Forum on jobs, economy today in Seattle

The Occupy Wall Street protests have sparked a national conversation about the state of the economy and income inequality in our country. How can the energy, momentum and message of this “We Are The 99%” movement connect to ongoing struggles for economic justice in a way that win concrete changes?

Labor, community, small business and faith communities are sponsoring a forum from 1 to 3 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 14 that will address this question with a focus on creating jobs, stopping cuts in public services and economic infrastructure, and demanding that big corporations and the wealthy pay their fair share to fix the economy. It will be held at the Machinists District 751 Union Hall, 9125 15th Pl. South in Seattle. Please make plans to attend, plus download and post the event flier to help spread the word. Registration to this free forum is not required, but please RSVP to Jan at jhays@wslc.org, or contact her for more information.

The interactive agenda will include brief presentations by distinguished guest speakers on the problems, including unemployment and the weak economy, attacks on the public sector, attacks on critical safety net programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, struggles for small business, and the need for comprehensive immigration reform.

Then, the discussion will focus on changing the narrative from debt, deficits and austerity to jobs, strengthening the safety net and shared prosperity. Solutions will be explored, including public revenue options, investment in public infrastructure to create jobs, protecting and expanding aerospace employment, a State Investment Trust, the green economy, trade policies that promote shared prosperity, immigration reform, and strengthening safety net programs. There will be lots of opportunities for questions-and-answers.

This forum is sponsored by Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO; Washington Community Action Network; Main Street Alliance; Casa Latina; OneAmerica; and the Puget Sound Alliance for retired Americans.