Saturday, January 26
BUILDING A MOVEMENT FOR WORKER JUSTICE CONFERENCE
9am, UVM Davis Center (There is no-charge, use this link and click on Register at the bottom of the page to REGISTER RIGHT NOW)
Check it out Jan 23rd story in Seven Days
A major gathering for workers, students, educators and health care providers to build a movement for workers’ rights, livable wages, economic justice, quality healthcare for all and global solidarity. (See sponsors below)
Agenda
8:45-9:10 REGISTRATION
9:15-9:50 WELCOMING SESSION
Organizing for Our Future
Special Guest: Larry Cohen, President, Communications Workers of America
10-10:50 WORKSHOP SESSION 1
* Developing An Economy That Works For All (Traven Leyshon, President Washington-Orange-Lamoille County Central Labor Council AFL-CIO and Director of Highroad Vermont)
* Defending Social Services & Fighting Privatization (Ed Stanak, former president of the VT State Employees Association)
* Using The Media Effectively In Your Campaigns (Darren Allen, Vermont NEA & Doug Gibson, VSEA)
* Lessons from the Verizon Stop The Sale Campaign & The Next Steps in Universal Broadband Access in New England (Larry Cohen, CWA and Mike Spillane IBEW Local 2326, goes for both sessions)
* Building a Campaign for Livable wages (Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, former director of the VT Livable Wage Campaign and organizer with Vermont NEA)
* Getting Started: Basics in beginning to organize for change in our communities (James Haslam, Director of Vermont Workers’ Center and Phil Fiermonte, longtime community & labor organizer)
* Global Trade, Outsourcing & Workers Organizing Across Borders (Dan Brush, organizer with Teamsters Local 1L, Earl Mongeon and Lee Conrad from Alliance @ IBM)
* How to survive and thrive in a career in healthcare (Jen Henry, RN, president of the Fletcher Allen nurses union)
11-11:50 WORKSHOP SESSION 2
* Strategies in Starting to Organize At Your Workplace (James Haslam, Vermont Workers’ Center)
* Labor Mobilizing For Elections (Jan Schaffer, AFL-CIO)
* The Labor Movement and the fight for quality universal healthcare(Traven Leyshon, Washington-Orange-Lamoille CLC, Highroad Vermont)
* People vs. Money: Grassroots Lobbying To Win Legislation (Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, former director, VLWC and organizer, Vermont NEA)
* Creating A Beautiful Revolution: Using Art In Our Campaigns (Jessica Morley, President UE Local 203, & members of the Vermont Workers’ Center Art Committee)
* No Child Left Behind, Act 82 & the Future of Public Education Funding in Vermont (Angelo Dorta and Darren Allen of Vermont NEA)
Starting From Scratch: How to start organizing at your school (Kate Kandelstein, UVM SLAP and other SLAP and CLEA leaders)
12-12:45 BROWN BAG WORKING LUNCH
A People’s History of Healthcare in the United States: Presentation by Jonathan Kissam, Vermont Workers’ Center Education Committee
— OR —
STUDENTS AND WORKERS UNITED: Building a statewide network of workers’ rights struggles at schools. Speakers from UVM SLAP, Green Mountain College SLAP, CLEA, Vermont Workers’ Center, United Staff, United Academics and UE Local 267 (UVM service and maintenance workers)
12:45-2:00 PLENARY: Building a Movement for Healthcare for All, Livable Wages and Workers’ Rights
Facilitated by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders
Panel includes:
JEN HENRY, President, UPV/AFT
ANGELO DORTA, President, Vermont NEA
ANGELA DIGIULIO, Student Labor Action Project
LARRY COHEN, President, Communications Workers of America (CWA)
2pm GROUP PHOTO and MARCH
Participants are invited to join the Many Struggles, One Movement march, part of a Global Day of Action: Act Together for Another World. Themes are: TROOPS HOME NOW, HEALTHCARE IS A RIGHT, CLIMATE JUSTICE march leaves from UVM Davis Center to Church Street. Bring your banners, signs, and join hundreds of people and giant puppets
(There is no-charge, use this link and click on Register at the bottom of the page to REGISTER RIGHT NOW)
SOCIAL FORUM SOCIAL – VWC Fundraiser
6:30pm, Vermont Workers’ Center, 294 N. Winooski Ave, Burlington
Discussion about World Social Forum and US Social Forum process, video from VT delegation in 2007 in Atlanta, and then fun, food and drinks.
Building A Movement For Worker Justice Sponsors:
Alliance@IBM/CWA Local 1701
American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1343
Child Labor Education & Action (CLEA)
Communication Workers of America (CWA)
Ironworkers Local 7
Senator Bernie Sanders
Student Labor Action Project (SLAP), UVM Chapter
Student Labor Action Project (SLAP), Green Mountain College Chapter
United Academics UPV/AFT
United Electrical Radio & Machine Workers of America (UE) Local 267
United Nurses and Allied Professionals (UNAP) Local 5109
United Professions of Vermont, American Federation of Teachers (UPV/AFT)
United Staff at UVM
Vermont Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals Local 5221, UPV/AFT
Vermont Livable Wage Campaign — Peace & Justice Center
Vermont State Employees Association (VSEA)
Vermont Workers’ Center — Jobs With Justice
Washington-Orange-Lamoille Counties Central Labor Council AFL-CIO