BEGIN:VCALENDAR
METHOD:PUBLISH
VERSION:2.0
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
PRODID:-//NONSGML Sandhills Development\, LLC//NONSGML Sugar Calendar Fe
 eds v3.4.0//EN
X-WR-CALNAME:Policy Insights Talk: Chris Smalls
X-WR-CALDESC:Portland Downtown
X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/New_York
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
DTSTART:20230322T060000
TZNAME:EDT
END:DAYLIGHT
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
DTSTART:20230322T060000
TZNAME:EDT
END:DAYLIGHT
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Policy Insights Talk: Chris Smalls
DESCRIPTION:The MECEP Policy Insights Talk will feature a conversation w
 ith Chris Smalls\, the founder and president of the Amazon Labor Union\,
  an independent\, democratic\, worker-led labor union at Amazon in State
 n Island and the founder of The Congress of Essential Workers\, a nation
 wide collective of essential workers and allies fighting for better work
 ing conditions\, better wages\, and a better world.\n\nWorkers are the e
 ngines of the economy. Their labor\, skills\, and contributions make the
  economy run\, and they have been the driving force digging us out of a 
 global health and economic crisis. More than ever before\, Maine workers
  recognize their own value — and want employers to recognize it too. B
 ut even as Maine workers come together to demand their value is recogniz
 ed\, many companies continue to engage in anti-union behavior and make i
 t difficult for them to exercise their democratic\, legally protected ri
 ghts to bargain collectively.\n\nAt a FREE in-person event at 6 pm on We
 dnesday\, September 20 at USM in Portland\, we’ll hear from Chris abou
 t the importance of worker power\, the experience of organizing Amazon\,
  and what can be done at the state level to support labor organizers. Ca
 sual reception to follow.\n\nModerated by Taifa Smith Butler\, president
  of Demos and former president &amp\; CEO of the Georgia Budget and Poli
 cy Institute. Taifa has more than 20 years of experience in strategic co
 mmunications\, public policy research and data analysis in the public\, 
 nonprofit\, and private sectors and is a respected voice on economic and
  racial justice.\n\nThis free event is part of MECEP’s ongoing Policy 
 Insights series\, offering year-round opportunities to learn about econo
 mic justice.
URL;VALUE=URI:https://portlandmaine.com/events/policy-insights-talk-chri
 s-smalls/
UID:urn:uuid:6f3c0e24-f817-4909-af7b-14cb9262dd61
STATUS:CONFIRMED
ORGANIZER:
DTSTAMP:20260502T050958Z
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230920T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230920T193000
LOCATION:88 Bedford St\, Portland\,  Maine  04101\,  US
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR