2nd Annual Conference:
Working But Still Poor:
Organizing for Economic Justice on Long Island
March 30, 2012
COMPLETE SCHEDULE NOW AVAILABLE:
Opening Plenary: 9:00-9:50
Creating Jobs and Economic Security Amid Growing Disparities of Wealth and Power
- Invocation: Rev. Tom Goodhue, Executive Director LI Council of Churches
- Welcome: Lawrence Raful, Dean, Touro Law Center
- Welcome and Conference Focus: Charlene Obernauer, Executive Director, LI Jobs with Justice; John Durso, President, LI Federation of Labor
- Nancy Rauch Douzinas, President, Rauch Foundation: Growing Disparities of Wealth and Power on LI
- Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone
- Keynote Speaker: Rev. Charles Coverdale, Pastor, First Baptist Church of Riverhead
Workshop: Session A (10:00-11:10)
1. How Do We Protect Food Security Programs From Government Cuts? As government budgets are balanced, advocacy strategies will be explored to take food-security programs off federal, state and local government chopping blocks.
Presenter: Noelle Campbell, Gerald Ryan Outreach Center.
Moderator: Paule Pachter, LI Cares. Panelists: Rev. Tom Goodhue, LI Council of Churches; Cristina Notaro, MICAH/Island Harvest; John Gonzales, Bread for the World
2. Why Is It Important To Preserve Public Health Services On Long Island?
In 2011 LI-JwJ advocates helped prevent Suffolk’s health centers from receiving over $20 million cuts in State and County funding. This workshop will assess why public health services are critical to people without health insurance or who are underinsured and what needs to be done to preserve these services.
Presenter: Mary Finnin, public health advocate.
Moderator: Mary Dewar, LI JwJ. (Panelists: Leg. Kate Browning, [D-LD 3] and Leg. John Kennedy, [R-LD 12], Suffolk County Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee; Dr.Lee Xippolitos, Dean, School of Nursing, Stony Brook University Medical Center; Tatiana Grez, Community Health Advocate.
3. Are We Losing Our Middle And Working Classes? Organizing The 99% On Long Island
Political strategies will be outlined to address growing income and power disparities on Long Island that are undermining the economic security of working and middle class families.
Moderator: Charlene Obernauer, LI JwJ
Panelists: Prof. Michael Zweig, PhD, Center for the Study of Working Class Life, Stony Brook University; Lisa Tyson, LI Progressive Coalition; Omar Angel Perez, Workplace Project; Shirley Coverdale, LI Organizing Network
4. “We Are All Immigrants” Toolkit Training
Learn how to use this valuable toolkit and resources packet to make
your congregation more welcoming to immigrants and to prepare them
to advocate for immigrants’ rights and immigration reform.
Presenters: Richard Koubek, PhD, LI-JwJ; Luis Valenzuela, PhD, LI Immigrant Alliance; Margarita Espada, LI WINS
5. Student Track Interactive Workshop 1: The Corporatization of Education
Presenter: Anita Halasz, LI JwJ; Jessica Rybak, New York Students Rising
This popular-education based workshop will address the increased privatization of higher education and its impact on the quality of education students are receiving at universities and colleges on Long Island.
Session B (11:20-12:30)
6. The Rise In Suburban Poverty
Alarming data released in the fall of 2011 showed dramatic increases both nationally and on LI in the number of poor and near-poor people. What are the policy and advocacy implications of the rise in suburban poverty?
Presenter: Prof. Martin Melkonian, PhD, Hofstra University Economics Department. Moderator: Richard Koubek, PhD, LI JwJ
Panelists: Michael Crowell, NYS Department of Labor; Susan Lagville, Housing Help; Randi Shubin Dresner, Island Harvest; Don Friedman, Empire Justice Center; Roland Hampson, Suffolk County Department of Social Services)
7. Are Attacks On Government Programs And Public Employees Misplaced Anger?
Since the Great Recession and the rise of the Tea Party, government programs, government employees and their unions have come under harsh attack. This workshop will explore strategies to counter such misplaced anger.
Presenter: Amparo Sadler- Alliance for Quality Education-LI Progressive Coalition. Moderator: Roger Clayman, LI Federation of Labor. Panelists: Constance Batts, Public Employees Federation; Paul Pecorale, Patchogue-Medford Teacher’s Association; David Sprintzen, LI-JwJ/LI Progressive Coalition)
8. Message Training For Justice Advocates
Learn how to more effectively develop messaging and images for your campaign work with this comprehensive training. We will also discuss the importance of “brandbusting” with corporate targets, and the influence of Occupy Wall Street’s usage of the 99% vs. the 1% on the progressive movement at large.
Presenter: Charlene Obernauer, LI JwJ
9. Student Track Workshop 2: Organizing to Support the DREAM Act
Since the Senate’s failure to pass the DREAM Act in 2010, young activists have fought to introduce and pass a New York State DREAM Act, that if passed would grant undocumented immigrant youth living in New York State equal access to state funded financial aid to pay for the college education. Come listen to DREAM activists share their stories of success.
Presenters: Nadia Habib, Stony Brook University; Martin Lopez, New York State Youth Leadership Council; and Anita Halasz, LI JwJ
Lunch: 12:30-1:15
Closing Plenary: 1:20-2:30
A Community of Conscience Takes Action
- A Jobs with Justice Agenda for Economic Security on LI: Charlene Obernauer – LI-JwJ
- Panelists:
- Congressman Tim Bishop
- Dick Iannuzzi, President – NYS United Teachers
- Rev. Tom Goodhue, Executive Director – LI Council of Churches
- Sr. Judy Fay, CSJ, Director - St. Raphael RC Church Parish Social Ministry
- Luis Valenzuela, PhD, Executive Director – LI Immigrant Alliance
Moderator: Richard Koubek, PhD – LI Jobs with Justice
- Closing Prayer: Fr. Bill Brisotti, Pastor, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal RC Church, Wyandanch
