Welcome to Unite and Win, our very first EWOC Conference! Meet other conference attendees and explore Wayne State’s historic Reuther Archives, containing millions of primary source documents related to the history of the labor movement. Light refreshments served.
An orientation to the weekend’s events. Hear from EWOC Conference Planners and Labor@Wayne about the direction and vision for the conference, and a guided overview of the program that highlights all the sessions you’ll want to attend!
DOGE got you down? Good news: federal workers across the country are coming together, standing up, and fighting for better working conditions—and you have the opportunity to learn from two of them how to do it! You’ll learn how to talk to your coworkers about your right to organize and practice “unilateral unionism,” where you act like a union even if the law says otherwise.
Saturday June 28, 2025 9:00am - 11:00am EDT McGregor Room E495 Gilmour Mall, Detroit, MI 48202
How do you work to bridge racial divisions in your workplace? Why is this work so central to labor organizing? Come hear from organizers who have been at the heart of organizing across racial, ethnic and linguistic divisions in their workplaces, and what they did to achieve unity despite the challenges they faced. Spend time workshopping the divisions you yourself must overcome in your campaign, and what steps you can take to advance.
Saturday June 28, 2025 9:00am - 11:00am EDT McGregor Room C495 Gilmour Mall, Detroit, MI 48202
Learn the core building blocks of any organizing effort: the “who” and the “how” - who do you talk to first, and how do get them on board? We will go from big picture - mapping and charting - to the minutiae of a good organizing conversation that builds trust and gets to the issues.
Meet other conference attendees who are part of regional and local formations within EWOC - learn about their successes, challenges, and how to connect to EWOC volunteers near you!
Saturday June 28, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm EDT McGregor Room J495 Gilmour Mall, Detroit, MI 48202
Under the Trump Administration, federal workers face an unprecedented attack on their right to organize. But these workers are fighting back. Come learn how federal workers are central to the movement for the expansion of public services and democracy and to the right for all workers to organize
Saturday June 28, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT McGregor Room E495 Gilmour Mall, Detroit, MI 48202
The South has been the breeding ground for the most anti-union tactics in the country, from gutting public sector unions to brutal private sector boss fights. Despite the uphill battle that workers face in states like Florida and the Carolinas, organizers have been experimenting with new tactics to fight back. These lessons and insights can provide a vision for how our organizing models across the country can shift and expand as these anti-union tactics pick up strength nationally under the Trump administration.
Saturday June 28, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT McGregor Room C495 Gilmour Mall, Detroit, MI 48202
Building a union is always hard work. But in certain workplaces, the task of winning union certification and a contract may not be viable for many years to come. Workers in those jobs may feel they have no options, but in reality there are age-old models of unionism they can pursue. We call this type of organizing “pre-majority unionism…
From trans rights to Palestinian liberation, labor is central to every fight for liberation. Instead of seeing these as separate issues and demands, how do we make the question of solidarity central to our fellow workers and our unions? How can we use our shared struggle as workers to overcome the prejudices and hatred that have seeped into the fabric of our society? Hear from workers who are answering these questions in their organizing and join discussions as we wrestle with the big topics of our time.
Saturday June 28, 2025 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT McGregor Room J495 Gilmour Mall, Detroit, MI 48202
Conference day one: in the books! Mingle with your fellow conference attendees at Detroit’s Museum of Contemporary Art. We’ll provide the cash bar, you bring the comradery. Food will not be served.
As EWOC has grown over the past 5 years, the role of Intermediate and Advanced Organizers has evolved and shifted. But the crux of what we do remains the same: mentorship. Come learn how to develop your skills in teaching and coaching as we solidify what these roles mean and how they work together to support workers and one another.
Sunday June 29, 2025 9:00am - 11:00am EDT McGregor Room J495 Gilmour Mall, Detroit, MI 48202
EWOC uses a popular education model at all of our trainings - this is your chance to learn the method and become an EWOC facilitator! We will go over the key frameworks and skills for facilitating collaborative, discussion-based education where we learn and problem-solve as a group. We will use our Fundamentals curriculum to practice and prepare you to lead breakout groups across EWOC trainings.
Note: this training is limited to 30 participants.
Millions of non union workers are faced with the heightened risk of deportation because of Trump's cruel and extra-legal policies. Its important, now more than ever, to build solidarity and power at the workplace. This training will focus on worker rights on the job if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) show up at your workplace, and how you and your coworkers can demand employer protections for all workers.
Sunday June 29, 2025 9:00am - 11:00am EDT McGregor Room F495 Gilmour Mall, Detroit, MI 48202
Learn how to develop rank-and-file research committees to conduct strategic corporate research through methods developed by the Strategic Corporate Research team at the UMass Amherst Labor Center. This is a hands-on workshop where participants will use case studies to explore sources of corporate information learn how this information can be used to develop and execute an effective contract campaign and win a strike.
Sunday June 29, 2025 9:00am - 11:00am EDT McGregor Room C495 Gilmour Mall, Detroit, MI 48202
How the organizing conversation helps us overcome fear - specifically fear of the boss. We will go over the common features of a boss campaign, how to inoculate coworkers. We will have time to practice inoculation style organizing conversations. Whether you work for a well-meaning nonprofit, the government, a small business, or a mega-corporation, bosses are gonna do boss sh*t.
Sunday June 29, 2025 9:00am - 11:00am EDT McGregor Room G495 Gilmour Mall, Detroit, MI 48202
Industry and sector based “worker circles” that all EWOC workers and organizers are encouraged to attend to discuss their campaigns, share experiences, and reflect on challenges and opportunities of organizing in their respective industries.
Sunday June 29, 2025 12:30pm - 2:00pm EDT McGregor Room J495 Gilmour Mall, Detroit, MI 48202
Interested in signing up as a volunteer with EWOC, but have less than a year of organizing experience? Attend an orientation for general volunteers to EWOC to learn more about where you can get plugged in.
Sunday June 29, 2025 12:30pm - 2:00pm EDT McGregor Room F495 Gilmour Mall, Detroit, MI 48202
New to EWOC and wondering what we’re all about? Come to our onboarding session and learn about our ethos, structure, and to practice initial contact with workers!
