:30 am: Interest Meetings
10:45 am - 12:30 pm: Workshops E
12:30 - 1:00 pm: Get a sandwich and bring to main
session break
1:00 - 2:00 pm: 3rd main session
INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPANTS (list in progress)
International Dockworkers Council
Argentina—Daniel Ximenez,
TEL—Labor Studies Workshop
Australia—Anita Chan, Contemporary
China Centre, Australian National
University
Brazil—Mara Lira, Food Workers
Union, VidaViva Platform
Canada—Too many to mention!
China—Diana Beaumont,
Asia Monitor Resource Centre,
Hong Kong
Colombia—Dora Acero, Dole
Fragancia plantation—USLEAP flower worker speaking tour
Germany—Wolfgang Muller, IGM—Metalworkers Union
Iraq (via
Canada)—Amjad Al-Jawhary, FWCUI, UUI—Iraqi Labor
North America Representative
Ireland—Patricia Campbell,
Independent Workers Union
México—Benedicto Martinez,
FAT—Authentic Labor Front, STHIMACS,
UNT
& CILAS—Center for
Labor Studies and Union Consulting
Palestine—Abdel Rahim S. Khatib, Palestine General Federation of
Trade Unions
Sri Lanka—Anton Marcus, Free Trade
Zone and General Services Employees Union
Vietnam—Chao Nhat Binh, Vietnamese
General Confederation of Labor
In Addition:
Struggle against CAFTA in El Salvador—CISPES
speaking tour
Organizing WalMart: pineapple workers (Del
Monte) in Costa Rica,
garment workers (school
uniforms) in Bangladesh—International
Labor Rights Fund speaking tour
REGISTRATION
Registration is $115 and includes three days of workshops and
meetings, as well as a
Saturday banquet dinner. To register go to: http://labornotes.org/conference/register
or
call Anna at 313-842-6262 or email
conference@labornotes.org. Limited scholarships are
available; click here for more information:
http://labornotes.org/conference/scholarshipform.
ACCOMMODATION
The conference is at the unionized Hyatt Regency Hotel in
Dearborn, adjacent to
Detroit,
Michigan. Room details:
Single/double $111, triple $131, quad $151. To book your room, or
for other hotel information, go to: http://dearborn.hyatt.com/groupbooking/d005
or call
313-593-1234. You must mention
“Labor Notes Conference” to get these rates.
TRAVEL
Air Travel: Fly Northwest Airlines
and get 7% off if you book your ticket by March 8 (5%
discount after March 8). To book online go to http://www.nwa.com
and select the “NWA
Discount Travel E-Cert Redemption” link on the flight search page.
When prompted for
“E-Cert Fare, electronic voucher or meeting agreement” select
“Meeting
Agreement/WorldFile Number” and enter the promotion code NMDCZ.
Northwest provides
reservation assistance at 1-800-328-1111.
Labor Notes will periodically send information
on other discounted flights from major U.S. cities over our email
list. Go to
www.labornotes.org/eblast to sign up.
Ground transportation & driving directions:
http://labornotes.org/conference/details#ground.
HELP BUILD THE CONFERENCE!
Help us build the conference by contacting a local organizing
committee member in your
area. Offer to help with phone banking, organizing an event, etc.
Albany, NY: Jon Flanders,
518-272-1318
Boston, MA: Steve Early,
617-930-7327
Chicago, IL: Jose Oliva,
773-612-2559
Cincinnati, OH: Dan La Botz,
513-861-8722
New York, NY: Steve Kindred, 917-679-0275
Pittsburgh, PA: Patrick Young,
412-298-6361
Portland, OR: Johanna Brenner,
503-234-2306
Seattle, WA: Paul Bigman,
206-214-6169
Vermont: James Haslam,
802-272-0882
Western Massachusetts: David Cohen,
413-773-3548
Toronto, ON: Sarah Declerk,
416-830-9537
Windsor, ON: Ryan Couture,
519-256-8100
WANT TO BRING A CO-WORKER?
Email
anna@labornotes.org or call
313-842-6262 and we will send you our conference
brochure.
SHARE A RIDE
Call a Regional Contact near you to set up a ride-share to the
conference.
Ohio: Dan La Botz,
513-861-8722
New York: Steve Kindred,
917-679-0275 & Peter Brogan,
347-753-0435
Pittsburgh: Patrick Young,
412-298-6361
Chicago: Jose Oliva,
773-612-2559
Toronto: Sarah Declerk,
416-830-9537
Madison: Ron Kaminkow, ronkaminkow@yahoo.com
Michigan: Anna Saini, anna@labornotes.org,
313-842-6262
CONFERENCE BLOG
For the first time ever Labor Notes is posting all the latest info
and buzz about the
conference on the Rebuilding Labor's Power blog. Check out what
we're posting and let us
know what you think by commenting! You can read the Labor Notes
conference blog at
http://www.labornotes.org/conference/blog.
MORE INFORMATION
Sign up to Labor Notes email list, “Update at Labor Notes” to get
updates on the
workshops, featured speakers, and other conference information.
You can sign up for the
list at http://labornotes.org/eblast.
For more information go to
http://labornotes.org/conference,
call 313-842-6262, or email
anna@labornotes.org.
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