2009 Workshops

The 2009 Good Jobs, Green Jobs National Conference offered a wide variety of workshops that allowed participants to explore new ideas and exchange best practices for development of the new, green economy.

Presentations are available for some workshops speakers. See below in the workshop description and click on hyperlinked speakers for their presentations.

Check out the 2009 Conference Journal.

Workshop Session 1: Wednesday, February 4, 2009, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

WS 1 – Green for All: Prison Re-Entry and Green Jobs

In the United States, incarceration is no longer an experience for the few. Today, there are over 2.3 million people behind bars, compared to 200,000 in 1970. African-Americans are shockingly over represented: only 13 percent of the U.S. population, African-Americans are 51 percent of the prison population. The U.S. imprisons 1 out of 136 people — the highest documented per capita rate of incarceration in the world. And yet 95 percent of all prisoners incarcerated today will eventually be released and must successfully gain legal employment. The barriers to do so faced by ex-offenders are numerous, but those barriers can be overcome with good policies, investments, and programs, and by making connections to jobs and hope offered by the emerging green economy.

Moderator: Susan Tucker, After-Prison Initiative, Open Society Institute
Speakers:
Brenda Palms-Barber, CEO, North Lawndale Employment Network; Founder, Sweet Beginnings, LLC
Cop Lieu, Green For All Acadamy Fellow; Peer Support Worker, The Work Group
Jumaani Bates, Wilbur Wright College; Chicagoland Green Collar Jobs Initiative

WS 2 – Regional Climate Policy: Cooperation, Collaboration and Challenges

Regional alliances in the Northeast, Midwest and West are forging innovative multi-state climate change platforms. In what ways does this vital environmental work intersect with green economic development? Who's at the table and how did they get there? With states leading the charge, hear reports from the front lines.

Moderator: Darren Springer, Senior Policy Analyst, National Governors Association Center for Best Practices
Speakers:
Barbara Byrd, Secretary-Treasurer, Oregon AFL-CIO; Convener, Oregon Apollo Alliance
Keith Reopelle, Senior Policy Director, Clean Wisconsin
Rob Sargent, Energy Program Director, Environment America

WS 3 – Green Means More than Windmills: How Do We Make Green Chemistry Products and Practices Safer and Healthier for All

In the lab. On the farm. In our homes. With this session, learn how scientists, farmers, builders, manufacturers and activists are becoming partners in designing cleaner products and a greener future. What will it take for the United States to be able to produce jobs and products that are safe for the people who make them, safe for the people who use them and safe for the environment we all share?

Moderator: Ansje Miller, Policy Director, Center for Environmental Health
Speakers:
Paul Anastas, Director, Yale Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering
Jim Harkness, President, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
Mark Rossie, Research Director, Clean Production Action
Bill Walsh, Founder and National Coordinator, Healthy Building Network

WS 4 – Greening Our Nation's Capital

Washington, D.C. is one of the leading cities in the nation for green buildings, with over 309 registered projects. Participants will learn what is happening in the nation’s capital in the private, non-profit and local government sectors to make D.C. a model green city. Hear how local government initiatives and policies are creating a market for more energy conservation, green building development and improved storm water management. Meet some of the local non-profit partners who are leading the way in helping to better connect local residents and businesses to the growing green economy in Washington, D.C.

Moderator: Irv Sheffey, Environmental Justice Organizer, Sierra Club
Speakers:
Joe Andronao, President, USA Technology
George Hawkins, Director, D.C. Department of the Environment
Sara Loveland, Interim Executive Director, DC Greenworks

Workshop Session 2: Wednesday, February 4, 2009, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

WS 5 – Sustainable Supply Chain 101

From ports and warehouses to package delivery and waste removal, we depend on a complex web of modes of transportation that provides a wide range of consumer goods and services. Organized labor is a crucial partner in ensuring a shift to a supply chain that sustains the environment it touches, the standard of living and public health of the workers, consumers and communities it reaches and the economic sectors that it affects. This workshop will review the supply chain and discuss the strategic opportunities to improve workers’ lives and develop green, sustainable practices.

Moderator: Iain Gold, Director of Research and Strategic Campaigns, International Bortherhood of Teamsters (IBT)
Speakers:
Bama Athreya, Executive Director, International Labor Rights Forum
Candice Kim, Senior Campaign Associate, Coalition for Clean Air
Ami Gadhia, Policy Council, Consumers Union

WS 6 – Spurring Private Investment in the Local Green Economy

These are heady times for federal government action on energy. And there are certainly strong arguments that we need a bold national strategy on clean energy soon. But there is also a critical need for private sector investment, in everything from developing green buildings and local manufacturing facilities, to financing retrofits, to working with local governments to re-imagine economic development in a way that considers both economic and environmental sustainability. This panel looks at the question of how to spur private interest in the green economy at the local level, with an emphasis on the role of private capital in these tough financial times.

Moderator: Kate Gordon, Co-Director, Apollo Alliance
Speakers:
Michael Caplan, Manager, Office of Economic Development, City of Berkeley
Herve Houdre, General Manager, Willard Hotel, Washington, D.C.
Cliff Majersik, Program Director, Institute for Market Transformation; LEED AP*
Emmaia Gelman, Director of Green Policy, Center for Working Families

*If you are interested in Mr. Majersick's presentation, please email kellys@bluegreenalliance.org.

WS 7 – Amendment 37 and Beyond: Shifting Policies and Public Interest

This workshop will look at how diverse constituencies working together can put clean energy on the agenda by taking it to voters. In 2004, a coalition of business, labor and environmental groups worked to put Amendment 37 on the ballot, and won. The Clean Energy Initiative is widely credited with breaking a political log-jam on the debate about the clean energy economy and for transforming the policy agenda on energy in Colorado.

Moderator: Rob Sargent, Energy Program Director, Environment America
Speakers:
Matthew Baker, Commissioner, Colorado Public Utilities
Neal Hall, Business Manager, Colorado Building and Construction Trades Council
Pam Kiely, Legislative Director, Environment Colorado

Workshop Session 3: Thursday, February 5, 2009, 9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

WS 8 – Green Recovery: Creating Good Jobs that Build a Low-Carbon Economy

The top priority for the 111th Congress, and the newly-installed Obama administration, will be to pass a stimulus and recovery package to jump-start the economy and create jobs. Green infrastructure and workforce training will undoubtedly constitute a large component of this package, potentially to the tune of over $100 billion dollars. This panel will explain exactly why and how green investments are such a good source of economic stimulus and job creation; then look ahead to other forthcoming legislative opportunities for moving a green jobs and infrastructure agenda, such as the transportation bill reauthorization and broader energy and climate policies.

Moderator: Kate Gordon, Co-Director, Apollo Alliance
Speakers:
Bracken Hendricks, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
Jeremy Symons, Climate Change Program Manager, National Wildlife Federation
Phil Mattera, Research Director, Good Jobs First

WS 8.1 – Make our Future Work: An Economic Renewal Plan to Rebuild the Promise of America

The policies of the last 30 years have gotten us in the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. The inauguration of President Barack Obama gives us the opportunity to change those policies, but it will require an educated, mobilized movement of concerned citizens to do so. This presentation will review the current status of the U.S. economy and outline the USW plan for economic renewal. We will pay special attention to the case for a green economy and the conditions under which a green economy works for workers. And we will call on you to join us in our campaign.

Speakers:
Ron Bloom, Special Assistant to the President, United Steelworkers
Lisa Jordan, Associate Director, Education and Leadership Department, United
Steelworkers

WS 9 – Investing in the New Energy Economy

The rich scientific and technical resources of American universities, private-sector inventors, and national laboratories have been responsible for significant breakthroughs in building efficiency, solar panels, wind turbines, carbon sequestration, and other clean-energy and environmental technologies. These capital markets can be harnessed to support federal, state and local economic development efforts to create high quality green-collar jobs.

Moderator: Richard Eidlin, Business Consultant, Apollo Alliance
Speakers:
Shari Berenbach, President and CEO, Calvert Foundation
Peter Knight, Managing Partner and President of U.S. Business, Generation Investment Management
Nancy Pfund, Managing Director, DBL Investors

WS 10 – Building Quality Employment Opportunities in a Greening Supply Chain

The green economy will undoubtedly include new types of transportation and logistics jobs. The question remains: how we can ensure that these will be good jobs? The focus of this workshop will be on efforts that link workers rights with the public good.

Moderator: John Williams, Director, Warehouse Division, International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT)
Speakers:
Alexis Baden-Meyer, Political Director, Organic Consumers Association
Dave Cameron, Assistant to the Director, Teamsters Rail Conference, International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) (Presentation, Map)
Greg LeRoy, Executive Director, Good Jobs First
Nicholas Rudikoff, Research Coordinator, Change to Win
Brooke Suter, Diesel Campaign Director, Clean Air Task Force

WS 11 – Transportation Act Reauthorization

Every five years, our Transportation Act is reauthorized, setting spending priorities for the nation's transportation infrastructure. In 2009, no piece of legislation could be more important for setting the nation on the track to encourage mass transportation, the revival of freight rail, greening our nation's transportation fleet, and setting an aggressive agenda for creating millions of good, green jobs and solving the climate crisis.

Moderator: Donald Ross, Campaign Director, Transportation for America; CEO, M+R Strategic Services
Speaker:
Deron Lovaas, Federal Transportation Policy Director, Natural Resources Defense Council

The original WS 11 (Opportunities and Challenges for Transforming the Toxic Economy) was cancelled. If you registered for WS 11 and would like to change your registration, please contact Jennifer Bakkom at 612-378-4184 or jenb@bluegreenalliance.org.

WS 12 – State Climate Policy: Two Pacific Powerhouses

How and why should labor unions support climate initiatives that will inevitably impact workers across the economic spectrum, with notable challenges for families in low-income communities and workers in traditional industries? This workshop offers insights from California and Washington, the first states to specifically link climate legislation to green-jobs measures.

Moderator: Carla Din, Western Regional Field Director, Apollo Alliance
Speakers:
Carol Zabin, Senior Labor Policy Specialist, UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education
Barbara Byrd, Secretary-Treasurer, Oregon AFL-CIO; Convenor, Oregon Apollo Alliance
Patrick Neville, Coordinator, WA Apollo
Tim Rainey, Executive Director, Workforce and Economic Development, California Labor Federation

WS 13 – Green For All: Apprenticeship Programs – Models that Work for All

Labor-management partnership and registered apprenticeship programs have a superb track record of success in training workers and setting them on a pathway to good jobs and living-wage careers. But ensuring that people of color and women have access to these programs and careers is still a challenge. Green-collar jobs provide an enormous opportunity to bring a new generation of workers, particularly workers of color, into the trades, building community and the labor movement at the same time, while ensuring that we have the skilled workforce necessary to rebuild and retrofit the nation.

Moderator: Dan Marschall, Workforce Development Policy Specialist, AFL-CIO
Speakers:
Elizabeth Reynoso, Coordinator of Planning and Community Partnerships, New Jersey Institute for Social Justice
Todd Swanstrom, Professor of Community Collaboration and Public Policy Administration, University of Missouri-St. Louis
Arthur (Art) Shanks, Executive Director, Cypress Mandela Training Center, Inc.

WS 14 – Green Schools: Strengthening our Economy by Investing in Our Children

As Congress begins to set its sight on school modernization, and more specifically green school modernization, state and local leaders from across the country have developed innovative ways to deliver the benefits of green schools to their communities. Hear unique perspectives from three green schools leaders across the U.S. who found that more strategic investment in our children’s schools is creating healthier and greener school environments and helping to drive the creation of good, high-paying jobs.

Moderator: Jason Hartke, Director of Advocacty and Public Policy, U.S. Green Building Council
Speakers:
Darryl Alexander, Health and Safety Coordinator, American Federation of Teachers
Susan Hagan, Small and Developing Business Liaison, School Facilities Commission Project
John Weeks, Architect, Dull Olson Weekes Architects
Mayor Frank Cownie, Des Moines, IA

WS 15 – The Case for Clean Coal and Carbon Capture and Sequestration

The workshop will examine the potential climate benefits of carbon capture and sequestration. This session will include an assessment of the state of technology development and discussion of the anticipated applications of CCS.

Moderator: Abraham Breehey, Director of Legislative Affairs, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers
Speakers:
Howard Herzog, Principle Research Engineer, MIT Laboratory for Energy and Environment
Robert Hilton, Vice President, Power Technologies for Government Affairs, Alstom Power, Inc.

WS 16 – Breakthrough on Climate in the 111th Congress?

Will this be the breakthrough year for energy and global warming legislation? Panelists will discuss the priorities for the new president and the environmental and labor communities, as well as the likelihood that we will see action on these priorities this year in Congress.

Moderator: Kate Johnson, Associate Washington Representative, Sierra Club
Speakers:
Greg Dotson, House Energy and Commerce Committee
Joel Beqauvais, Majority Council, Select Committee on Energy Independence, and Global Warming
Bettina Poirier, Staff Director/Chief Council, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee

WS 17 – Doing Well by Doing Good: Equalizing and Incentivizing Risks and Rewards between Wall Street and Main Street in the Green Economy

This panel discusses how investors, unions, companies, workers, government and NGOs can work together not only to respect and reward the taking of successful market risk, but where reasonableness and performance-based shared equity among stakeholders and shareholders prevail as primary values. Progressive combinations of financial risks and rewards will transform the emerging green economy into the green and just economy, where the national environmental equation become a virtuous cycle by creating new opportunities for social betterment that are profitable. Panelists will look at examples of progressive capitalism models using the new green economic platform where green economy finance is progressive and profitable, and does well by doing good.

Moderator: Michael Peck, Founder, MAPA Group
Speakers:
Julie Katzman, Partner, MAPA Group
Colin le Duc, Partner, Generation Investment Management, LLP

Ken Delaney, Assistant to the National Director for Canada, United Steelworkers

Kathleen McGinty, Founding Partner, Peregrine Technology Partners

WS 17.2 – Green Jobs in Appalachia

Can clean energy technologies revitalize Appalachia? Experts talk about the possibility of an economic renaissance based on investments in wind, solar and biomass. Can they deliver jobs and opportunity to America's coal country?

Moderator: Ellen Dorsey, Executive Director, Wallace Global Fund
Speakers:
George Sterzinger, Executive Director, Renewable Energy Policy project (REPP)
Jason Bailey, Research and Policy Director, MACED
Carl Shoupe, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth
Rory McIlMoil, Coal River Mountain Watch, West Virginia.

WS 17.3 – Clean-Tech Venture Capital and the Labor Movement: Can This Marriage Work?

Among the odd bedfellows of the 2008 policy debate were the clean-tech venture capitalists and old-line labor leaders. The dialogue continues between labor and venture capitalalists who now see common cause in the policy arena.

Moderator: Aimee Christensen, Principal, Christenson Global Strategies
Speakers:
Chris Chafe, Executive Director, Change to Win
Richard Metcalf, Director LIUNA Corporate Affairs Department
Jeffrey King, Director, New Product Development -- Pacific Crest Securities
David Chen, Equilibrium Capital

Workshop Session 4: Thursday, February 5, 2009, 2:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

WS 18 – Ensuring Sustainable Movement of People and Parcels: Taking the High Road Towards Transportation Infrastructure Renewal

From ports to subways, what are the main problems with the status quo in transportation? What are the costs? Who are the winners and losers? This workshop will address the impact of transportation bills on the direction of the industry, how we define sustainable transportation, and how a shift to sustainable transportation can lead to increased worker participation and higher living standards.

Moderator: Jeff Farmer, Organizing Department Director, International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT)
Speakers:
John Krieger, Federal Tranportation Policy Analyst, U.S. PIRG
Fred McLuckie, Legislative Director, Federal Legislation and Regulation, International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT)
David Pettit, Director of the Southern California Air Quality Project, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
Ingrid Matthäus-Maier, Former CEO, KfW Bankengruppe

WS 19 – Reality Check: Climate Change, Coal and CCS

“Clean Coal,” or carbon capture and storage (CCS), has been put forth as a technological fix that aims to make coal safe for the climate. However, the technology is years from commercial deployment, and there is no guarantee it will ever be delivered. This panel discussion explores the challenges, risks and costs associated with developing and deploying a CCS infrastructure in the U.S. while discussing the potential for economic growth, energy security and jobs creation under a sustainable-energy scenario.

Moderator: Emily Rochon, Climate and Energy Campaigner, Greenpeace
Speakers:
Dr. Joseph Romm, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
Dr. Matt Wasson, Conservation Director, Appalachian Voices

WS 20 – Labor 101 and Why a Vibrant Labor Movement is Important for Environmentalists

Do you feel like you don’t know a lot about labor unions? Do you wonder why unions are important in the 21st century? Are you unfamiliar with acronyms like AFL-CIO, CTW, ULP and EFCA? Designed for environmentalists and others who may be unfamiliar with the labor movement, this workshop will address the history of labor in the U.S., explain “organizing rights” are and why they’re essential, how unions have shaped today’s workplace and why they are important to creating “good jobs.”

Moderator: Jack Heyer, International Representative, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
Speakers:
Bruce Burton, International Representative, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
Matthew Mayors, Strategic Organizer, International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT)

WS 21 – Green Jobs and Green Recoveries: International Dimensions

This workshop will provide international perspectives on the transition to green jobs, drawing on the recently released report by the United Nations Environment Programme, International Labor Organization, International Organisation of Employers and International Trade Union Confederation entitled, “Green Jobs: Towards Decent Work in a Sustainable, Low-Carbon World.” The report provides key data on employment in different environmentally-relevant sectors, including renewable energy, energy efficiency in buildings, sustainable transportation and organic agriculture, and provides recommendations for policy makers, business and industry, workers and trade unions about the transition towards a low-carbon economy. Panelists will include report authors as well as international union representatives.

Moderator:
Amy Fraenkel, Director and Regional Representative, UNEP Regional Office for North America
Speakers:
Sean Sweeney, Director, Cornell Global Labor Institute
Michael Renner, Senior Researcher and Director of the Global Security Project, Worldwatch Institute
International representatives from trade unions from Brazil and South Africa

WS 22 – Green For All: Climate Equity & Environmental Justice – Equal Protection, Equal Opportunity

Anyone who lived through Hurricane Katrina understands that poor people — who are disproportionately people of color — will be hit first and worst by climate change, just as they have borne the brunt of proximity to toxic waste dumps and other industrial pollution. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that Katrina is a sign of the inequitable impacts to come if we continue to drill, burn and bake the planet. And a growing number of community leaders are building a path to healthy and sustainable communities that fight pollution, poverty and global warming at the same time.

Moderator: Robert Bullard, PhD, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Environmental Justice Resource Center, Clark Atlanta University
Speakers:
Nia Robinson, Director, Environmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative
John Moore, Green Builder, City of New Orleans Department of Environment, Office of Safety and Permitting
Omar Freilla, Founder, Green Worker Cooperatives

WS 23 – Efficiency First: Laying the Foundation for the Clean Energy Economy

A chorus of voices from traditional energy industries are advocating that we address our energy supply needs with a strategy of “all of the above.” That means whatever energy we can get, we should get — from coal, nuclear, natural gas, renewables or whatever else is available. But all energy sources are not created equal in cost, environmental impact, safety or speed of delivery. In addition, sequence matters: what we do first changes conditions for what we do second, third or fourth. This panel will discuss why aggressively pursuing energy efficiency first is the most effective strategy for securing our energy supply, delivering economic benefits and addressing climate change.

Moderator: Dave Hamilton, Director, Global Warming and Energy Program, Sierra Club
Speakers:
Jim Barrett, Consultant, Former Executive Director, Redefining Progress
Joel Rogers, Director, Center on Wisconsin Strategy
Jeff Greenblat, Climate and Energy Technology Manager, Google

WS 24 – Renewable Energy: Beyond RPS and Manufacturing Renewal

The majority of states have enacted renewable portfolio standards, indicating tremendous movement to expand regional renewable-energy markets. Beyond the critical but now-familiar work to develop such standards, how are states and cities capitalizing on the ensuing opportunities through alliances with labor, environmentalists and education leaders to build the renewables industry, create and sustain good jobs within it, and train workers for those jobs? What sorts of policies best promote domestic manufacturing in this sector?

Moderator: Kate Gordon, Co-Director, Apollo Alliance
Speakers:
Andrea Buffa, Communications Specialist, U.C. Berkeley Labor Center
Joan Fitzgerald, Director, Law, Policy and Society Program, Northeastern University
George Sterzinger, Executive Director, Renewable Energy Policy Project (REPP)

WS 25 – Not Just Climate: How State Policies on Chemicals Can Drive a New Green Economy

This workshop presents experience from several states that are leading the way in using chemical policy reforms to drive a new green economy. Presenters will provide specific examples that demonstrate how jobs will be created through investment and policy reform at the state and federal levels, highlighting the state experiences of Maine’s bio-based plastic initiative, California’s Green Chemistry initiative, and New Jersey’s chemical safety and security efforts.

Moderator: Rick Hind, Legislative Director, Greenpeace
Speakers:
Mike Belliveau, Executive Director, Environmental Health Strategy Center
Ansje Miller, Policy Director, Center for Environmental Health
Rick Engler, Director, New Jersey Work Environment Council

WS 26 – Manufacturing Climate Solutions: Economic Opportunities in a Carbon-Constrained World

The demand for climate solutions will create — very directly — manifold economic and job opportunities in many sectors, from core industries such as renewable and energy-efficiency businesses to traditional areas such as construction trades, pipefitting and electrical jobs. Equally important is the vast supporting cast of industries that make these low carbon-end products possible. This session will look at recent research mapping the economic opportunities "hidden" in supply chains for low-carbon technologies, but focusing on the manufacturing of specific climate solutions including LED Lighting, concentrated solar, high performance windows, auxiliary power units for trucks, and a new method for treating hog wastes.

Moderator: Melissa Carey, Climate Change Policy Specialist, Enviornmental Defense Fund (EDF)
Speakers:
Gary Gereffi, Director, Center on Globalization, Governance and Competitiveness, Duke University
Bob Baugh, Executive Director, Industrial Union Council, AFL-CIO
Abraham Breehey, Director of Legislative Affairs, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers

WS 27 – Green Policies: Protecting the Environment While Spurring Job Creation

The transition to a clean, green economy is saving money, protecting the environment and creating new jobs. Hear from state and local policymakers about how they worked to adopt innovative green policies that strengthen regional, state and local economies.

Moderator: Bracken Hendricks, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
Speakers:
Minnesota State Rep. Jeremy Kalin
Kim Lundgren, Director of National Services, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability
Steve Bellone, Town Supervisor, Babyon, NY
George Hawkins, Director, D.C. Department of the Environment

WS 27.2 – Putting the Federal Government to Work: How Existing (and Future) Federal Programs and Partnerships Can Support Green Jobs

This workshop will describe how a group of program managers in Federal agencies are already attempting to integrate and link resources, assets, and partnerships to facilitate green jobs and sustainable economic development.

Moderator: David Widawsky, Associate Director, National Center for Environmental Innovation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Speakers:
Linda Fowler, Senior Advisor, Manufacturing Extension Partnership, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Jennifer Troke, Branch Chief, Industry Engagement, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training
Linda Silverman, Special Assistant for Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Jennifer Hilmer-Capece, Program Manager, Center for Workforce and Economic Development, American Association of Community Colleges

Workshop Session 5: Friday, February 6, 2009, 9:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

WS 28 – Energy Efficiency: Rebuilding the Nation, City by City

Buildings account for 40 percent of U.S. energy consumption. Making them more efficient should be a national priority. Across the country, public-private partnerships are preparing for a massive retrofit of existing buildings that promises to create decent jobs, make energy more affordable for working families, and staunch the massive waste stream of energy pouring out of older homes and businesses. This panel reviews promising models in action.

Moderator: Glen Brand, Campaign Director, Cool Cities Program, Sierra Club
Speakers:
Elissa Berger, Coordinator, Milwaukee Energy Efficiency (Me2)
Forest Bradley-White, Sustainable Rebuild Coordinator, Alliance for Affordable Energy
James Nixon, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board, Sustainable Systems, Inc.

WS 29 – What Green Chemistry Means to Workers

This workshop will look at the connection between green jobs — including those connected to the emerging field of green chemistry — and occupational, public and environmental health. Coordinated and moderated by the staff of the Tony Mazzocchi Center for Safety, Health and Environmental Education, a project of the United Steelworkers and The Labor Institute.

Moderator: Joseph “Chip” Hughes, Director, Worker Education and Training Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Speakers:
Mike Wright, Director, Health, Safety and Environment, United Steelworkers
Terry Collins, Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Institute for Green Science, Carnegie Mellon University
Julie Zimmerman, Assistant Professor of Environmental Engineering, Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science
Mike Wilson, PhD, MPH, Environmental Health Scientist, Program in Green Chemistry and Chemicals Policy, Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, Berkeley School of Public Health, University of California

WS 30 – Workforce Training: Credentials, Pathways and Pipelines to the Green Economy

Building a green country requires building a skilled workforce. What does that look like in practice? Developing skills standards for green-collar jobs will benefit workers, employers and consumers alike. For workers, a credential provides mobility and bargaining power, and thus higher wages, in the labor market. For employers, it provides assurance that job applicants meet necessary skill standards. And for consumers, it provides critical information for contracting decisions. This panel addresses successes and challenges for certification and training in the emerging clean-energy economy, where most workers will need more than a high-school diploma, but less than a 4-year degree.

Moderator: Sarah White, Senior Associate, Center on Wisconsin Strategy
Speakers:
Marcy Drummond, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Los Angeles Trade-Tech College (LATTC)
Alan Hardcastle, Senior Research Associate, Washington State University
Tom Gannon, Manfucturing Field Specialist, Working for America Institute
Jane Weissman, Executive Director, Interstate Renewable Energy Council (NY)

WS 31 – Local, State and Federal Strategies for Creating Manufacturing Jobs

Can environmental initiatives create manufacturing jobs? Representatives from NGOs, state government and private industry will provide their answers to this critical question.

Moderator: Gerry Parzino, Staff Representative, United Steelworkers
Speakers:
Dr. Marc A. Weiss, Chairman and CEO, Global Urban Development
Minnesota State Senator Ellen Anderson, Chair, Minnesota Senate Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Budget Division; Co-Chair, Minnesota Green Jobs Task Force
Christopher J. Brescia, Vice President, Corporate Government Affairs, Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation
William "Butch" Johnson, CEO, Johnson Timber Corporation and Flambeau River Papers

WS 32 – Putting Public and Labor Pension Capital into Clean Energy and Good Jobs

Labor unions have billions of dollars worth of assets in a wide range of investment vehicles. As the scourge of hedge funds and bad real estate deals mount, an increasing number of Taft-Hartley pension funds are exploring how they can put a portion of their capital to work creating good jobs in the burgeoning clean-energy economy. Investments in clean energy, efficiency and infrastructure are being considered via project finance, private equity, green REITs and venture-capital opportunities.

Moderator: Richard Eidlin, Business Consultant, Apollo Alliance
Speakers:
Kirsten Snow Spalding, California Director, Ceres
Landon Butler, President, Landon Butler and Co.
Tom Croft, Executive Director, Heartland Labor Capital Network
Damon Silver, Legal Counsel, AFL-CIO Investment Office

WS 33 – Green for All: Youth, Culture and Making Green Jobs Cool

It’s not an accident that every major corporation, particularly the oil and coal companies, are trying to brand themselves as green. Being perceived as green is increasingly essential in the consumer marketplace. But the “greenest generation” of today demands real green — not greenwashing — in the products they buy and the politics they support. They are placing green at the center of the art they make, the culture they create, and in the movement they build. And the promise and reality of the green economy is inspiring creativity from the business world to the streets.

Moderator: Nikki Henderson, Senior Researcher and Aide to the President, Green For All
Speakers:
Ashel Eldridge, Co-founder, Oakland Resilience Alliance, Hip-Hop Artist and Green For All Academy Fellow
Tem Blessed, Hip-Hop artist; Green Solutions Coordinator, YouthBuild; and Green For All Academy Fellow
Zakiya Harris, San Francisco Regional Programming Coordinator, Co-Founder, Grind for the Green
Favianna Rodriguez, Co-founder, Tumis, Inc.; Taller Tupac Amaru Printing Studio and Eastside Arts Alliance.

WS 34 – Clean Transit and Green Communities: Investing in Infrastructure, Environment and Equity

Green transit initiatives can simultaneously reduce carbon emissions, create decent jobs, and link workers to employers in healthier, more sustainable communities. This workshop explores the policy levers and stakeholder alliances required to do so effectively at the state and local level.

Moderator: Maria Zimmerman, Vice President for Transportation, Reconnecting America
Speakers:
Eric Sundquist, Senior Associate and Policy Analyst, Center on Wisconsin Strategy
Carmen Rhodes, Executive Director, FRESC/CO (Denver)
James Corless, Campaign Manager, Transportation for America

WS 35 – USW Rapid Response/Good Jobs, Green Jobs Joint Panel Discussion on Health Care

This workshop will focus on the state of the U.S. health care system, the effect it is having on the overall economic crisis and what
the prospects are for serious legislative reform and relief.

Speakers:
Gerald Shea, Assistant to the President for External Affairs, AFL-CIO
John E. McDonough, DrPH, MPA, Senior Advisor to Senator Edward M.
Kennedy on National Health Reform
Elise Gould, Health Care Economist, Economic Policy Institute

WS 36 – Job Creation in the Next Generation of Biofuels

This workshop will provide an overview of the current contribution of the ethanol and biofuel industries to the U.S. economy, and the prospects for job creation and rural economic development as production of advanced biofuels from cellulosic feedstocks starts ramping up.

Moderator: Suzanne Hunt, Biofuels Consultant
Speakers:
Nathaniel Doyno, Director, Steel City Biofuels
Nathanael Greene, Renewable Fuels Expert, Natural Resources Defense Council(NRDC)
John Urbanchuk, Director, LECG, LLC
Doug Berven, Director of Corporate Affairs, POET Ethanol

WS 37 – Job Creation Through Smart Grid/Transmission Upgrades

This workshop will examine how a large-scale investment in renewable energy transmission, and modernizing our electricity distribution infrastructure to be more efficient, can create good jobs nationwide.

Moderator: Bracken Hendricks, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
Speakers:
Steve Hauser, Vice President of Strategy, Utility Division, GridPoint; President Emeritus, Gridwise Alliance
Katherine Hamilton, President, Gridwise Alliance
Roy Palmer, Manager of State Regulatory Issues and Project Manager of the Smart Grid project in Boulder, Xcel Energy

WS 38 – Towards Copenhagen: UNFCCC and a New Global Climate Treaty

Experts will discuss how the state of play in international climate change negotiations and what is necessary to achieve a deal in Copenhagen in 2009. This will be an opportunity to discuss the proposals that have been put on the table by China, South Africa, South Korea and other developing countries. The panel will also focus on the position of the E.U. and the U.S. going into the first set of climate meetings under President Obama.

Moderator: John Coequyt, Senior Washington Representative, Sierra Club
Speakers:
Jennifer L. Morgan, Director, Global Climate Change, E3G
Joanna Lewis, PhD, Assistant Professor, Edmund A. Walsh School for Foreign Service
Philip Pearson, Senior Policy Officer, Trades Union Congress (United Kingdom)
Bob Baugh, Executive Director, Industrial Trades Council, AFL-CIO

WS 39 – How a New Domestic and International Climate Regime Will Change the Global Trading System

Our current model of globalization - which encourages corporations to relocate to whichever country has the lowest labor and environmental standards - has contributed to the climate challenges we face today. This workshop will examine the impacts of trade on workers and the environment and their connections to climate change. The speakers will also discuss how a new U.S. climate policy must be structured to ensure a level playing field between domestic and foreign producers and prevent the continued off-shoring of jobs and the “leakage” of pollution to countries with weaker standards.

Moderator: Holly Hart, Legislative Director, United Steelworkers
Speakers:
Scott Paul, Founder and Executive Director, Alliance for American Manufacturing
Rob Bradley, Director of International Climate Change Policy, World Resources Institute
Representative from Kahutindo, Indonesian Forestry Workers Union

WS 40 – Global Warming 101 and Why It's an Issue for Labor

As global warming continues to be featured in the news, do you wonder what it really means to be “green”? Do the melting of the polar ice caps, increased frequency of wildfires, devastation of forests by invasive insects and Hurricane Katrina have something in common? And what effect does any of this have on jobs? This session will address these questions by explaining the science behind the causes and effects of global warming, and provide examples of how it directly affects jobs held by union members across the country.

Moderator: Cheryle Brown, Labor Specialist, UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education
Speakers:
Holmes Hummel, AAAS Congressional Science Fellow, 2007-2008
Jill Kubit, Assistant Director, Cornell Global Labor Institute
Lisa Hoyos, Field Department, AFL-CIO
Stephanie Zawistowski, National Project Diredcdtor, Blue Green Alliance

WS 41 – Why the Employee Free Choice Act is Vital to Both the Labor and Environmental Movements

What do the rights of workers to organize and the environmental movements have in common? That's what this workshop will explore as panelists explain how the Employee Free Choice Act would bring true freedom to workers' ability to join a union. Learn how the Employee Free Choice Act is the cornerstone to creating a larger and stronger progressive movement in order to build the political will to address climate change with a fair and just approach.

Moderator: Melinda Pierce, Associate Director for National Campaigns, Sierra Club
Speakers:
Ed Sabol, Organizing Director, Communication Workers of America (CWA)
Steward Acuff, Organizing Director, AFL-CIO

WS 42 – Building a Blue-Green Movement on Climate, Jobs and Trade

Unusual partners can achieve extraordinary results. This workshop will explore how the Blue Green Alliance has unified labor and environmental groups to promote effective campaigns on the local, state and national level — creating jobs, advocating for workers’ rights and fighting global warming. This roundtable discussion will feature some of the key leaders in this work and serve as a springboard for a broader discussion on how we can make these partnerships last beyond just individual campaigns and events.

Moderator: Tom Conway, International Vice President, United Steelworkers
Speakers:
Marrianne McMullen, Assistant to the President, Service Employees International Union
Cathy Duvall, National Public Advocacy Director, Sierra Club
Lauren Asplen, Assistant to the President, IUE-CWA
Chuck Geiger, Blue Green Alliance Organizer, Wisconsin

WS 43 – Recycling: An Immediate Opportunity to Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Create Sustainable Union Jobs

This panel will provide an overview of recycling trends in the U.S., examine E-waste recycling, assess organics recycling and discuss what jobs are being created in this sector and how to make them good union jobs.

Moderator: Bob Morales, Director, Waste and Recycling Division, International. Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT)
Speakers:
Kevin Drew, Residential and Special Project, Recycling Coordinator Department of the Environment, City of San Francisco.
David Ciplet, US Coordinator, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives
Celia Petty, Deputy Director, Waste and Recycling Division, International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT)

WS 44 – Climate Policy and Energy Intensive Industries: Challenges and Opportunities

Energy-intensive manufacturing industries are the cornerstone of our modern industrial economy, supplying the basic materials for every other manufacturing sector, and used in myriad products throughout the economy. They also provide hundreds of thousands of good paying, skilled and semiskilled jobs. This workshop will examine the potential economic impacts of climate policies on critical energy-intensive industries, such as, steel, paper, chemicals, and aluminum. It also will explore policies and strategies for mitigating these impacts and making these industries more energy-efficient and globally competitive.

Moderator: David Conover, Counsel, Bipartisan Policy Council
Speakers:
Joel Yudken, Principal, High Road Strategies
Jon Geenan, International Vice President, United Steelworkers
Larry Kavanaugh, Vice President of Environment and Technology, American Iron and Steel Institute
Dr. Thomas Swift, Chief Economist and Managing Director of Economics and Statistics, American Chemistry Council

WS 45 – Business Case Studies: Climate Solutions and Job Creation

Given growing state policies to encourage renewables, energy efficiency, and/or carbon reductions, businesses across the country are already adding jobs to meet this green demand. This session will profile several companies that are already "in the green" in terms of growing business and adding jobs.

Moderator: Jackie Prince Roberts, Director, Sustainable Technologies, Environemtnal Defense Fund (EDF)
Speakers:
Dick Munson, Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning and Public Affairs, Recycled Energy Development
Greg Merritt, Vice President, Global Marketing, Cree, Inc.
J.D. Sitton, CEO, Infirnia Corportation

WS 46 – Reinventing the American Auto Industry

The automobile industry has an important role to play in reducing GHG emissions and oil use in the U.S. It is also a major provider of high-paying blue collar jobs. What policies can support the auto industry through this economic crisis while insuring that aggressive fuel-efficiency increases can be met? What do wild swings in oil prices mean for our ability to push plug-in hybrids and other advanced technologies into the marketplace? Hear three progressive perspectives and join our discussion about the future of this quintessential American industry.

Moderator: Brad Markell, International Representative, Research Department, UAW
Speakers:
Charles Griffith, Director, Clean Car Campaign, Ecology Center; Convener, Michigan Apollo Alliance
Deron Lovaas, Federal Transportation Policy Director, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)

Check out the 2009 Conference Journal.

Good Jobs, Green Jobs National Conference

Workshop Session 1: Wednesday, February 4, 2009, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Workshop Session 2: Wednesday, February 4, 2009, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Workshop Session 3: Thursday, February 5, 2009, 9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Workshop Session 4: Thursday, February 5, 2009, 2:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

Workshop Session 5: Friday, February 6, 2009, 9:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Workshop Session 1: Wednesday, February 4, 2009, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Workshop Session 2: Wednesday, February 4, 2009, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Workshop Session 3: Thursday, February 5, 2009, 9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Workshop Session 4: Thursday, February 5, 2009, 2:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

Workshop Session 5: Friday, February 6, 2009, 9:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Good Jobs Green Jobs National Conference