State of Labor in the Global Economy
Free Public Program
Monday, November 19
7:00 pm
Iowa City Public Library, room A
As millions of jobs shift overseas, not only in manufacturing and information technology, but also in financial, healthcare and other professional services, there is a growing concern about the serious erosion of U.S. worker protection, along with the larger threat of long term damage to the economy. To address these concerns, the Obermann Center for Advanced Studies will sponsor a free public program, titled “State of Labor in the Global Economy,” on Monday, Nov. 19, at the Iowa City Public Library, room A, at 7 p.m.
The program will feature a panel of internationally known experts who will discuss the lack of labor regulation and its impact on individuals and communities. They will also report on the economic, social and legal implications resulting from the massive movements of people and production worldwide.
Panelists include:
- Craig Becker, legal counsel with SEIU and the AFL-CIO;
- Ruth Milkman, professor of sociology, the University of California, Los Angeles
- Nancy Folbre, professor of economics, University of Massachusetts and a MacArthur Genius Fellow.
They will focus on labor in the U.S.; needed job protection policies; decreasing labor union bargaining power; stagnation of income and the resulting negative impact on communities as tax revenues fall and dependency on public assistance increases.
Research predictions regarding job loss due to globalization vary from 3.4 million to 14 million by the year 2015. "Virtually any U.S. job can be outsourced to another country, including nursing home care, and our legislative policies are not in tune with what is happening to families, communities and ultimately government programs that depend on a strong tax base," said Obermann scholar Jennifer Glass professor of sociology and a program organizer.
The program is part of the Obermann Center’s Cmiel Collaborative Research Seminar, Global Perspectives on Under-Regulated Labor, funded by the Obermann Endowment, the office of the Vice President for Research, and the Office of the Provost.
