45th Annual Conference - Wisconsin Labor History Society
Schedule
Sat May 09 2026 at 08:30 am to 03:00 pm
UTC-05:00Location
Iron Workers Local 8 | Milwaukee, WI
About this Event
The Wisconsin Labor History Society is pleased to announce our 45th annual conference "Labor and Democracy in the Age of Authoritarianism."
John Nichols will keynote our event by delivering the Stephen Meyer Memorial Lecture, entitled "A Strong Labor Movement is Essential to Saving Democracy." Nichols is executive editor of The Nation magazine and Associate Editor of the Cap Times in Madison. He's a leading progressive voice and is particularly well-known for his 2011 coverage of the Act 10 uprising and subsequent analysis. Nichols has written, cowritten, or edited over a dozen books on topics ranging from histories of American socialism and the Democratic party to analyses of US and global media systems. His latest, cowritten with Senator Bernie Sanders, is the New York Times bestseller It’s OK to Be Angry About Capitalism.
The conference program will also include two panels:
One panel will Wisconsin teachers talking about how teachers and their unions are instrumental in resisting fascism and growing democracy, featuring Jon Shelton, president of AFT-Wisconsin, and MTEA member and Wisconsin historian Jim Nelsen, and moderated by School for Workers chair Don Taylor.
One panel will feature trade unionists discussing how their unions are pushing back and protecting their members and workplaces from ICE authoritarian terror. Panelists so far include WFNHP Local 5000 vice president Gavin Rice and Milwaukee Area Labor Council Immigrant Rights Committee chair Julissa Velazquez. More panelists to be announced.
The conference will conclude with a discussion led by School for Workers faculty Ericka Wills. The conference will also include a luncheon, the annual awards ceremony, and time to be in community with friendly, like-minded people. The Wisconsin Labor History Society annual meeting will take place immediately upon the conclusion of the conference, where WLHS members will elect board members, review reports, and conduct other business.
CONFERENCE FEE: $40.00 per person
STUDENTS, UNEMPLOYED PERSONS: $13.00 per person
This conference is not available online.
Contact [email protected] with any questions.
Where is it happening?
Iron Workers Local 8, 12034 West Adler Lane, Milwaukee, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 13.00 to USD 40.00
