Labor and Community Together: Fighting for Living Wages, Healthy Communities, and a Livable Planet

A founding ideal of the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of labor unions in the United States, is to assemble a broad progressive coalition for social and economic justice, understanding that the struggles of workers are inextricably interwoven with the struggles of communities. In this moment in time, how are labor and community partnerships faring? Why is building enduring labor and community alliances critical in a country facing accelerating deep divides and inequalities? How do we grow our memberships? How do we grow our allies? How do we grow our collective power?

Panelists:

Kathleen Mulligan
Director of Labor Leadership Programs, The Worker Institute

Bianca Cunningham
Campaigns Director, Bargaining for the Common Good

Theo Moore
Executive Director, ALIGN

Grace Bogdanove
WNY Nursing Home Division Vice President, 1199SEIU, United Healthcare Workers East

Lara Skinner
Executive Director, ILR Climate Jobs Institute

Michelle Eisen
Organizing Member of Starbucks Workers United

Moderator:
Cathy Creighton
Director, Cornell University ILR Buffalo Co-Lab

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This session took place as part of the Uniting on the High Road Conference on June 21, 2024 in Buffalo, NY, hosted by Cornell University ILR Buffalo Co-Lab and Partnership for the Public Good, together with co-sponsors Clean Air Coalition, Open Buffalo, University at Buffalo Center for Urban Studies, University at Buffalo School of Social Work, Buffalo State University Department of Anthropology, CWA District 1, 1199SEIU, and Hayes Dolce.

Uniting on the High Road gathered individuals from across the United States who had been actively transforming democracy by amplifying their voices in local government, reshaping the economy for all, and reimagining public safety and health. In Buffalo, a city with a rich history of activism, participants learned from diverse movements driving racial and economic justice. The conference highlighted how local efforts, like the successful unionization of Starbucks stores, were building a more just and equitable society.

See the full conference program: https://ppgbuffalo.org/files/document...