L&EC EVENTS AT THE NLG NATIONAL CONVENTION 2013

The NLG 76th Anniversary Law for the People Convention took place on October 23-27, 2013, in San Juan, PR.

NLG 76th Anniversary LAW FOR THE PEOPLE CONVENTION in San Juan, Puerto Rico Wednesday October 23- Sunday, October 27, 2013 Click here for the L&EC suggested activities at the 2013 Convention. Click here for the 2013 NLG Convention brochure. Click here for the NLG webpage with details about the 2013 Convention. Click here for a schedule of events for the 2013 Convention. CLE agenda for the 2013 Convention includes the following: National Police Accountability Project Seminar on Thursday, October 24 from 8:30 am - 5:00 pm located at Ponce de Leon B International Labor Law, Human Rights and Organizing Low-Wage Workers on Thursday, October 24 from 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm located at Ponce de Leon C

Keynote Speaker: Rafael Cancel Miranda 

Rafael Cancel Miranda was born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico on July 18, 1930.  His life-long dedication to his country began in 1937 when he was expelled from his first grade classroom for refusing to pledge allegiance to the U.S flag days after the Ponce Massacre.  In 1947 he was again expelled from school, this time for organizing a protest against the imposition of English as the official language of instruction in public schools.  He moved to San Juan to finish high school but was arrested before graduation by FBI agents for resisting the U.S draft.  After serving a two-year prison sentence in Florida, Cancel Miranda was forced into exile in Cuba where he remained until dictator Fulgencio Batista deported him on orders from the U.S. Embassy.  He then moved to New York City and joined the New York City branch of the Nationalist Party.  He lobbied the United Nations on the party’s behalf pushing against the U.S effort to remove Puerto Rico from the list of Dependent Territories in a ploy to hide its colonial status from the world.  After all efforts failed, on March 1, 1954, he and three of his comrades opened fire in the U.S. House of Representatives in an effort to call attention to the colonial situation of Puerto Rico. 

Cancel Miranda was sentenced to a total of 84 years in prison.  He was held in federal maximum security prisoners at Alcatraz, Leavenworth, Kansas and Marion, Illinois.  In  1979, after Cancel Miranda had served 25 and a half years, President Jimmy Carter acceded to major international pressure and granted the unconditional release of the Nationalists.  Since his release, Cancel Miranda has continued to be active in the struggle for Puerto Rican independence.  He has been a guest lecturer at Universities in the U.S. and Latin America and an honored guest of many governments and organizations. 

Click here for more information about speakers and awards.

Click here for the full brochure.

Convention - Plenaries, Major Panels & Workshops 

Click here for a PDF of the schedule of events.  Listed below are additional details about events that may be of particular interest to members of the L&EC.

Hot Topic:  International Labor Law, Human Rights and Organizing Low Wage Workers Workers - Sponsored by the International Commitee 

1:00 pm - 5:00 pm, Thursday, October 24, Location Ponce de Leon.

On Thursday, October 24, from 1:00-5:00 pm, the International Committee of the NLG will host a CLE addressing precarious work, migrant work, and low-wage work within the United States and around the world.  The CLE will identify tools in international labor and human rights law that legal practitioners can use to support organizing campaigns and defend the rights of low-wage workers.  The CLE will discuss the struggle of Maruti Suzuki workers in India and international labor law and human rights arguments being marshalled to support organizing.  Also covered will be the Hot and Crusty pizza workers’ victory in New York City. 

 Hear from leading practitioners of international labor and human rights and law directly involved in some of the key cases of our day representing the struggles of low-wage, precarious and migrant workers gain valuable tools for your own work around this organizing in the era of precarious labor.  

Joint Cocktail Reception hosted by the Labor & Employment Committee and the National Immigration Project

  5:00 pm - 6:45 pm Thursday, October 24, Location Brisas del Mar 

 Presentation of Deborah Evenson Venceremos Award to Ann Fagan Ginger at the International Committee Reception

5:30 pm Friday, October 25, Location Laguna Pool  

International Labor Justice Working Group Meetings 

7:00 pm - 8:30 pm Friday, October 25, Location Laguna III

Workshop: Public Sector Workers in the Crosshairs of International Capital: Resisting Austerity and Fighting for Human Rights to Organize, Bargain Collectively and Strike

8:30 am - 9:45am, Friday, October 25, Location Ponce de Leon C 

Labor & Employment Committee Meeting 

5:45 pm, Saturday, October 26, Location to be posted at the L&EC table - meeting is at Condado Plaza Hilton at the El Horizonte room.

This meeting is open to everyone interested in the activities of the L&EC.  Please join us.  The specific location of the meeting will be posted at our TABLE at the Convention.  Or you can get details by contacting Daniel Hornal at nlg.laboremploy.comm@gmail.com  or contact Dean Hubbard at deanhub@gmail.com or call him at (203) 216-2262.