Labortech 2008

Labortech, an international labor technology and media conference will be held in SF this coming Dec 5,6&7. Labor media activists will look at new technology and how workers can use and develop this powerful tool.

LaborTech 2008

http://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 one of the greatest financial crisis in the history of the United States and internationally. 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:
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


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:

John See, University of Minnesota Labor Education Service/Videogapher

Nancy Bupp, Formerly with Education Department IAM International*

Julian Peeples, California School Employees Association* 


Yeo Shinjoung, Radical Reference, Stanford Library*

Eric Goldhagen, Open Flows http://openflows.com/

Bruce Wolf, Founder http://www.public.freemuni.net public broadband

Edward Hasbrouck, The Identity Project Privacy & Repression

Andrew Kong Knight, Berkeley Federation of Teachers, Angry Tired Teachers Band AT&T

Jack Chernos, AFM Local 6* and Labor Musician

Naj Alikhan, SEIU 1000 Senior Communications Specialist

Mehmet & Gulden Bayran, LaborFest Turkey & Sendika.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”

Colette Washington, CNA/NNOC OnlineCommunications

Jeff Smedberg, Reelworks Labor Film Festival, SEIU 521*

James Jacobs, Radical Reference, Stanford Library

Carl Bryant, TV 214, NALC 214*

Steve Dondley, Promethus & ILCA New Orleans Website http://www.neworleanslabormedia.org

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

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, Attorney, Privacy Activism

David Frias, Media Director of Living Wage and Producer Of “SF Living Wage”

Shannon Sheppard, Director Holt Labor Library

Jano Oscherwitz, SEIU 1021 Videographer

Gifford Hartman, Laborfest.net Historian

(* 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.

Endorsed by San Francisco Labor Council, NALC 214, California School Employees Association CSEA, International Labor Communication Association ILCA, South Bay Labor Council, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555, ILWU Local 10, Labornet.org, TV214, International Union Of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, Sign and Display Union Local 510, Southern Oregon Central Labor Council, Southern Oregon Jobs with Justice, UA 393, United Educators Of San Francisco, Reelworks.org, Labornet,

LaborTech 2008 Schedule
FRIDAY, December 5

4:00 - 5:30 PM Workshop on International Labor Communication with LaborTech Panel and Marco Berlinguer (Labour and Globalization Network at the World Social Forum) - (McLaren 252)

5:00 - 7:00 PM Registration - (McLaren Center rm. 252)

7:00 PM Korean Labor Film Screening of March For Labor Emancipation and Report on International Labor Networking

Pedro Angel Rivera - Labor videographer FMPR Puerto Rico

Russ Miyashiro - ILWU Local 34

Mehmet Bayran - Sendika, Turkey



SATURDAY, December 6

8:00 - 9:00 AM Registration - (McLaren 252)

(Morning refreshments - Coffee, tea with bagels, sweets)

9:00 - 9:20 AM Opening & Welcoming - (McLaren 252)

Committee Members

Jake McGoldrick - Member, SF Board of Supervisors, past president of the USF AFT Local 4269

Dorothy Kidd – USF Departmet of Media Studies



9:30 - 10:45 AM Plenary & Discussion - (McLaren 252)

The Economic Crisis, Labor Media and Breaking The Information Blockade

Jesse Russell - Workers Independent News (WIN)

Collete Washington - CNA/NNOC On-line Communications

Michael Perelman - Economist, CSUC

Steve Stallone, President ILCA

11:00 - 12:30 PM Workshop I

How To Stream your rallies and conferences on the web with YouTube, Skype and Pod Casting (KA- )

John Parulis - Media democracy activist, brightpathvideo.com

Collete Washington - CNA/NNOC On-line Communications

John See - Labor Education Service, University of Minnesota

Public Broadband, Democratic Communication And Defending Our Rights (UC-419)

Bruce Wolfe - FreeMuni.net

Dorothy Kidd - USF Dep. of Media Studies

Chris Witteman - Telecommunication rights attorney

Andrew Clement (from Canada by Skype) - Professor, University of Toronto

Using Websites And The Internet For Communication, Information And Solidarity (UC-421)

Nancy Brigham - Labor technology educator

Mathew Hardy - UESF Communications

Zev Kvitky - SEIU 2000, president

Naj Alikhan, SEIU 1000 Senior Communications Specialist

How To Produce A Labor Radio Show (UC-417)

Wes Brain - Labor radio producer “Brain Labor Report”

Jason Houck - KSKQ Radio Engineer

Wren Bradley -SEIU 521 Steward Past producer of "Labor Matters"



12:30 - 1:30 PM Lunch & Films (McLaren 252)

(Film Screening)

1:45 -3:15 PM Workshops II

Developing An International Labor Media Network (KA-)

Pedro Angel Rivera - Labor film-maker, Puerto Rico

Steve Zeltzer - Labor Video Project, LaborNet

Steve Dondley - Prometheus Communications

How To Produce A Community Access Labor TV Show And Labor TV Programming (UC-419)

Carl Bryant - Letter Carriers Today, NALC214

Tami Bryant - SEIU 1000, Union Buzz

David Frias - Producer, Living Wage

Nicky Trasvina - Co-Producer “Living Wage”

Defending Libraries, democracy and Privatization of Information (UC-417)

Yeo Shinjoung - Librarian, Radical Reference

James Jacobs - Radical Reference

Shannon Sheppard - Holt Labor Library

Labor Culture and Using The Internet (UC-421)

Andrew Knight - Berkeley Federation Of Teachers, Angry Tired Teachers Band

Jack Chernos - Labor Musician, AFM 6

Colette Washington - CNA/NNOC On-line Communications



3:30 - 5:00 PM Workshop III

Open Source, CMS, Droople, What These Are And How To Use Them (KA)

Steve Dondley - Prometheus Communications

Nancy Brigham - Labor technology educator

Privacy and Surveillance In The Workplace And The Street (UC)

Nancy Bupp - Labor educator formerly with IAM Education Department

Edward Hasbrouck - UAW NWU member, travel writer

How To Produce Labor Video Documentaries (KA)

Vivian Price - CFA, CSUDH, film maker

Nick Yale - SEIU 1000, labor videographer

Jano Oscherwitz - SEIU 1021, videographer, Berkeley Community Media

Crescent Diamond - Videographer, educator

Electronification of Medical Records, Privacy and Genetic Tracking (UC)

Julian Peeples - Communication specialist, CSEA

Linda Ackerman - Privacy Right attorny

6:30 - 9:00 PM Dinner Event & Entertainment (Please reserve for this dinner - $25/person)

Location: Lee Hou Restaurant - 332 Clement St, between 4th & 5th Ave. (It might take 25 to 30 min. by walking from USF– Please contact Kazmi at registration desk if you need a ride)

(If you have time, visit the best-unionized UFCW bookstore Green Apple in San Francisco. This bookstore has a large used book section including labor. It is also located a block and a half away from where our dinner will be held. -506 Clement between 6th and 7th St.)



SUNDAY, December 7

9:00 - 9:30 AM Registration - (McLaren 252)

(Morning refreshments - Coffee, tea with bagels, sweets)

9:30 - 10:45 AM Plenary & Discussion (McLaren 252)

Labor & Social Networking: Using The Internet To Build A Democratic Labor Communications Network

Steve Dondley - Prometheus Communications

Zev Kvitky (invited) - SEIU 2000, president

Naj Alikhan, SEIU 1000 Senior Communications Specialist

11:00 - 12:30 AM Workshops IV

New Technology, Health & Safety and Labor (UC-417)

Dr. Larry Rose - Cal-OSHA doctor, retired, environmental activist

Sheila Davis - E.D., Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition

Carol Criss - Steward, SEIU UHW Kaiser Santa Teresa

How To Build A Labor Film/Cultural Arts Festival (UC-421)

Jeff Smedberg - Reelworks.org, SEIU 521

Jimmy Kelley - Coordinator, San Jose Labor Studies Department

Gifford Hartman - LaborFest Organizing Committee member

Mehmet Bayran - LaborFest Turkey

Streaming Your Labor Videos And Using Cell Phones (KA-)

John Parulis - Media democracy activist, brightpathvideo.com

John See - Labor Education Service, University of Minnesota

Internet Telephony, Cell Phones and Open Source For Labor (UC-419)

Todd Davies - Stanford University, Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility

Wayne McPhail by Video Conference - rabble.com

Eric Goldhagen - openflows.com

12:45 -145 PM Lunch Plenary (McLaren 252)

Union Busting, Labor Journalism And The Future of News, Broadcast & Media Workers

Dick Meister - Journalist, labor reporter of KQED Newsroom & SF Chronicle

Peter B. Collins - Radio producer, AFTRA

Peter Phillips - Professor, Sonoma State College, Director Project Censored

Leroy Jackson Jr. - CWA-NABET 53* invited



2:00 - 3:30 PM Workshops V

Blogging, Social Networks and Building Channels on The Web How to Use These Tools (KA-)

John See - Labor Education Service, University of Minnesota

Steve Dondley - Prometheus Communications

Representative from SEIU UHW

Laboradio.org What It Is And How To Support It (UC-417)

Jesse Russell - Workers Independent News (WIN)

Carl Bryant - Letter Carriers Today, NALC214

The Web, Searching For Info and Librarians (UC-19)

Yeo Shinjoung - Librarian, Stanford University

Shannon Sheppard - Director, Holt Labor Library

James Jacobs - Radical Reference



3:45 - 4:45 PM Proposals For Action & Organizing (McLaren 252)