Event ends: May 1, 2012 – 7:30 pm
Can't come for the entire event? Feel free to join us at the reception from 5:30-7:30pm for good discussion, drinks and light fare. Please still register below.
Register online. [1] Space is limited. Register now to secure your space!
Forum schedule. [3]
Democracy and An Economy for All:
From Protests to Strategies for Change.
From Wisconsin to Tunisia, Egypt to Wall Street, 2011 was the year of the protester, the year that we, the 99%, made our collective voice heard. Organized labor and advocates of workers’ rights everywhere have embraced this movement and the calls for meaningful democratic participation and a global economy that works for everyone. But how can we sustain the momentum behind these actions? And what learning can we foster between sister campaigns across the globe?
This forum will bring together labor rights activists from the United States and abroad to discuss cutting-edge labor-rights work and develop strategies to bolster the drive for jobs with justice and an economy that works for all. We’ll hear about the role of trade unions in Tunisia and Wisconsin and how they helped awaken national consciousness about trade union rights and democratic rights. We’ll hear from the Philippine Airline’s union, US public sector unions and others about their struggle to bargain collectively when employers use bad faith tactics. We’re also bringing together migrant workers and farm workers to discuss strategies for supporting their movements in the US, China and Latin America. Participants will come away energized and ready to continue the fight for economic justice, political voice and workers’ rights.
Speakers include:
- Iris Munguia, Secretary General, Coordinating Body of Latin American Banana and Agroindustrial Workers' Unions (COLSIBA)
- Gerry Rivera, President, Philippine Airlines Employees' Association (PALEA)
- Larry Cohen, President, Communications Workers of America
- Saket Soni, Executive Director, National Guestworkers' Alliance
- Jeffrey Becker, China Program Director, International Labor Rights Forum
- Kalpona Akter, Executive Director, Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity
- John Cavanagh, Director, Institute for Policy Studies
- and more! [3]
For further information, contact Jacqueline Starr at 202-347-4100 x105 or Jackie@ilrf.org [4].
The forum is supported by AFSCME, Allied Pilots Association, Amalgamated Transit Union, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Teachers, American Rights at Work, Coalition of Labor Union Women, Communications Workers of America, Divine Chocolate, EthixMerch.com, Equal Exchange, Food Chain Workers Alliance, Institute for Policy Studies, International Association of Machinists, James & Hoffman, Jobs with Justice, National Consumers League, Oxfam, Solidarity Center (AFL-CIO), UNITE HERE, United Auto Workers, and United Methodist Church - General Board of Church and Society.