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Going Big: Expanding Labor Rights for the 21st Century

CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies

25 West 43rd Street, 18th Floor * New York, NY 10036

Featured speakers include:

Randi Weingarten — President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT);

Steven Greenhouse — Veteran New York Times labor journalist and author of the new book, Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present, and Future of American Labor.

Vincent Alvarez — President of the NYC Central Labor Council

Although union density is near an all-time low, labor activism has surged in many sectors. From adjunct faculty to video game developers, digital media workers, platform app drivers, and public school teachers, labor movement activism is growing in a number of key sectors. This is happening as many full-time jobs with benefits are disappearing, consumer/student debt is skyrocketing, the “gig economy” is expanding, and economic insecurity is increasing for American workers and families. Housing and child care costs – which heavily impact workers’ income, wealth, and health – have also become more burdensome for many families. Under President Trump, a number of worker rights and protections have been weakened or denied, including:

• No movement toward federal minimum wage increase

• Weak overtime protections for salaried workers

• Allowing employers to self-report wage violations and escape penalties

• Siding with employers against rights of gay and transgender workers

• (Mis)classifying Uber drivers and others as independent contractors, denying them basic rights

• Continuing ‘Right-to-Work’ efforts kickstarted by Supreme Court’s Janus decision

• Restricting workers’ right to organize at franchised businesses like McDonald’s

• De-funding and weakening OSHA

What should be Democrats’ top policy priorities to strengthen all workers’ rights? What are the most significant gaps and weaknesses in protections for worker organizing and economic rights today? ‘Right-to-work’ laws? Legal constraints against strikes and other worker actions? Minimum wage? The growing numbers of workers who fall outside the protections of the NLRA? Lack of livable safety net benefits for displaced and underemployed workers? Lack of protections for flex/gig workers? What new policies would best promote stronger worker protections and greater economic justice?

FIRST COME, FIRST SEATED

Events are free and open to all, but due to space constraints registration is requested. We generally overbook to ensure a full house. Registered guests are given priority check-in 15 to 30 minutes before start time. After the event starts all registered seats are released regardless of registration, so we recommend that you arrive early. Light refreshments will be served.

AUDIO/VIDEO RECORDING

Programs are photographed and recorded by the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies for educational purposes. Attending this event indicates your consent to possibly being filmed and photographed and your consent to the use of your recorded image by the School.

PRESS

Please email all press inquiries (photo, video, interviews, audio-recording, etc.) at least 24 hours before the day of the program to [email protected]. Please note that professional photography and video recordings are prohibited without expressed consent.

PRIVACY POLICY

No spam, ever. Your email address will only be used by the event sponsors to communicate with you about this event and upcoming public programs.

ACCESSIBILITY

This venue has an elevator and is accessible for wheelchair users. There is an all-gender restroom on site. Simultaneous translation into other languages is not available for this event.











When: Fri., Nov. 15, 2019 at 9:00 am - 10:30 am

CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies

25 West 43rd Street, 18th Floor * New York, NY 10036

Featured speakers include:

Randi Weingarten — President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT);

Steven Greenhouse — Veteran New York Times labor journalist and author of the new book, Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present, and Future of American Labor.

Vincent Alvarez — President of the NYC Central Labor Council

Although union density is near an all-time low, labor activism has surged in many sectors. From adjunct faculty to video game developers, digital media workers, platform app drivers, and public school teachers, labor movement activism is growing in a number of key sectors. This is happening as many full-time jobs with benefits are disappearing, consumer/student debt is skyrocketing, the “gig economy” is expanding, and economic insecurity is increasing for American workers and families. Housing and child care costs – which heavily impact workers’ income, wealth, and health – have also become more burdensome for many families. Under President Trump, a number of worker rights and protections have been weakened or denied, including:

• No movement toward federal minimum wage increase

• Weak overtime protections for salaried workers

• Allowing employers to self-report wage violations and escape penalties

• Siding with employers against rights of gay and transgender workers

• (Mis)classifying Uber drivers and others as independent contractors, denying them basic rights

• Continuing ‘Right-to-Work’ efforts kickstarted by Supreme Court’s Janus decision

• Restricting workers’ right to organize at franchised businesses like McDonald’s

• De-funding and weakening OSHA

What should be Democrats’ top policy priorities to strengthen all workers’ rights? What are the most significant gaps and weaknesses in protections for worker organizing and economic rights today? ‘Right-to-work’ laws? Legal constraints against strikes and other worker actions? Minimum wage? The growing numbers of workers who fall outside the protections of the NLRA? Lack of livable safety net benefits for displaced and underemployed workers? Lack of protections for flex/gig workers? What new policies would best promote stronger worker protections and greater economic justice?

FIRST COME, FIRST SEATED

Events are free and open to all, but due to space constraints registration is requested. We generally overbook to ensure a full house. Registered guests are given priority check-in 15 to 30 minutes before start time. After the event starts all registered seats are released regardless of registration, so we recommend that you arrive early. Light refreshments will be served.

AUDIO/VIDEO RECORDING

Programs are photographed and recorded by the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies for educational purposes. Attending this event indicates your consent to possibly being filmed and photographed and your consent to the use of your recorded image by the School.

PRESS

Please email all press inquiries (photo, video, interviews, audio-recording, etc.) at least 24 hours before the day of the program to [email protected]. Please note that professional photography and video recordings are prohibited without expressed consent.

PRIVACY POLICY

No spam, ever. Your email address will only be used by the event sponsors to communicate with you about this event and upcoming public programs.

ACCESSIBILITY

This venue has an elevator and is accessible for wheelchair users. There is an all-gender restroom on site. Simultaneous translation into other languages is not available for this event.

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