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2026 Labor Notes Conference
Type: Overcoming Divisions clear filter
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Saturday, June 13
 

9:00am CDT

Organizing Across Language Divides
Saturday June 13, 2026 9:00am - 10:45am CDT
The boss hopes we'll let language divides make organizing a nonstarter, but it doesn't have to be. Learn how to build member power across multiple languages in your union and forge winning campaigns in a multilingual workplace.
Moderators
MA

Maria Alfaro

Warehouse Workers for Justice

Speakers
AC

Angie Campa

Teamsters Local 703
VC

Viviana Costales,

Communications Workers Local 1109
MP

Michelle Perez

Amazon Teamsters
Saturday June 13, 2026 9:00am - 10:45am CDT
Rosemont A

9:00am CDT

Overcoming Generational Divides
Saturday June 13, 2026 9:00am - 10:45am CDT
"These kids don't want to work any more!" "These boomers ruined it all for us!" Generational divides are played up in the media, and show up at our workplaces and in our unions. This session will explore what's behind generational conflict at work, and share strategies for building unity.
Moderators
DS

Diane Stein

United Steelworkers Tony Mazzocchi Center, retired
Speakers
DD

Dominic DeNunzio

Carpenters Local 2955
SH

Stephen Hinojosa

United Auto Workers Local 12
JP

Jamie Partridge

Letter Carriers Branch 82, retired
Saturday June 13, 2026 9:00am - 10:45am CDT
Int’l Ballroom A

9:00am CDT

FILM: The Alabama Solution: Organizing Workers In and After Prison
Saturday June 13, 2026 9:00am - 10:45am CDT
Authoritarianism and corporate power converge through the system of courts and prisons to keep wages low, undermine organizing, and make profit. A clip from the award-winning documentary "The Alabama Solution" opens this session, spotlighting incarcerated organizers who are leading work stoppages against brutal repression inside Alabama prisons. Panelists will discuss the continuum from prison labor on the inside to sub-minimum wage temp work on the outside. Hear why organizing criminalized workers—in and after prison—is essential to building working-class power.
Moderators
KP

Katherine Passley

Beyond the Bars
Speakers
BP

Billy Pearson

Union of Southern Service Workers
WS

Will Suarez

Beyond the Bars
WT

Will Tucker

Jobs to Move America
Saturday June 13, 2026 9:00am - 10:45am CDT
LAX

11:05am CDT

A Collective Response to Divisions in the Workplace and Beyond
Saturday June 13, 2026 11:05am - 12:35pm CDT
Bullying, conflict, and other divisions weaken us. The more
united our worksites are, the easier it is to solve problems. In
this interactive workshop we’ll practice member-to-member
communication tools that help increase respect among
co-workers, fight oppression, and respond collectively to
workplace problems.
Moderators
JF

Joe Fahey

retired Teamster
Saturday June 13, 2026 11:05am - 12:35pm CDT
Int’l Ballroom C

2:15pm CDT

Black Workers and the Public Sector
Saturday June 13, 2026 2:15pm - 4:00pm CDT
Unionized publc sector employment has been a critical source of stability for Black workers both historically and today. Austerity and attacks on public workers are a threat to this pillar of racial justice. Hear from Black workers about their experience in the public sector and why it's so important for fighting racial inequality.
Moderators
AB

Angela Bonilla

Portland Association of Teachers
Speakers
MC

Margaret Cook

CWA Public, Healthcare and Education Workers
JS

Jonathan Smith

Postal Workers (APWU)
LT

Latisha Thompson

AFGE Local 1793, Federal Unionists Network
Saturday June 13, 2026 2:15pm - 4:00pm CDT
Lindbergh

2:15pm CDT

Talking Politics with Your Co-Workers
Saturday June 13, 2026 2:15pm - 4:00pm CDT
Many of us avoid talking politics at work... but how can labor change the world if we can't even talk to each other about it? Do you have differences of opinion with your co-workers on immigration, war, who’s elected to run the country, you name it? Hear real stories and practical advice from workers who are finding common ground with their co-workers. Come share your stories and practice how these conversations can go better.
Moderators
LS

Lorene Scheer

longtime Teamster and SEIU organizer
Speakers
PA

Paco Arago

Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 11
EH

Eileen Hagerman

IUE-CWA Local 83600
JM

JoAnna McClenathan

United Auto Workers Local 571
PR

Phil Rubianes

Teamsters Local 804
Saturday June 13, 2026 2:15pm - 4:00pm CDT
Barajas

4:30pm CDT

Bringing Immigrant Workers into Union Life
Saturday June 13, 2026 4:30pm - 6:15pm CDT
The bosses fear our collective power, so they try to pit us against each other, non-immigrant vs. immigrant. But the more workers are active in the union, the greater our power on the job. Learn how to build a union culture that welcomes and develops immigrant leaders, fosters open discussion to overcome divisions, and builds our collective power.
Moderators
SL

Sarah Lazare

Workday Magazine
Speakers
PA

Paco Arago

Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 11
SD

Scott Durbin

Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 666
RE

Rafael Espinosa

SEIU Local 26
Saturday June 13, 2026 4:30pm - 6:15pm CDT
Lindbergh

4:30pm CDT

Latino Workers Meetup
Saturday June 13, 2026 4:30pm - 6:15pm CDT
Join Latino activists to discuss how our unions can foster Latino leadership and address the issues affecting workers of color and our communities. How can we get our unions in gear and how can we build stronger connections across unions?
Moderators
LG

Ligia Gualpa

Workers Justice Project
JM

Jorge Mujica

Arise Chicago
Saturday June 13, 2026 4:30pm - 6:15pm CDT
O'Hare Ballroom

4:30pm CDT

It Can Happen Here: Unions vs. Authoritarian Attacks
Saturday June 13, 2026 4:30pm - 6:15pm CDT
State repression isn't new for the labor movement, but the tone has shifted with the rhetoric of the current administration. Bosses are finding new ways to sow fear and distrust. Yet union activists are pushing back and getting stronger through organizing. Their experiences offer insight that can help us all prepare for the next wave of challenges.
Moderators Speakers
CF

Cat Farman

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, National Treasury Employees Local 335
JL

Jill LeBrun

Minnesota Nurses Association
NM

Noelle Mapes

Professional Staff Congress-CUNY
JS

Jonathan Smith

Postal Workers (APWU)
Saturday June 13, 2026 4:30pm - 6:15pm CDT
Rosemont B
 
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