People First Conference, Sept. 12 at UMass Dartmouth

Arnold M Dubin Labor Education Center and the Greater SE Mass Labor Council People First Committee Present:

Creating Social Change: Transformational Leadership and the Fight for Fair and Just Economic Development

Saturday, September 12
9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.
UMass Dartmouth Woodland Commons

This conference is a dual effort to build strong union leadership and to move forward the fight for economic and social justice in local economic development decision-making.

The keynote speaker is Greg LeRoy, Executive Director of Good Jobs First and dubbed "the leading national watchdog of state and local economic development subsidies" and "God's witness to corporate welfare," Greg founded Good Jobs First in 1998. A nationally prominent speaker and frequently quoted news media source, he is the author of The Great American Jobs Scam: Corporate Tax Dodging and the Myth of Job Creation (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2005) and No More Candy Store: States and Cities Making Job Subsidies Accountable (1994).


Choose one workshop for time period:

AM


The Nuts and Bolts of Economic Development for Union and Community Activists
Join local leaders and Greg LeRoy in exploring the basics of how social justice can prevail in challenging corporate welfare. Learn how we can influence and promote economic activities that build justice in local communities.
Presented by Greg LeRoy, Good Jobs First, Jim Snow, Painter and Allied Trades, D.C. 35, and Corinn Williams, Community Economic Development Center of SE Massachusetts

Utilizing Just Cause to Win Union Discipline Cases
This workshop explores each stage of a discharge case, including
representing workers at misconduct interviews, obtaining information from the employer, presenting arguments at grievance hearings, and taking a case to arbitration. Learn through discussions of defenses such as due process, lax enforcement, disparate treatment, mitigating circumstances, and progressive discipline.
Presented by Attorney Robert Schwartz, author of numerous books about labor rights including "Your Rights on the Job in Massachusetts" and "A Legal Rights for Union Stewards", among others.




PM
The Labor Movement and Building Green Justice
This workshop will address the challenges and opportunities of creating green jobs that are family wage with good benefits and that have a ladder for future job opportunities. Learn from strategies used around the country and in Massachusetts.
Presented by the Green Justice Coalition.

Leadership for Transforming Unions
Come to learn about how to develop and promote organizational change through a tested approach created by the Women in Leadership Development organization. In this exciting workshop you will develop skills to implement in forming a more dynamic and fighting union or community organization in these challenging times.
Presented by Tess Ewing and Susan Winning of Labor Extension at Boston and at Lowell.


For directions to UMass Dartmouth, please visit:
http://www.umassd.edu/directions
Park in Lot 10 or 11 and follow signs to the Woodland Commons





<<>>

Registration Form:

Name:

Union or organization:

Address:

Email:


Workshop Selection:

AM ______ Economic Development Nuts and Bolts

______ Utilizing Just Cause to Win Union Discipline Cases

PM
______ Green Jobs for Justice

______ Leadership for Transforming Unions



___ check here if you require a vegetarian lunch


Please enclose the registration fee of $20.00 and mail to:
Diane Cruz
UMass Dartmouth
Arnold M. Dubin Labor Education Center
285 Old Westport Rd.
N. Dartmouth, MA 02747

Map of Other Organizations Sharing Our Mission and Goals

In the connected map, listed are the members of The Partnership for Working Families. Just click on the "View Larger Map" below the map to enlarge it and for the names of each partnering organization. For more information on The Partnership for Working Families, see their website at www.communitybenefits.org .

View Larger Map

Charter School Organized by Mass AFT

From our own Jim Snow in the Boston Globe:

Right to Organize Not on the Table
THANK YOU for your front-page story on the unionization of charter school teachers. The back and forth between the union and a phalanx of experts and advocates for charter schools was interesting, but the premise that the rights of workers - teachers in this case - to organize should be balanced against the latest fad in public policy is unacceptable. State law and international law, as well as the overwhelming body of human rights law and thought, establish the right to organize for mutual aid and protection.

Simply put, the failure of public educators to improve our public schools is not a reason to compromise this right.

Fresh Air at Regency Towers

Thanks to information provided by the Lang Administration, and to a forceful push by unions, the SE Massachusetts Labor Council, and allies in the political world, the sale of Regency Towers in downtown New Bedford has gone to a developer who is new to New Bedford, and who promises to have a positive impact on the community.

MassHousing, the state's housing development agency, has long struggled with the building. Poor maintenance and handling of the business end of the building have cost the agency milions. The agency finally threw in the towel, and after foreclosing on the previous owner, decided to sell. The bidding was high stakes for the city, organized labor, and the effort to revitalize the area.

The winning bidder was Trinity Financial which has promised two important things. First, the project will be re-built with union workers. Second, 25% of the residential units will be affordable. Although the building will be converted into condominiums, current tenants will be allowed to stay as renters.

Although he did not endorse a particular bidder, Congressman Barney Frank was a strong supporter of decent wages and working conditions on the project. Similarly, the Patrick Administration stood with us to promote community standard wages and benefits on the project. CLC President Cynthia Rodrigues and the SE Massachusetts Building Trades also pushed hard to obtain a progressive outcome.

People First Interview with CEDC

Victory at City Council for Eagle Workers

Due to a significant one-on-one campaign of meetings with
city councilors, and a mobilization of local labor activists and
students, we won this part of the fight.

It was a chilly evening in front of New Bedford City Hall
with a rally featuring Eagle workers, the mayor, and UNITE
leader,Warren Pepicelli. A boss from Eagle even dropped
by to do a little surveillance. The mayor confirmed his
steadfast commitment to keep the plant here and his desire
for a "pristine" union election. Warren gave a rousing
speech about the fight for fairness and respect at the plant.
Several workers passionately highlighted conditions at
the plant.

Inside the City Council chamber, it was standing room only.
A group of us made it to the balcony, only to be
moved later. About an hour into the meeting, the Eagle
motion came up. Brian Gomes gave a very strong statement
that included confirming the bad conditions for the workers.
Several other Councilors spoke in support of the motion.
It was wrapped up by Republican Linda Morad reading from
a letter from the company confirming they are committed
to staying in New Bedford. A follow up comment from
Brian Gomes, was much appreciated, stated that is
was only from the worker and community mobilization that
the company reacted in the way we had hoped.


From the Standard-Times:
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll
/article?AID=/20081114/NEWS/811140339/-1/ARCHIVE

(You may need to cut and paste this in your URL box,
it's one line).

Standard-Times says "Union, council aflutter over Eagle's fate"

The campaign to keep the factory open got a big boost today - the local paper tied the mayor and city council to the efforts of the union to keep it open. The article by Becky Evans also lays out the union's case that it may close - and best of all, it has forced the company to go on record about their plans. In addition, it announced our rally for tomorrow! Congratulations to Zach Lutz and UNITE HERE for the excellent press.

To read the story, click here, or cut and past into URL box:

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081112/NEWS/811120345