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UPDATE AS OF MARCH 10: The symposium has been postponed until further notice due to rising cases of the Coronavirus.

On March 26 and 27 at the Graduate Hotel, the CGWR will host its Ninth Annual Symposium, titled “Women Workers in Struggle: Organizing for Labor Rights and Gender Equity.” The symposium will bring together scholars and activists from across the globe to analyze movements of women workers across a range of historic, geographic, and economic contexts. On March 26, panels will analyze the role of women workers in labor education (11:00 a.m.), supply chains (1:45 p.m.), and the on-demand economy (3:45 p.m.). Panels on March 27 will cover immigration (11:30 a.m.) and organizing within and beyond unions (1:30 p.m.). Keynote addresses will be given by Distinguished Professor Dorothy Sue Cobble of Rutgers University (March 26 at 9:00 a.m.) and Karen Nussbaum, the founder of 9to5 and co-founder of Working America (March 27 at 9:30 a.m.)

On March 26 at 7:00 p.m. in 112 Kern Building, we will organize a special screening and discussion of “9to5: The Story of a Movement” by Oscar-winning filmmakers Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar. This illuminating documentary tells the story of a group of female office workers in Boston in the early 1970s who decided that they had suffered in silence long enough and created an organization to force changes in their workplaces. Largely forgotten today, the movement addressed still-relevant issues such as sexual harassment, pay equity, the “glass ceiling,” and the need for employer-supported family and medical leave. It will be followed by a discussion with 9to5 founder, Karen Nussbaum. For more information about these events, check out our website: https://ler.la.psu.edu/gwr.