Worker Institute Co-Hosts Buffalo Co-Lab High Road Policy Summit
The ILR Buffalo Co-Lab hosted the High Road Policy Summit on Friday, May 14, 2021. The summit focused on the different ways community stakeholders could come together to promote an equitable economy. Some of the stakeholders that were featured in the event included nonprofits, community organizations, labor activists, and governmental officials, such as NY State Assembly Members and NY State Senators. The summit was co-sponsored by Western New York AFL-CIO, the Partnership for Public Good, and the ILR Worker Institute.
The first panel centered around “Building Institutions for Racial Equity and Social Justice”, and featured speakers Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes and Dr. Courteny McCluney. The session discussed different methods and strategies that community stakeholders should consider to prioritize racial equity in the workplace and beyond. The speakers related back to existing social challenges by highlighting the racial inequality that permeates American society, especially given the recent outcry against police violence and a significant uptick in racialized violence against people of color, including the spread of hateful rhetoric.
The second panel was “Fighting Low Road Economic Development” and featured Dania Rajenda and NYS Assemblymember Ron Kim. The panel discussed the concepts such as ‘low road development’ vs ‘high road development’, along with the projected impact on local communities. The benefits of high road development include investing in ‘high road’ corporations that give back to the community through jobs, community care, and economic stimulation. The panel speakers went on to discuss the merits of ‘high road corporations’ that incorporate community needs into the business strategy by working with community stakeholders to improve socio-economic wellbeing.
The final panel was “Supporting Worker-Owned and Worker-Controlled Enterprises” featuring speaker Jonathan Johnsen, NY State Senator Sean Ryan, Buffalo Common Council Member David Rivera, and Director of Cooperation Buffalo Andrew Delmonte. The panel centered around worker-ownership and control as tools to fight economic inequality. The speakers discussed the legal implications of worker-ownership and the methods that workers could consider in order to mobilize. Conversation specifically focused on the unique needs of workers of color, and the various ways that increased ownership can improve representation, wellbeing, and access to resources.
The closing panel featured Director of the Cornell in Buffalo program Cathy Creighton, who spoke to the ongoing challenges local communities face in mobilizing and organizing for social change. The closing panel wrapped up the summit by re-evaluating the need for a worker-centered lens in ongoing community development.