2018 Labor Notes Conference, April 6-8 in Chicago

The conference schedule is now available!

Click here (PDF) or here (interactive online schedule) to check out this year's fantastic lineup, by far our biggest ever, with 200 meetings, workshops, and main sessions.

Online registration is now closed, but it's not too late to attend the Labor Notes Conference!

We'll have walk-in registration at the door starting at 10 a.m. Friday, 7:30 a.m. Saturday, and 8 a.m. Sunday. Registration is $150 for the full weekend or $50 for one day. The banquet is sold out.

Get in touch with the labor movement's fighting spirit—meet us in Chicago!

Labor Notes Conferences are the biggest gatherings out there of grassroots union activists, worker center leaders, and all-around troublemakers.

• Join thousands of union members, officers, and labor activists who are on the front lines in our workplaces and our communities, organizing new workers and agitating together. Meet troublemakers from across the country and around the world.
• 200 meetings and workshops include creative organizing tactics, beating apathy, running for local union office, winning contract campaigns, bargaining over technology, understanding the economy, life after “right to work,” and reviving the strike.
• Organize with others in your union, industry, or campaign. Face-to-face meetings to share tactics and swap notes are the heart of the Labor Notes Conference. Join an existing industry, union, or caucus meeting—or contact us to set one up.

Don’t miss a weekend of inspiration, education, and agitation.

We can't wait to see you this Friday at the 2018 Labor Notes Conference! This will be our biggest conference ever, with more than 2,500 people already registered. Here's what you need to know: WHEN: Workshops begin Friday, April 6, at 1 p.m., and the closing session ends Sunday, April 8, around 2 p.m. WHERE: Hyatt Regency O'Hare, 9300 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Rosemont, IL 60018

ON THIS PAGE:

• What's on the program: Check out our online schedule.
• Registration and check-in: What to do when you arrive. Walk-in registration info. International registration. Cancellations.
• Creature comforts: Air travel. Food. Hotels. Shuttles. Parking. Packing. Weather. Family needs. Other needs.
• Help us out: Bring your union swag to donate to our raffle. Help build a selfie station. Volunteer. And please be patient!

WHAT'S ON THE PROGRAM:

NEW: Online schedule "app"! Our interactive schedule works on your cell phone or computer. You can view the lineup of workshops and meetings, sort by track, search for a particular speaker or topic, and bookmark your favorites. We'll keep this version up to date with late-breaking program changes, too. Click here to check it out. You can also view a PDF of the full schedule, including main sessions, here. Hashtag: #labornotes

REGISTRATION AND CHECK-IN:

Check-in: When you arrive, come to the Registration table to pick up your badge, program book, and packet of materials. The Registration table will be open Thurdsay night from 5 to 8 p.m., Friday beginning at 10 a.m., Saturday beginning at 8 a.m., and Sunday beginning at 7:30 a.m. If you can't find us in the hotel, ask someone to point you towards Grand Ballroom Registration.... or just say you're looking for the Labor Notes Conference. International check-in: International guests (other than those from Canada and Puerto Rico) will have their own line in the regsitration area. Look for a sign that says "International Registration." Walk-in registration: It's not too late to invite a co-worker or friend to the Labor Notes Conference! Registration at the door is $150 for the whole weekend or $50 for one day. The banquet is sold out. Can't attend? Only partial refunds are available at this point. A better option is to transfer your registration to someone else, or make it available for those who need scholarships. Call 313-842-6262.

CREATURE COMFORTS:

Air travel: Fly to Chicago O’Hare (ORD). There is a free shuttle to the hotel. Food: If you registered in advance, your registration fee includes light breakfasts and Saturday night banquet. The banquet is now sold out. Lunches (and Friday dinner) will be for sale at cash stands inside the hotel, and there are some restaurants in walking distance, but lines may be long. Please consider bringing some snacks with you. Hotel: If you're traveling to Chicago for the conference, we hope you've already lined up a place to stay. If not, do it now! The Hyatt and some nearby hotels have already filled up, but there are hotels with availability in Rosemont in short driving distance, and the conference hotel is a short walk from the Rosemont station on the CTA Blue Line commuter train. Shuttles between hotels: For those staying at other hotels, some shuttles will be available: Loews is providing shuttles to the Hyatt in the morning. Hyatt is providing shuttles to Loews, Crowne Plaza, and ALOFT in the evening. Hyatt also has shuttles to the airport and the Airport Hilton, leaving every 15 minutes. However, shuttle capacity may not match the large crowds we are expecting. Please get an early start in the mornings, and consider leaving the shuttles for those who need them. If you're someone who enjoys a brisk walk or can split a taxi with other conferencegoers, great! Parking: Limited parking is available on-site at the hotel for $5/day.. Packing: Be sure to leave space in your suitcase for the books and T-shirts you may want to buy! Besides Labor Notes' own stuff we have many great vendors lined up. Weather: The weather forecast for Chicago is cold. Don't worry, we've got you covered: you can buy Troublemakers hoodies and winter hats at our merchandise table. Familes: During the conference, we will have available a lactation station (a room for anyone who needs to breastfeed or pump milk) and an unstaffed family room (a quiet space to go if you or your kids need a break from all the hullabaloo). Other needs: We should have already heard from you if you want to request childcare or language interpretation. If you have important last-minute requests that require accomodation in advance, we need to hear from you right away: conference[at]labornotes[dot]org

HELP US OUT:

Donate your union swag to Labor Notes raffle! We will be raffling off items at the banquet as part of our fundraiser and would greatly appreciate a donation of your best union swag! We will accept hoodies, shirts, hats, buttons, stickers... basically anything that won't cause someone trouble when trying to board a plane. We will be accepting donated items at the registration desk from the time we open until Saturday at 6 p.m. Help us build our selfie station! We will also be reprising the popular selfie station and would love for you to add to it. Just bring a union button, sticker, patch, or any other item that can be added to the fabric so we can build a mosaic that represents the rich variety of groups at the Labor Notes conference! Volunteering: It's not too late to volunteer! Labor Notes has a tiny staff, and we couldn't put on this conference without the 100+ people who help out with setup and takedown, registration, carrying flipcharts around, and much more. We'd be grateful for your help! If you'd be willing to work a volunteer shift, please email chris[at]labornotes[dot]org. Feel free to check out the schedule first and let Chris know some times you could be available. Please be patient: The largest, most dynamic conference yet also means new logistical challenges. We are working hard to expand our capacity, for instance by ordering more coffee and lining up more volunteers at the registration table. Still, if there are lines or delays or traffic jams, please be patient and be a problem-solver. We're all on the same team!

SEE YOU THERE!

For the latest details, visit labornotes.org/conference or contact us at conference[at]labornotes[dot]org / 718-284-4144. Messages left on this phone after Thursday, April 5, will not be retrieved until after the conference.

WE’LL BE THERE!

"We organized our union at Lipton Tea a year ago and just won our first contract. I’m excited to attend my first Labor Notes Conference and to talk with other workers about how they are standing up to management. Labor Notes is a place where activists like me can learn how to make our unions stronger."

—Anita Anderson, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400, Suffolk, Virginia

"Labor Notes shows us that our struggle isn’t a lonely one. I’ve met workers from all across the globe dealing with the same issues that we deal with working at UPS. From taking on subcontracting and automation to building a network of workplace activists and organizing a contract campaign, you learn how to tackle the hard issues. After every Conference I come back energized and better educated."

—Nick Perry, Teamsters Local 413, Columbus, Ohio

“Seeing us all together at the last Labor Notes Conference rallying for the same cause made me realize that this is a fight worth staying in. I was especially moved when I got to hear the leaders of the Driscoll’s blueberry workers fight, since I’d been telling my students about the boycott. Being a part of all that solidified my decision to step up and take on more leadership in my own union.”

—Gloria Martinez, United Teachers Los Angeles, California