In every direction, the labor movement is confronting significant and rapidly evolving changes in the social, political, environmental and economic landscape. Whether it’s workers navigating the transition to “green jobs,” unions striking for protections in the face of new AI technologies, or debates about how the labor movement should engage with domestic and international politics — now is a critical moment for organizers and researchers to reflect and strategize for the road ahead. How should the labor movement move forward when the road is changing beneath our feet? The LRAN 2024 conference will create a space for labor organizers and researchers to engage in mutual learning, strategic discussion, and bridging connections.
Co-hosted by the University of Oregon's Labor Education and Research Center, this year’s LRAN conference invites participants from universities, unions, worker centers, policy organizations, and others involved in the work of labor justice to submit proposals (including trainings, workshops, roundtables) for 60-90 minute sessions that address one of the following tracks:
- Renewable energy / climate change / just transition / environmental justice
- The impact of AI and other emerging technologies and technological shifts
- Labor’s engagement with global politics and solidarity
- Fostering democracy in our workplaces, our unions and other labor organizations, and in the broader public sphere
- New experiments in organizing and representation
LRAN conferences have always included a broad range of workshops proposed and organized by attendees from labor, NGOs, and academia. We encourage all proposals to include intersections with racial and gender justice issues. Proposals that include a range of participants from different fields or perspectives (i.e., academics and labor activists and organizers), and that clearly detail a focus on research-to-action case studies or new research skills will be prioritized. We encourage a wide range of formats that engage participants, including trainings, roundtable discussions, video/film screenings and panels. We highly encourage training proposals for this conference. We are also introducing limited space for “campfire sessions” as a new format for this conference. Proposals to host a discussion around a timely/pressing theme or question with any participants who are interested will be considered. Campfire sessions are a chance to have a fully interactive session that gives conference participants the opportunity to meet and chat with people with shared interests. The conference committee will support the selected facilitators for these sessions.
LRAN 2024 conference strives to be an accessible, multilingual conference. Interpretation and other supports for access needs are available upon request. Please denote which languages in your proposal and any additional access needs. This conference is in person only. More detailed information about the conference will be provided when registration opens in the spring. Please feel free to reach out to Erin Johansson (erin@jwj.org) with any further questions or if you have any specific needs that you feel need to be addressed.
To submit a proposal, fill out this form by Friday, March 8th: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdN2XFXWj7ULAR2BYAnIKaGVKKN1GZu9SecbahKdoacH1AQ4g/viewform
The conference will be held at Portland State University's University Place Hotel, where we have a room block for $113/night. To book a room, call the hotel directly at 503-221-0140.
