New Frontiers in Labor & Employment Policy: Ensuring Good Jobs, Fair Treatment & High Performance in a Turbulent Economy

Webinar: to be held April 8, 2009 – 2 to 4 p.m., Eastern time
National Policy Forum: to be held June 11-12, 2009 in Washington, DC – Save the Date!

The deep economic crisis is posing fundamental challenges to nearly all aspects of labor and employment relations policy. It is important that all members of our profession—managers, unions leaders, neutrals, academics and others–bring their voice and experience into these policy debates. To do so the Labor and Employment Relations Association (LERA) in partnership with the Bureau of National Affairs (BNA) will host a National Policy Forum on “New Frontiers in Labor and Employment Policy: Ensuring Good Jobs, Fair Treatment, and High Performance in a turbulent Economy” in Washington, D.C. on June 11th and 12th.

To ensure we get input for the discussions at the Forum we will also host a Webinar in April 8, 2009 led by the Forum co-chairs:

• Thomas Kochan, Professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management,
• Richard Trumka, Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO, and
• Bonnie Summers, Executive Director of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s National Labor Office.

The co-chairs will introduce the broad topics and questions to be addressed at the Forum and invite comments from Webinar participants. The topics and questions to be discussed include:

• Health Care: Will the rising ranks of displaced workers get health care coverage?
• Infrastructure Investments: How do we ensure that infrastructure investments advance sustainability, produce good jobs and achieve high performance?
• Auto Industry Revitalization: How will the government investments help the industry and labor get through the crisis and transform the industry to produce and market green, energy efficient products?
• Training and Development: What are the roles of the public and private sectors in building a competitive 21st century workforce?
• Union Organizing and Collective Bargaining: Will labor law be reformed and if so, how?
• Public Sector: Can the Federal Sector once again become a model for Labor Relations, Partnership, and Innovation?
• Executive Compensation: How will the process and outcomes of executive compensation be changed in light of recent developments?
• Restoring the American Dream: What is the new American Dream and what will it take make it possible for people to realize it?

In parallel to the Webinar, local chapters of LERA and other organizations are invited to conduct dialogue sessions on “Work in America.” At these sessions, brief (2-3 minute) comments can be captured on video, audio or in writing to be shared at the LERA National Policy Forum. The Webinar is designed to help motivate these comments. For more information, contact LERA at: LERAoffice@illinois.edu, 217-333-0072, or 504 E. Armory Avenue, Champaign, IL 61820, or submit your question by filling out the comment box below.