2007 Jan 25

"Unions and Worker Voice in the New Workplace"

4:00pm to 6:00pm

Chair: David Weil, Professor of Economics, Boston University	Kris Rondeau, Organizer, Harvard Union of Clerical & Technical Workers

2006 Apr 26

Capital Matters IV - Managing Labor's Capital

Wed - Fri, Apr 26 to Apr 28, 9:00am - 5:00pm

Location: 

Harvard Law School, Cambridge MA

Conference topics included:

• PENSION REFORM IN THE U.K. AND CAPITAL MARKETS
• ENVISIONING A BRAVE, NEW, AND BETTER WORLD OF RETIREMENT SECURITY
• HEDGE FUNDS: PROSPECTS AND PERILS - FINANCIAL AND OTHERWISE
• TRUSTEE EDUCATION FOR ACTIVE AND EFFECTIVE CAPITAL STEWARDSHIP
• CAPITAL STEWARDSHIP AND DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLANS
• THE STOCK MARKET, CORPORATE GOVERNANCE, AND SUSTAINABLE PROSPERITY
• WHAT IS THE CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE OF RETIREE HEALTH BENEFITS?
• LABOR AND SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENT ACTIVISM: THE PRACTICE OF AND PROSPECTS FOR COLLABORATION
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2005 Oct 27

Public Sector Pension Plans: Current Challenges and Future Directions Meeting

Thu - Fri, Oct 27 to Oct 28, 9:00am - 5:50pm

Location: 

Harvard Law School, Cambridge MA

On October 27-28th 2006, the Project convened a meeting on “Public Sector Pension Plans: Current Challenges and Future Directions.” Participants, presenters, and speakers included scholars and researchers, public pension fund trustees and officials, members of the investment community, union leaders, experts on public knowledge about and attitudes in relation to the issues, and others.

Attendees sought to enhance their understanding of the challenges that public sector pension plans face, including finance and operation and broader issues such as pressures on state and local finance, shifting demographics and workforce needs, and concerns of public sector workers about security in retirement. They also sought insights into how public knowledge and attitudes on these issues shape and are shaped by contests over the future of public sector pension plans.
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2005 Apr 27

Capital Matters III - Managing Labor's Capital: Conference

Wed - Fri, Apr 27 to Apr 29, 6:00pm - 2:20pm

Location: 

Harvard Law School, Cambridge MA

The Harvard Labor and Worklife Program's third annual "Capital Matters: Managing Labor's Capital" conference was held on April 27th though the 29th. Organized under the aegis of the Program's new Pensions and Capital Stewardship Project, this year's conference was somewhat larger than in the past, with a total of over 90 participants, presenters, and speakers, including an increased number of union trustees. In keeping with the Project's aim of enabling trustees to become more active and effective, the opening session focused directly on what should and can be done in that regard. More so than at previous conferences, recent challenges to the survival of defined benefit plans both in the private and public sector have become a subject of intense debate while similar heated arguments rage over Social Security. For these reasons several sessions were held to assess the current and future status of those plans and Social Security. There continues to be considerable and increasing pension fund activity arising as a result of ownership of shares in publicly traded corporations. One session focused on a critical assessment of the goals for such activity, for example, whether the aim is to influence corporate governance (and in what ways) or more broadly to affect corporate behavior (and, again, in what ways) and challenges to efforts to achieve agreed-upon goals. 
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2003 Oct 07

"The Future of the Democratic Party and the Latino Vote"

4:00pm to 6:00pm

Bill Richardson Governor of New Mexico

Introductions and Opening Remarks by:  ELENA KAGAN,   Dean,  Harvard Law School, Harvard University

President, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees

Opening Remarks by Elena Kagan, Dean, Harvard Law School:
" This is a great privilege for us. Actually, before I say anything else I'd like to welcome Jerry Wurf's family: Mildred Wurf and his children, Abigail and Nick Wurf. We are extremely pleased that you could join us today.
    For those of you who don't know, Jerry Wurf was the seventh president of AFSCME, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which is now one of the biggest unions in America. Most of that union's great growth, really its coming into being as a major force in the union movement, took place under Jerry Wurf, who was really one of the great modern labor leaders."

Brochure of Transcript [Download]

2001 Oct 04

"The Strength of America"

4:00pm to 6:00pm




Honorable Albert J. Gore

Opening Remarks by Lawrence H. Summers, President, Harvard University: 
 " Al Gore is going to speak to us about the strength of America. In a moment, I want to say a few words about the strength of Al Gore but, before I do, I want to say a few words about public service. I want to recognize Jerry Wurf, someone I knew well as his family vacationed near mine in Wellfleet, Massachusetts and someone who I admired for his commitment to doing the right thing by the people he represented and doing the right thing by this country. Jerry made what I think is a point that none of us at the university can make often enough or strongly enough and that is the importance of public service. There was only one group of people who were going up the stairs in the World Trade Center on September 11 and those were public servants. Public servants. People who are paid by taxes. People who were workers in the government of New York City, workers in the government of New York State and workers in the government of the United States. Anyone who wants to say that government work is wrong or that government is wrong or that government is bad should think about those people going up those stairs at that moment."

Brochure of transcript [Download]

1989 Nov 01

"The Changing Role of the Union and Competitiveness"

4:00pm to 6:00pm

Keynote Address: "The Changing Role of the Union and Competitiveness"
Donald Ephlin
International Vice President and Director of the
General Motors Department, United Auto Workers

Introduction
William Lucy
International Secretary-Treasurer, American
Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees

Postscript I: Lessons Learned
Linda Kaboolian
Research Fellow in the Center for Business
and Government, John F. Kennedy
School of Government, Harvard University

Postscript II: The Forces Driving Change
Kim Clark
Professor of Business Administration,
Harvard Business School

Brochure of Transcript [Download]

1984 Nov 01

“Employment and Welfare”

4:00pm to 6:00pm


Olof Palme,
Swedish Prime Minister

"Some time ago in Vienna, I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Bruno Kreisky's speech when he retired as chancellor and leader of the Austrian Social Democratic Party. As we in the audience sat there listening, we expected to hear an account of his long and eventful life and of his wide-ranging and successful political experiences. But not at all! Bruno Kreisky talked only about the future. At his retirement from official life, the whole of his thinking was looking forward..."

Brochure of transcript [Download]

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