Dear Trade Unionist / Friend of Labor,

You are invited to a Cornell ILR School labor breakfast forum in New York City on May 14, 2008 to discuss with a panel of influential experts and advocates labor’s critical role in framing the debate over immigration policy in the 2008 election.  This forum is co sponsored with the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) and the NYC Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA).

Immediately following the conclusion of the May 14 breakfast forum, a special workshop will be held that day, from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM, on ADDRESSING IMMIGRANT ISSUES: Tools for Union and Worker Center Officers, Staff & Stewards.  See further below for more information on the workshop.

Labor’s Stake in the 2008 Election Immigration Debate: Preventing Immigration from Becoming a Wedge Issue to Divide Workers

Panelists:
*Peter Cervantes-Gautschi, Co-Director, ENLACE
*May Chen, International Vice President, UNITE HERE
*Rick Johnson, Vice President, Lake Research Partners
*Esther Lopez, Director, Civil Rights & Community Action, UFCW
*Sonia Ivany, President, New York City LCLAA - Moderator

Cornell University, Institute for Women & Work, ILR School
In Collaboration With…
Cornell ILR Labor Programs, New York City
Cornell University Law School
&
The Murphy Institute for Worker Education & Labor Studies, CUNY

Presents

Sisters on the Frontline: Organizing Immigrant Workers
Thursday, May 15, 2008 5:30 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. Cornell Conference Center, 6th Floor

This series of public forums will highlight the current challenges and opportunities women labor/community leaders and organizers face organizing workers in today’s global economy and culture. The first forum, Sisters On The Frontline: Organizing Immigrant Workers, will convene a distinguished panel of women leaders and experts to present and debate the recent outcomes of the FreshDirect organizing drive, the implications of employer sanctions, and model labor/community organizing efforts. Reading materials will be distributed prior to the forum and upon pre-registration for your interest and to help serve as background information. The forum is geared toward women organizers, union elected officials, activists, scholars and studeecision makers, and interested individuals and organizations.

TOPIC: FreshDirect
Speaker: Sandy Pope , President International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 805
Speaker: Joann Lo, Enlace
Speaker: Amy Sugimori of La Fuente, The New York Civic Participation Project as a speaker
Respondent: Angela Cornell, Cornell University
Moderator: Francine Moccio, Cornell University

Come join the leading corporate campaigners in the nation at the 4th Annual Business Ethics Network Conference Oct. 12-16, 2008! Listen to inspiring and provocative keynote speakers, join key trainings, participate in lively panels covering the advantages of different strategies and how to apply them, gain new skills and contacts in our movement, and celebrate our victories at our BENNY Reception and Awards.

Enlace staff Peter Cervantes-Gautschi and Katy Riker will be giving a training at the conference--Team Leaders Training: Proactive Planning and Evaluation on October 13 and 14.

Click here for more information and to register: BEN Conference.  Click here for more info on the training.