Sisters on the Frontline Conference
Organizing Women and Building Power
| Summary: | Read the Conference Summary by Francine Moccio, Director of Cornell University's Institute for Women and Work Read Cornell Chronicle Article |
| When: | March 30, 31 & April 1, 2007 - New York City |
| Where: | Joseph S. Murphy Institute for Worker Education and Labor Studies, CUNY 25 W. 43rd Street, 18th Floor New York City |
| Sponsored by: | Cornell University’s Institute for Women and Work, ilr School, Cornell Labor Program, and The Murphy Institute for Labor, Community and Policy Studies (CUNY) |
| Dedicated: | Sisters On the Frontline: Organizing Women and Building Power is dedicated to the life and work of: Barbara Mayer Wertheimer, Associate Professor and Founder of the Institute for Women and Work at Cornell University’s ilr School and Judith P. Vladeck, Esq. of Vladeck, Waldman, Elias and Engelhard, and mentor and Board Chair of the Institute for Women and Work |
| Contact: | For more information, contact: Francine Moccio (212-340-2836) (fam5@cornell.edu or moccio01@aol.com) or Jeannette Gabriel (212-642-2026) (jeannette.gabriel@mail.cuny.edu) Sisters On The Frontline Conference c/o JSM Center for Labor, Community & Policy Studies (CUNY) 25 West 43rd Street, 18th floor New York, New York 10036-7406 |
| Register: | Registration is Closed |
| What's New: | NEW BOOK BY Dorothy Sue Cobble and published by CORNELL UNIVERSITY PRESS WILL BE RELEASED AT SISTERS ON THE FRONTLINE CONFERENCE |
| Special Thanks: | THE Sisters On The Frontline Organizing committee would like to extend special thanks to the following organizations and individuals who made this conference possible with their donations, volunteerism and sharing of ideas and resources: Dean Harry Katz, ilr School, Cornell University and Associate Dean of Outreach & Extension, Susanne Bruyere, ilr School, Cornell University; Lou Jean Fleron, Sally Alvarez and Lois Gray, Cornell University City University of New York Graduate Center for their generous donation of staff time, space and technical assistance. Special thanks to William P. Kelly, President, and Steve Brier, Vice President for Information Technology/External Programs, John Mogulescu, Dean and Brian Peterson, Associate Dean of The School For Professional Studies (CUNY) Denis Hughes, President, The New York State AFL-CIO Ed Ott, President, The New York City Central Labor Council Sonia Ivany, President, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement-New York City Chapter Maria Elena Durazo, The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO Assemblywoman Susan John, Chair, Labor Committee and Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan, Chair, Education Committee, New York State Assembly Thanks to Organizing Committee Members: Priscilla Murolo, Graduate Program in Women’s Studies, Sarah Lawrence College; Mary Gatta and Eileen Applebaum, Center for Women and Work, Rutgers University; Risa Lieberwitz, Cornell University Union Days Committee Chair, Carolyn Jacobsen, Coalition of Labor Union Women; The President and Board Members of The Berger Marks Foundation |
This three-day summit will bring together union and community women organizers from around the country to focus on the challenges and opportunities in organizing women workers. Organizers will share their experiences and insights for adding women to the union ranks and discuss ideas on how to better recruit and retain women organizers.
With women now comprising 50 percent of the American workforce, they are a significant source for future union members and union power.
It is no surprise why women want to join unions—unions build economic power for working women:
- Better wages - 31% higher wages
- Better pensions - 73% of union workers receive defined benefit pensions
- Health Insurance - 92% of union workers receive health benefits
Economic power means economic security for women and their families. Research shows that women are more likely than men to vote for unions, and even more likely if the organizer is a woman. More than ever, women are the future of the labor movement—and women organizers are key to building this future.
There are two overall guiding goals for this conference:
- Generate ideas and methods for overcoming the various challenges to organizing women in labor unions and community.
- Identify the challenges to recruit and retain women organizers and identify approaches to meeting those challenges.
During and after the conference, participants will:
- Have the opportunity to share their experiences in organizing women in labor and community groups and gather ideas from others' experiences;
- Have the opportunity to network with other women organizers;
- Be able to identify ideas and methods for organizing women workers that will help them in the field; and
- Compile ideas for labor to better recruit and retain women organizers (possibly come up with several resolutions to bring to unions.
Conference Brochure -
view & print a PDF copy
Many thanks to all the co-sponsors:
Co-sponsors (alphabetical order): Association for Advancing Women’s Equality, Inc.
The Berger Marks Foundation
Center for Women and Work, Rutgers University
Center for Worker Education, City University of New York
Chinese Staff and Workers’ Association
Coalition of Labor Union Women
Communication Workers of America
Cornell University Press
Domestic Workers’ United
Empire State Pride Agenda
Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies Department, Cornell University
Graduate Program in Women’s History, Sarah Lawrence College
Harvard Labor and Work/Life Program
Inter-Faith Workers’ Justice Center
Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO
National Council for Research on Women
New York City Labor Council for Latin American Advancement
New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO
New York Taxi Workers’ Alliance, CLC
New York State AFL-CIO
New York State Paid Family and Medical Leave Coalition
Service Employees International Union Local 32 BJ
Transport Workers Union Local 100
Pride At Work, AFL-CIO
Working America, AFL-CIO
More Information:
Recommended Hotels
Save the Date Flyer for Sisters on the Frontline Summit
View and print the Conference Brochure (PDF)
