Public Sector Unions on the Line: Right-Wing Attacks and Labor Movement Responses Friday, March 25, 2016 9am-6:30pm<https://murphyinstitute-publicsectorunions.eventbrite.com> Organizers: Ruth Milkman and Frances Fox Piven The Murphy Institute 25 W. 43 St, 18th Floor Register here: http://us8.campaign-archive1.com/?u=7f18d6d910266e28435a78f3e&id=2cf2fb39be&... This one-day conference focuses on the right-wing attack on public sector labor as well as efforts to counter those attacks. Speakers include academic researchers as well as labor and community leaders. The conference is divided into three sessions. The opening session features perspectives on recent attacks on public sector unionism. Speakers will analyze the history of public sector unionism, the anti-union efforts of right-wing organizations like ALEC, the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Friedrichs case, and the ways in which austerity policies are being used to undermine organized labor. The second session will examine recent efforts to fight back against these attacks, including the cases of Wisconsin and Ohio in 2011, the 2012 Chicago teachers' strike, and local struggles in New York. The closing session will feature a series of broader strategic perspectives on how to confront these challenges. 9am Continental breakfast 9:30am Welcome and Introduction: Ruth Milkman 9:45am - 12pm Session 1 - ATTACKS ON PUBLIC SECTOR LABOR Moderator: Josh Freeman Speakers: * Joseph Slater, University of Toledo Law School * Gordon Lafer, University of Oregon * Jennifer Laird, University of Washington * Saqib Bhatti, Roosevelt Institute * Harold Meyerson, The American Prospect 12pm - 1:30pm LUNCH 1:30pm - 3:30pm Session 2 - CASE STUDIES: FIGHTING BACK Moderator: Ruth Milkman Speakers: * Stephanie Luce, Murphy Institute, SPS CUNY * Jesse Sharkey, Vice President, Chicago Teachers UnionPierrette Talley, Secretary-Treasurer, Ohio AFL-CIO * Barbara Bowen, President, PSC-CUNY 3:30pm to 4pm BREAK 4:00pm - 5:30pm Session 3 - STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVES Moderator: Frances Fox Piven Speakers: * Joel Rogers, University of Wisconsin and COWS * Bob Master, CWA * Stephen Lerner, labor organizer * Adolph Reed, University of Pennsylvania 5:30pm - 6:30pm CLOSING RECEPTION Co-sponsored by The Murphy Labor Institute, CUNY, The NYC Scholars Strategy Network, and CUNY Graduate Center's Advanced Research Collaborative