Community organizing to build worker power: Bridging the gaps
Submitted by carlosjwj on April 12, 2007 - 3:05pm.
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This session will be on: June 30, 2007 - 1:00pm It will be held at: Room 1206 room at the Westin Hotel View scheduleOrganization DescriptionChicago JWJ is a coalition of labor and community groups who mobilize to defend workers' rights and improve standards of living. Proposal Demographicsidentify as women identify as people of color are immigrants (not born in U.S.) Session DescriptionNew strategies for organizing workers are crucial to reversing the decline of workers' power. An important part of emerging efforts is the bridging of gaps between the labor movement and those communities and constituencies most impacted by the loss of workers' power. Traditional models of unionizing a critical mass or majority at a workplace still hold central importance, but the activists in this workshop have made community organizing the basis for their efforts to build worker power. They seek to bring worker's issues to homes, neighborhoods, and community institutions, through community organizing. Their efforts bridge the gaps between workplace struggles and the specific histories and contexts of their communities and constituencies. They seek to put African-American, immigrant, low-income, temporary, or informal workers at the heart of today's labor movement. Discussion at this workshop will aim to identify further opportunities for communities and workers to organize together, and where these efforts overlap with other innovative straegies in the contemporary labor movement. First NameCarlos Last NameFernandez Contact E-mailcarlos@jwj.org Proposing OrganizationChicago JWJ (Jobs with Justice) Organization Websitewww.chicagojwj.org Position or TitlePrograms Coordinator Contact Telephone3127386203 Alternate Telephone7734504176 Event DaySaturday, June 30th (Strategizing the Achieving of Another World) Contact Address333 S Ashland Ave Formatfish-bowl, then open discussion Contact CityChicago KeywordsWorkplaces Class struggle Economy/ies (inc. Social/Solidarity Economies) Informal sector Labor Migration, Migrant Workers Workers Audience Number50-100 people Contact StateIL Contact ZIP60607-2703 Person Reviewingjerome and walda |