Eleventh Annual Labor Studies Conference (Omaha April 10, 2010)

http://www.unomaha.edu/wbils/conferences.php

"Promoting the General Welfare"
Eleventh Annual Labor Studies Conference

Saturday
April 10, 2010
9 am–5 pm
Registration to begin at 8:00 am



University of Nebraska Omaha
Milo Bail Student Center
6001 Dodge St.
Omaha Nebraska



Registration Information
Registration is limited to the first 100 participants
Payment may be made via cash or check.



Early registration until
Friday, April 2
Students $20
General admission $30

After April 2
Students $30
General admission $40



TO REGISTER OR FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL
402-595-2344



Social Work CEUs
6 hrs are available!



The University of Nebraska is an equal opportunity / affirmative action institution.


"The labor movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress. Out of its bold strugges, economic and social reform gave birth to unemployment insurance, old age pensions, government relief for the destitute and above all new wage levels that meant not mere survival, but a tolerable life. The captains of industry did not lead this transformation; they resisted it until they were overcome.
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 1965

UNO's William Brennan Institute for Labor Studies is proud to bring you a one day conference exploring how to expand the boundaries of our democracy.

Who Should Attend:

* Local union members and their leaders
* Members and leaders of community and faith based organizations
* Faculty and students interested in expanding the boundaries of our democracy
* Professionals in the field of social work

Morning Plenary: An injury to one is an injury to all.

Elaine Bernard, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Labor and Worklife Program at the Harvard Law School

In her remarks Dr. Bernard will address organized labor's role in promoting the general welfare of the nation.

The following presentations will run 75 minutes and be repeated three times during the conference:

Examining "the other" and its historical role in denying human rights in the United States.

Steven Pitts, Ph.D., Center for Labor Education and Research, University of California at Berkeley

The U.S. was founded on some remarkably positive democratic values. Our history has been one of finding ways of extending to all who live here the inalienable rights with which we are all endowed. Dr. Pitts will examine "the other" and the damage it has done and continues to do by creating divisions in our nation and in retarding the promotion of equal rights beyond those who enjoyed them when our nation was founded.

Exploring the promise of green jobs and a sustainable environment.

Kate Gulley, Regional Program Manager, Blue Green Alliance

Americans have been told that one of the strategies for coming out of the recession is the creation of green jobs. What exactly those are, what promise they hold in helping bounce out of this economic slump and how they7 might provide an opportunity for creating a sustainable environment inside and outside of the U.S. is a largely untold story. Ms. Gulley will explain the hope that green jobs hold for our nation's future.

Teaching labor studies in our schools.

John Kretzschmar, Director, UNO William Brennan Institute for Labor Studies

Over 90 percent of Nebraskans sell their intelligence, experience, and strength to employers in order to earn a living. The employer/employee relationship directly and indirectly affects workers' quality of life and the quality of the neighborhoods in which they live. Mr. Kretzschmar will explore why teaching the history of the evolution of the employee/employer relationship in the U.S. is important to preparing our children for their civic and economic responsibilities in creating a society that promotes the general welfare of the nation.

Closing Plenary: putting it all together - finding ways to make a difference.

Kent Wong, J.D., Director, UCLA Center for Labor Research and Education

Dr. Wong brings with him a lifetime of experience working to empower the disenfranchised and expand democracy in and out of the workplace. He'll share insights into how we cn use the knowledge we've gained to become more effective agents for change.