Building Good Jobs and Strong Communities

S T R A T E G I E S
Building the  High Road  with Unions, Communities, Governments  and  Business
The challenges facing workers and employers are immense—escalating competition, rising costs and rapidly changing technologies and work processes. For tens of thousands of union and community leaders in big cities and small towns, and for urban and rural communities that are coming together to develop new strategies to create good jobs and strengthen local labor markets, the Working for America Institute provides essential support and assistance. A key event in bringing these organizations and leaders together is the Institute's National Conference. The June 1999 conference attracted over 500 leading labor, community, education and training leaders from across the country. In depth day long training sessions combined with dozens of workshops and general sessions over 4 days provided a wealth of practical information and face-to-face contact with peers. The Institute also works to encourage the spread of similar conferences to cities and towns across the nation, empowering greater numbers of workers and communities to control their own destiny. The Working for America Institute supports projects that bring people together behind a high-road agenda through new worker-centered institutions. As more of these efforts emerge across the country, we expect to provide even more assistance—and to spread the word about their work and success. The Institute also helps state and local labor organizations increase their capacity to mobilize community support.	Katie Quan, U.C. Berkley Center for Labor Research and Education and Institute Executive Director Bruce Herman at the 1999 National Conference.
Labor-Community Partnerships Partnerships between unions and community groups have been a vital feature of the most successful high-road regional development initiatives. Through them, unions can deepen their roots in the broader community of working families; community groups can provide better access to union jobs with decent pay and benefits, and opportunities for ongoing skill development. From carpentry and machining to hotels and hospitals, unions are working with minority communities and new immigrant groups to develop career opportunities for low-income workers and the unemployed. Together, unions and community organizations can be a powerful voice for workers and their families.

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