Labor & Employment Law

ILCA Conference Nov. 19 Features Awards, Social Media Panel

By James Parks

The nation?s labor press will come together in Washington, D.C., Nov. 19 to celebrate the best in their craft and to learn about new and better ways to deliver the union message at the International Labor Communications Association?s (ILCA’s) annual conference.

The Media Awards luncheon highlights the event, with keynote speaker Ed Ott, former executive director of the New York City Central Labor Council, set to discuss trends in nontraditional organizing drives and how theses techniques have been used successfully to help service workers win respect on the job.

During the luncheon, Jennifer Berkshire, a writer for the Massachusetts AFT Advocate, will receive the 2010 Max Steinbock Award, the highest honor given by the ILCA. In her story, We Wanted a Voice,?  she recounts the successful effort by teachers at Conservatory Lab Charter School in Brighton, Mass., to form a union.

American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada Local 802 newsletter Allegro will receive one of the three Saul Miller awards, named after the longtime director of the AFL-CIO publications department and ILCA vice president. Miller?s son, David, is a member of Local 802 and wrote the article about his father in the picture above. To read the entire article, click here and here for a list of all the award winners.

For more information, click here. To download a registration form for the luncheon and one-day conference, click here.

The morning session will feature a special panel on ?Winning Campaigns with Social Media.? From countering attacks on teachers to building support for Mott?s strikers, social media provide new, experimental weapons for union campaigns. The panel will examine campaigns that use social media, discuss what worked and share  how your union  can effectively use YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other tools in your communication strategy.

Carl Fillichio, senior adviser for communications to Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, also will speak, discussing the department?s plans in light of the Nov. 2 election results.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on November 06, 2010 (boomark / email).