Brother Joe
Well-Known Member
[h=3]Labor Notes Conference[/h] ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- [h=3][/h] | [h=3][/h] May 4-6, 2012 [h=3][/h][h=3][/h] |
Saturday, Workshops D,
10:15am-12:00
Assertive Grievance Handling (S)...CC-45 Fighting grievances isn’t just about enforcing the contract. It’s about building union power on the job. This workshop for stewards and union reps will look at how to use the grievance procedure strategically, including how to choose your battles, prepare your case, and mobilize members to put muscle behind your grievances. Dan Campbell, Teamsters union rep (retired) Lorene Scheer, SEIU Local 503 Beating Apathy...CC-44 Are you beating your head against the wall trying to get other workers involved? This workshop is for you. Hear success stories from workers who turned their workplaces around and turned apathy into action. Learn practical organizing tools for mapping your workplace, talking to members, and taking action. Tracy Barrientos, Chicago Teachers Union Nichele Fulmore, Teamsters Local 391, UPS Linda Leighton, SEIU Local 284, Minnesota school employees, Twin Cities IWW Facilitator: Nick Perry, Teamsters Local 413 Big Brother Is Doing More than Watching: Taking on Management’s Plans for Technology...CC-59 From RFID monitoring, biometrics, video surveillance, and GPS tracking to computer-controlled workflow systems and automated guided vehicles, management is using technology to create workplaces where we are sped up, monitored, de-skilled, and eliminated. We’ll talk about how to challenge management’s technological plans, protect the union, and bargain over tech change. Mark Cohen, Teamsters Local 804, UPS Katie Oppenheim, University of Michigan Professional Nurse Council, NNU Tony Perlstein, Longshoremen (ILA) Local 1588 Facilitator: Charley Richardson, UMass Lowell Labor Extension ProgramBargaining Table Tactics...CC-46 Learn skills and strategies to help your members and bargaining team win a strong contract. Issues include preparing for bargaining, finding pressure points, planning timelines, balancing different interests among the membership, two-way communication during bargaining, and confronting demands for concessions. Sandy Pope, Teamsters Local 805 Secrets of a Successful Organizer, Part 1 (S)...CC-48 How do you get your co-workers to join you in building union strength and taking on the boss at work? Learn proven strategies that get more members involved. This two-part workshop will cover the basics of successful organizing. Perfect for new activists or up-and-coming leaders. Part 1 will examine how to have effective organizing conversations; how to identify issues in the workplace; and how to spot other potential leaders. (This popular workshop is being given twice at the same time.) Joe Fahey, former co-chair, Teamsters for a Democratic Union Bringing the Heat to the Street: Using Direct Action...Love B Hear analysis of direct action in the Verizon strike, the fight against the EGT grain shipper in Longview, Washington, and the Sotheby’s struggle in New York City. This panel will cover the ups and downs of direct action tactics, working with the Occupy movement, and the legal do’s and don’ts that any serious activist should be aware of before taking the fight to the next level. Dan Coffman, Longshore Union (ILWU) Local 21 Pat Fahy, Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 827 Julie Hurwitz, civil rights attorney Julian Tysh, Teamsters Local 814 Facilitator: Eric Cobb, Painters union, Madison |
Saturday, Workshops E 2:00pm - 3:45 Assertive Grievance Handling...CC-46
Fighting grievances isn’t only about how well you argue your
case. It’s about organizing members to build pressure on
management. This workshop for stewards and union reps will
focus on how to win creatively without going to arbitration—or
sometimes without even filing a grievance. We’ll discuss the
do’s and don’ts of settling grievances as well. Sandy Pope, Teamsters Local 805
Reformers in Office: Building a Strong
Union...Haneda
Winning your election is just the first step, and usually not the
hardest. Reformers everywhere run into challenges they didn’t
anticipate and deal with forces beyond their control. We’ll
hear firsthand from union leaders who’ll share some secrets of
their reform successes and lessons they’ve learned from their
setbacks.
Kristine Mayle, Chicago Teachers Union
John Samuelsen, Transport Workers Union Local 100
Tim S, Teamsters Local 804 Facilitator: Lorene Scheer, SEIU Local 503
Union Rights When Concessions Are
Demanded...Dulles
When the boss asks for concessions, how do bargainers
respond? You’ll want a list of counter-concessions required
from management as a condition of granting any givebacks.
Participants will draft information requests, specific proposals,
and fall-back proposals, and will review possible language
choices. A must for officers and members who sit at the
bargaining table. Richard de Vries, Teamsters Local 705
Secrets of a Successful Organizer, Part 2
(S)...CC-48
How do you get your co-workers to join you in building union
strength? Learn proven strategies that get more members
involved. The second part of this nuts and bolts series will
offer ways to map your workplace; develop a winning plan
of action with your co-workers; and craft different kinds of
activity to maximize participation in the union. (This popular
workshop is being given twice at the same time.)
Joe Fahey, former co-chair, Teamsters for a Democratic Union
Saturday, Workshops & Meetings friend 4:15pm-6:00
Teamsters Meeting...Haneda
Meet with Teamsters from across North America to talk
about attacks on Teamster contracts and benefits, how our
International union and locals are meeting the challenge (or
failing to), upcoming national contracts at UPS and in the
freight industry, and more. The meeting will include reports from Teamster local leaders, stewards, and activists.
Saturday, Workshops & Meetings G 6:00pm-7:30
Ask the Experts...Kennedy
Do you have a burning question for an experienced lawyer or
other specialist? Whether it’s about your own pension, a direct
action your Occupy group is planning, or an unsafe condition
on the job, these experts can let you know your rights and
discuss next steps. First come, first served.
Grievances and Arbitration:
Richard de Vries, Teamsters
Local 705, will tell you how to anticipate an arbitrator’s
reaction. Learn about resources to become a persuasive
presenter of grievances and arbitrations and learn how to research a question
Sunday, Workshops I 10:45am-12:30
Challenging (and Changing) the Direction of
Your National Union…La Guardia
Hear about strategies for changing national unions from the
bottom up, including running for national office, winning
the right to vote on top officers, functioning at national
conventions, and contract campaigns from below. Talk about
how to build caucuses to increase the rank-and-file voice in
national decisions.
Claudette Begin, CUE/IBT, Teamsters convention delegate
Ken P, Teamsters for a Democratic Union
Leonard Riley, Longshoremen’s (ILA) Local 1422, Longshore
Workers Coalition
Hugh Sawyer, Locomotive Engineers Division 316
Don Trementozzi, CWA Local 1400
Facilitator: Steve Early, labor journalistContract Campaigns (S)…Haneda
Learn how to build a member-focused campaign long before
your contract expires. Member mobilization, campaign
escalation, creative tactics, and other building blocks of a good
campaign will be discussed, including bringing in community
allies and taking the fight directly to management.
Jeff Clark, Steelworkers Tesoro Council
Walter Taylor, Teamsters Local 814, New York City movers
Facilitator: Stefan Ostrach, Teamsters Local 206Defending Pensions…Love B
Employers from the Fortune 500 on down are looking to
dump traditional pensions and retiree benefits. Learn how
unions are successfully fighting back to defend their pensions,
what information you’ll need to extract from the company in
bargaining in order to hang on to what you’ve got, and how
recent changes in the law may affect your retirement.
David Cohen, United Electrical Workers (UE) Jason Ide, Teamsters Local 814
Economics of Concessions in a Small
Company…Midway
Learn how to cost out a wage cut: what it will mean to
members and how much the employer will save—and discover
ways to shave meaningful dollars off an employer’s proposal. Richard de Vries, Teamsters Local 705
For more info: Call Labor Notes at 313-842-6262