NATIONAL JOB CONFERENCE
National Conference to Create Living-Wage Jobs for All, Meet Human Needs and Sustain the Environment
November 13, 14
New York City
An Exploration of Work,
Public Policy,
Human Needs,
And the Role of Public Engagement
Looking forward to seeing you at the conference!
The Rev. James A. Forbes, Jr.
National Jobs Conference
Friday & Saturday, November 13-14, 2009, New York, NY
Friday, Nov. 13: Interchurch Center, 475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY — Map
Saturday, Nov. 14: District Council 37, 125 Barclay Street, New York, NY — Map
Registration is $60 for general admission and $35 for students. The fee includes continental breakfast and buffet lunch for both days.
One day registration is available $35 for general admission, and $20 for students. SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE
NOTE: The Friday dinner/social event is NOT included in the registration fee and will be an individual responsibility).
To register for the conference, visit: http://www.jobsconference.org/ and the registration page at: http://www.jobsconference.eventbrite.com/ If you need more information or have questions, please email us at JobsConference@njfac.org
The US Economy continues to shed jobs at an unprecedented rate, which is expected to continue well into next year. Unemployment and Underemployment are at massive levels. Congregations and their membership are not immune, and have stepped up to provide support of all kind. Is there more that religious leaders can do?
Don’t mourn — organize and educate.
Join us to build a broad sector national movement of labor, faith, safety net and community organizations to fight for creation of millions of new living jobs to meet human needs, develop clean energy and sustain the environment.
Details and Agenda available at: www.JobsConference.org
Registration includes continental breakfast and buffet lunch for both days
Speakers include:
– The Rev. Dr. Gary Dorrien, Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of Social Ethics, Union Theological Seminary
– The Rev. Dr. James Forbes, The Healing of the Nations Foundation
– Dr. Christine Firer Hinze, Professor, Christian Ethics, Fordham University
– Rabbi Michael Feinberg, Greater NY Labor-Religion Coalition
– The Rev. Dr. Paul Sherry, Former President, United Church of Christ
– Dr. David Wildman, United Methodist Church
– Dr. Dedrick Muhammad, Senior Organizer of the Institute for Policy Studies
– Ed Ott, Joseph Murphy Center for Labor, Community, and Policy Studies, CUNY
– Ricardo Valadez, National Jobs with Justice
– Debbie Weinstein, Coalition for Human Needs
– Bill Barclay, Chicago Political Economy Group
– Barbara Bowen, Professional Staff Congress, CUNY
– Larry Bresler, Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign
– Shelia Collins, William Paterson University
– The Rev. Dr. Doug Grote, National Jobs for All Coalition
– Glen Ford, Black Agenda Report
– Helen Ginsberg, Professor Emerita of Economics, Brooklyn College
– Trudy Goldberg, National Jobs for All Coalition, Adelphi University School of Social Work
– Phil Harvey, Rutgers University School of Law
– Bill Quigley, Center for Consitutional Rights
– Robert Pollin, Professor of Economics and founding Co-Director of the
Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) at the U. of Massachusetts
– Lillian Roberts, District Council 37
– Holly Sklar, Let Justice Roll Living Wage Campaign
– Chloe Tribich, Center for Working Families
– Billy Wimsatt, Green for All
and others — see www.JobsConference.org for full list
TOPICS TO BE ADDRESSED during the two-day conference include:
— the current crisis in unemployment and underemployment;
— faith and community perspectives on the need for living wage jobs and decent work;
— America’s “other deficit” of underinvestment in physical infrastructure and public services, opportunities to create jobsthat fix America and put unemployed people back to work;
— labor union initiatives to create jobs, raise wages and improve working conditions;
— policy options to promote green jobs and environmental sustainability;
— developing a transformative legislative program for job creation and economic renewal; and
— organizing and building a broad-based social movement to create living wage jobs for everyone who wants to work, and achieve full employment.
CONFERENCE CALL TO ACTION
ENDORSE the conference Call to Action
by sending an email to JobsConference@njfac.org
Our country is in the throes of an economic crisis—the most severe since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Unemployment is at the disaster level. And even before the onset of our current, deep recession, chronic unemployment, low and stagnant wages, myriad unmet needs and unprecedented environmental degradation were endemic.
Current Job Crisis
* Nearly 30 million workers fully or partially jobless (June 2009)
* Most rapid job less of any downturn since the Great Depression
* 5 million fewer jobs in the U.S. economy since the onset of the recession.
* High unemployment expected to persist, even if the economy “recovers.”
* Many of the long-term unemployed will lose benefits, their savings, their homes and more
Weak Stimulus
By the Administration’s own estimate, the economic stimulus will make up for a fraction of the millions of jobs lost since the recession began. Nor will the Stimulus stem the continuing job hemorrhage.
“Good Old Days”
Even in “good” times: 5 million or more women and men were officially jobless; hidden unemployment afflicted many millions more; and poverty wages were rampant. Inequality reigned, our infrastructure was crumbling, and human services fell far short of needs. We must not go back to those “Good Old Days.”
Instead, we should be guided by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933): We cannot be content, no matter how high the general standard of living may be, if some fraction of our people … is ill-fed, ill-clothed, ill-housed, and insecure.
Real Reform
Now is the time to organize and mobilize to create a just economy–one that assures living wage jobs for all, sustains the environment, and repairs our social and physical infrastructure.
JOIN A COALITION of LABOR, RELIGIOUS, ANTI-POVERTY, COMMUNITY ACTION ORGANIZATIONS … & CONCERNED PEOPLE
– ATTEND & SUPPORT THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE IN NEW YORK
– HELP TO ORGANIZE SIMILAR CONFERENCES ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES
– PLAN A MASS DEMONSTRATION FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE IN WASHINGTON
ENDORSE the conference Call to Action
by sending an email to JobsConference@njfac.org
ENDORSERS OF THE CONFERENCE and CALL TO ACTION: (partial list):
Adelphi University School of Social Work; Americans for Democratic Action; Bill Fletcher, Jr.; Center for Constitutional Rights; Center for Media & Democracy; Chicago & Midwest Regional Joint Board of Worker’s United; Chicago Political Economy Group; Committee for New Priorities/ Chicago Jobs With Justice; Cornell ILR Extension Programs; Coalition of Black Trades Unionists, Hartford; Coalition on Human Needs; Coalition for Economic and Social Justice, San Francisco & Belleville, IL; CWA Local 1180; DC 37 AFSCME; Green for All; Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition; Hunter College School of Social Work; Healing of the Nations Foundation; Interfaith Center of New York City; Miami Valley Full Employment Council; National Council of Churches USA; National Jobs for All Coalition; NYC Democratic Socialists of American; New York Faith and Justice; Manhattan Local of the New York City Green Party; New York Theological Seminary; Ohio Empowerment Coalition; Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign; Presbyterian Public Policy Advocacy Network, Synod of the Northeast; Presbytery of New York City; Progressive Christians Uniting; Professional Staff Congress-CUNY; Rekindling Reform; Rutgers University School of Social Work; Stony Brook University School of Social Welfare Social Justice Center; Union of Radical Political Economists (URPE); Local 2110 UAW; General Board of Global Ministries, United Methodist Church; University of Connecticut School of Social Work; WESPAC; The Working Families Party; Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University
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