71st UE National Convention
WORKSHOPS
Online registration for convention workshops has closed
Here are this year's workshop choices. Please note that the registration deadline was Friday, September 4, 2009. All delegates will receive this information in the mail once properly completed credentials have been received by the National Office.
Workshops are open to all UE Convention delegates and any UE member (such as those living in the New Haven area) who would like to attend. Please do not register for workshops unless you are definitely planning to attend them!
Morning Session
- Bargaining in Tough Economic Times in the Private Sector
Employers love to take advantage of tough economic times. Demanding concessions, terminating pension plans, all these and more appear on the bargaining table. Do we have to sit back and take it, or should the union be making aggressive plans of our own to deal with these tough economic times? Taking the offensive at the bargaining table despite the economic climate is what this workshop is about. Led by UE International Representative Dave Cohen. - Preserving Jobs, Benefits and Services in the Public Sector
Decent jobs and livable wages are what fuel the local economy. This roundtable will build upon participants’ experiences in proposing alternatives to layoffs and concessions and building public support for maintaining services. Led by UE International Representative Carol Lambiase. - What’s Going on in the Economy?
Are you angry that bankers get bailed out and workers get sold out? Workers know better than anyone that our economy’s in freefall. What can the government do to pull us out? How can unions make a difference? This workshop will discuss what a real recovery would look like, and why our bosses are fighting tooth and nail against it. Led by Mark Brenner, former UMASS economist and current director of Labor Notes. - Health Insurance Crises: Defending our Right to Health Care
Updates and discussion on current trends including Health Savings Accounts and Rx schemes; local efforts to defend the right to quality health care; costing out and analyzing health insurance plans; and using our skills and collective strength to secure the right to affordable public health insurance. Led by UE Northeast Region President Peter Knowlton.
Afternoon Session
- Public Speaking Workshop
Whether you are at a union meeting or at a rally, its important to know how to speak in public. If union members aren't speaking out, the boss will speak for us. If you hate speaking in public or if you already do some speaking but want to get your message across more effectively, come to this workshop. We'll go over some of the different forms of public speaking, review tips and tricks for getting through it, and practice what we learn. Led by Stephanie Luce, Acting Director of the UMASS-Amherst Labor Center. - Dealing with Bullying in the Workplace
Going to work these days is tough enough without having to deal with workplace bullies. It might be a supervisor who constantly picks on certain employees or it might be a co-worker who also makes other peoples lives miserable while at work. What can the union do about these type of people and how to organize against workplace bullies. Led by UE International Representative Dave Cohen. - Organize, Fight for Your Rights!
A workshop on organizing the unorganized to build our Union and amplify the voice of Labor. Participants will discuss UE's organizing work, learn about the Employee Free Choice Act, develop organizing skills and find out why organizing is the best way to fight for an economic recovery that benefits workers, not bankers and bosses. Led by UE Director of Organization Bob Kingsley. - Learning from UE History
Highlights from UE history presented by two noted labor historians and UE scholars: Rosemary Feurer, author of Radical Unionism in the Midwest; and former UE Local 610 member Lisa Kannenberg, who has written extensively and lectured on UE’s groundbreaking struggle for pay equity for women. Facilitated by UE International Representative Carol Lambiase.
Online registration for convention workshops has closed