Eastern Conference for Workplace Democracy a convening held every other year with the goal of strengthening worker-owned businesses and building the movement for workplace democracy. Friday, June 9, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm Fordham University Lincoln Center 150 W 62nd St, New York, NY More info and registration: https://east.usworker.coop/home/ Labor unions are already starting to ally with worker coops both here and around the country. In New York, we've gotten a small boost from the city council coop initiative that is funding consulting for unions interested in worker coops as a way to build unions, build community and build worker power. We understand that this business model can be a tool for strengthening unions and organizing workers. * Cooperatives are a tool to save union jobs. In Chicago the United Electrical Workers helped workers convert an existing factory to create New Era Windows which now operates as a worker cooperative. * Unions help cooperatives create jobs. In Madison, Wisconsin, the South Central Labor Federation advocated for a new city-funded cooperative enterprise development program to help low wage workers start their own worker-owned enterprises. The Federation helped strengthened ties with low income workers and communities of color. * Union investment strengthens unions and cooperatives: The Maine Lobstering Union, a union-coop affiliated with the International Association of Machinists, borrowed $1 million from fellow Machinists locals to help buy a lobster wholesaler. This enables the unionized lobster fishing fleet to better control prices. * Organize new members and unionize new companies: In Denver, CWA Local 7777 helped unorganized taxi drivers form a unionized worker-owned taxi company. The local now has over 1,000 new dues paying members. This is an exciting moment in our alliance. Union-coop activists from the throughout the East Coast will be in New York for this pre conference. We are inviting you to join us. Upon your acceptance we may ask you to speak on a panel or co-facilitate a breakout group. * <https://east.usworker.coop/add-ons/> RSVP for this special event here. * <http://east.usworker.coop/register> Register to attend the gathering for unionists as well as the Eastern Conference for Workplace Democracy June 9-11 here. * Consider having your union be a sponsor of the Eastern Conference on Workplace Democracy. <https://east.usworker.coop/2017-conference/sponsor/> Sponsor here.