Overview  |  Registration

The Future of Work in Massachusetts:
A Statewide Conference

April 28, 2005
University of Massachusetts Boston

Labor and community leaders will come together with UMass faculty and staff to explore issues of the changing economy, workplace change and their impact on workers.  The conference will feature reports from twelve pieces of research that have been commissioned for the project, as well as a number of panels and interactive workshops.

Schedule

8:30 am  Registration and continental breakfast

9:15 am  Welcome and opening speakers

• Susan Moir, Director, UMass Boston Labor Resource Center
• Dr. Keith Motley, Chancellor, UMass Boston
• Mark Brenner, “The Massachusetts Economy: The Growing Divide with Uneven Prospects”
• Rocio Saenz, President, SEIU 615, Building and Service Workers

10:30 am Concurrent workshops: Reporting on UMass research on the Future of Work

I. Women, People of Color, and Immigrants in Massachusetts Workplaces

• Xiaogang Deng and Lening Zhang. “Historical Patterns of Racial Occupational Attainment and Policy Implications.”
• Marlene Kim. “The Future of Low-Paid Work for Women in Massachusetts?”
• Tom Juravich. “Guatemalan Immigrants in the Fish Processing Industry in New Bedford, Massachusetts.”

II. Massachusetts in the Global Economy: Production Shifts, Outsourcing and Deindustrialization

• Stephanie Luce and Kate Bronfenbrenner. “Capital Mobility and Job Loss in Massachusetts: A Look at Production Shifts and Outsourcing.”
• Bob Forrant. “Greater-Springfield Deindustrialization: Staggering Job Loss, A Shrinking Revenue Base and Grinding Decline.”
• Dan Georgianna and Corinn Williams. “Automation and Outsourcing in Southeastern Massachusetts.”

III. Beyond the Massachusetts Miracle: The Future of High-Tech

• Sarah Kuhn and Paula Rayman. “Software and Internet Industry Workers in Massachusetts.”
• William Lazonick and Steven Quimby. “Transitions of a Displaced High-Tech Laborforce.”

IV. On the Job: The Changing Nature of Work and the Workplace in Massachusetts

• Charley Richardson and Nancy Lessin. “Call Centers and the Postal Service: Looking at the Future of Work in Massachusetts.”
• Randall P. Wilson. “Career Ladders in the Massachusetts Long-term Care Sector: Prospects for Job Mobility in the New Economy.”
• Francoise Carre. “Social and Economic Costs of Employee Misclassification in the Massachusetts Construction Industry."

V. More Than a Paycheck: Work and Family in Massachusetts

• Maureen Perry-Jenkins. “Linkages between Workplace Policies and Well-Being of Working Class Families.”
• Randy Albelda and Alan Clayton-Matthews. “Paying Off: The Cost and Benefits of Paid Parental Leave in Massachusetts.”
• Dan Clawson and Naomi Gerstel. “The Politics of Time: Negotiations and Constraints in Four Health Care Occupations.”

Workshop response and comments from:

• Lydia Lowe, Chinese Progressive Association; Martie Voland, UNITE HERE; Nancy DeProsse, Amherst Family Center, and others.

12:15 pm Lunch: Tribute to Workers Memorial Day

12:45 pm Panel: The Future of Work is Now—Views from the Workplace

• Workers and organizers from a variety of sectors describe how their work has changed and the impacts of the changes.
• Speakers will include Mark Lohan, Painters District Council 35; Peter DeRouen, UFCW 791 and others.

1:45 pm  Afternoon Breakouts: Taking Back the Future - How can we begin to develop
         a common strategy for shaping a future that works for working people?

• In concurrent discussion groups, we will attempt to digest the new knowledge that has been presented during the day, identify directions for further research, and begin to come up with potential strategic directions for ongoing work.

3:30 pm Plenary: Political Theater from Reflect and Strengthen, young women nurturing positive social change through creative expression and political education.

• Summary of the day and group discussion.
• Speaker: Robert Haynes, President, Massachusetts AFL-CIO

5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Closing reception: Food, music and schmooze.