LaborTech 2008

www.labortech.net

The Digital Revolution and Labor Media Strategy

December 5, 6 & 7, 2008

At University of San Francisco

2130 Fulton St., near Cole, San Francisco

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Labortech 2008 takes place in the midst of the greatest financial crisis in the history of the United States. The logic of deregulation and privatization now are destroying the lives of tens of millions of working people. Critical to labor’s challenge today is to get our message out and break the information blockade that corporate media and telecom promote. LaborTech can be a vital tool in this work, and this conference will discuss and learn how to get our messages out and win the information and media battle.



This semi-annual educational and training conference brings together labor videographers, radio programmers, Internet developers, educators, artists and cultural workers to help educate, train and build labor communication and media technology for working people. It also examines issues of how these new technologies are being used both for and against labor in the workplace, on the Internet and the airwaves.

We will look at how unions are building new channels on the web, using pod-casting and other Internet tools to develop labor education, solidarity and directly connect with the rank and file. We will learn how to produce a daily video strike bulletin, how to stream our rallies and conferences, and how to develop labor channels on YouTube and other portals as well as using social networks.

We will also see examples of video and radio programs that have helped win our battles by education and involving the community in these campaigns. Labor and our unions cannot afford to wait in using these tools in our struggle to defend working people and to train our members to build a labor media movement.



The need to educate working people is critical. Only by working together to build our understanding and use of these communication tools will help transform our situation.

Join us in this year’s LaborTech conference.

Workshops: (partial list as of 10/1/08)

Plenums:

*Labor & social networking: Using the Internet to build a network organizing

*Union busting, labor journalism and the future of news and broadcast journalists and media workers

*The war on terrorism, ideology, labor and democracy



Workshops:

*Developing a regional multi-media labor portal

*Pod casting and how labor can use it

*How to produce a community access TV show

*How to produce a labor radio show

*How to do labor video documentaries

*How to stream your rallies and conferences on the web and pod casting

*Media unions, union busting and new technology

*Open source, what it is and how to use and defend it

*New technology, health and safety and labor

*Medical privacy, technology and labor protection

*Developing an international labor media network

*How to produce a labor film/cultural arts festival

*Labor culture and using technology

*Defending democratic and union rights on the Internet, net neutrality and social networks

*Public broadband and expanding democracy in communication technology

*Using website for communication, information and solidarity campaign

*Defending libraries, democracy and privatization of information

*Micro radio and labor media





Partial list of Panelists/Participants(partial list as of 10/1/08)

Partial list of Panelists/Participants:

Nancy Bupp, Formerly with Education Department IAM International*

Julian Peeples, California School Employees Association* 


Vivian Price, Professor CSUDH, Labor Film maker, CFA*

Yeo Shinjoung, Radical Reference, Stanford Library*

Frank Emspach, WIN Founder and Director www.laboradio.org

Marty Fishgold, Director Communications SEIU 371/NY*

Bruce Wolf, Founder www.public.freemuni.net public broadband

Edward Hasbrouck, The Identity Project Privacy & Repression

Andrew Knight & Andrew Kong, Angry Tired Teachers Band, member CTA*

Jack Chernos, AFM Local 6* and Labor Musician

Catherine Alexander, SEIU 521*, Librarian

Mehmet & Gulden Bayran, LaborFest Turkey & Sendica.org

Dr. Larry Rose, Last doctor at Ca-OSHA, AFSCME member

Wes Brain, Labor Radio Producer, Brain Radio Report

Tami Bryant, SEIU 1000* Host Of “Union Buzz”

Jeff Sharlet, Journalist, historian

Collette Washington, CNA Web Master

Jeff Smedberg, Reelworks Labor Film Festival, SEIU 521*

James Jacobs, Radical Reference, Stanford Library

Carl Bryant, TV 214, NALC 214*

Steve Dondley, Promethus ILMN Website

Shiela Davis, Silicon Valley Toxic Coalition-Nanotechnology

Peter B. Collins, AFTRA Executive Board*, Radio Host

Todd Davies, Stanford University, CPSR

Steve Stallone, Pres. ILCA, Editor of N. California Media Workers Newspaper CWA

Chris Witteman, Communications Rights Lawyer

Michael Perelman, Professor CSUC, Member CFA

Dorothy Kidd, USF Media Department Chair

John Parulis, Labortech Webmaster

Ralph Schoenman, WBAI Radio Host “Taking Aim”

Jack Rasmus, Labor Economist, Author

Dick Meister, Labor Journalist and Reporter TNG*

Nick Yale, SEIU 1000*, Videographer

Jim E. Kelly, Coordinator of Labor Studies at San Jose City College. AFT Local 6157*

Peter Phillips, Professor CSUS, Director of Project Censored, Member of CFA

Nancy Bupp, Education Department Of IAM International Retired

Bill Sparks, Labor Video Project, Member of Sign, Local 510 Sign and Display*

Linda Ackerman, Privacy Activism

David Frias, Media Director of Living Wage, co-producer Of “SF Living Wage” And Nicky Trasvina co-producer

Shannon Sheppard, Director Holt Labor Library

(* for identification only)

(* for identification only)



Conference Location:

University of San Francisco Main Campus is located near the north east corner of the Golden Gate Park, between Golden Gate Ave. and Fulton St., and Masonic Ave. and Parker Ave. in San Francisco. The registration will be at the McLaren Complex on the campus. Nearest entrance will be from Fulton near Cole, or Golden Gate Ave. near Roselyn Ter. Parking will be on street parking. Bus from the downtown will be #5 Fulton or #31 Balboa.