Participant News and Info Bulletin #1 

Hello, Conference Participants!
Thank you for registering for the upcoming national worker cooperative conference,The Work We Do is the Solution. We are thrilled to host you!

This is the first in a series of informational and preparatory emails we will send out in the weeks leading up to the conference.  Please read it carefully for logistics information, schedule updates, and news on conference-related activities and other things happening in the Bay Area during the time you're here.


Contact information

Your conference planners are Melissa Hoover, Kiran Nigam, and Stephanie Neely. You can get in touch with us here at conference HQ by calling (415) 379-9201 or emailing conferenceATusworker.coop.

Our online hub is at www.usworker.coop/events/conference2010. Check there for content and logistics information, and be sure to check our News page for updates. 



Childcare

We are coordinating on site childcare for an affordable $5 a day. If you know you are going to need childcare, please email kiranATusworker.coop as soon as possible with your child's name and age so that we may best coordinate the childcare (8 years and under) and kids' track (9-13 years) programs.  


Housing: Come Stay With Us!

We strongly urge you to stay in campus housing, if you have the choice. We're a little short of our required minimum for housing occupancy, and it will help us out a lot for more people to stay in the dorms.

And these aren't just any dorms...they are newly renovated, full-service accommodations nestled in the lovely Berkeley hills and right next the meeting space. This is a bargain, as the hotels nearby are quite expensive, and affordable lodging is far from the site.

Accommodations include:
·    Beds are made prior to arrival with pillow, pillow case, sheets, blanket and bedspread.
·    Two towels, face cloth, a bar of soap and a small lamp are provided.
·    Beds are made, rooms are cleaned and towels are changed daily.
·    Linen is changed once a week.
·    A special gift is placed in each room.
·    Common areas and bathrooms in the residence halls are cleaned daily.
·    We are the only conference there, and the dorm lounges and patios are available to us.
·    Wireless, laundry and vending machines are on site.

Prices:
Single rooms are $82/night and $99/night (suites).
Shared rooms are $49/night and $60/night (suites).
Rooms are available in residence halls, which share a communal bathroom on the floor (this is the less expensive option) and in suites, which share a bathroom with one other room on (this is the more expensive option). 

So if you're planning to crash with a friend or get a hotel room, please consider staying in the dorms. It's a great deal and you'll be closer to the action. And you'll be helping us meet our minimum!

To reserve a room, email conferenceATusworker.coop with your nights and room choice, or go to our online form for full registrations and just select the housing choices.


Don't miss these other events

We have planned a ton of supplemental events for your time here. Be sure to RSVP for the ones that require it, and mark your calendars for the parties.

Thursday night: Worker Co-op Movie Night at the Dark Room
7pm
The Dark Room - 2263 Mission Street (Mission)
$5-$5000 sliding scale
No RSVP Required

Come see hilarious training and educational videos from your favorite worker cooperatives, plus documentary shorts on worker cooperatives from around the world. The Dark Room is a neat little screening room right in the heart of San Francisco's Mission District.

Friday all day: Bay Area Hidden History and Worker Coop Tours
We're planning several amazing tours to showcase the hidden histories of the Bay Area, and the role worker cooperatives have played in shaping these histories. Tours require advance registration and payment so we can plan appropriate transport. Register here.
Tours leave from the Clark Kerr Campus conference site at 9am and 1pm.

Friday night: Jim Hightower Talk and Kickoff Reception
6:30pm
The Women's Building - 3543 18th Street, San Francisco (Mission)
$10-20 public; free to conference participants with RSVP
Texas populist, commentator, author and worker ownership advocate Jim Hightower will kick off the conference with some thoughts on worker cooperatives and how they connect with other movements to restore what he calls The Powers That Ought to Be. This event is free to conference participants, but space is limited so RSVP/pre-registration is required. It's $10-20 sliding scale for the public.

Friday night late: Party at the Li Po Lounge
9pm - midnight

Li Po Lounge - 916 Grant Street (Chinatown/North Beach)

$5-$5000 sliding scale

Join us for a party at one of San Francisco's best little bars, the Li Po Lounge! Li Po is in Chinatown, right on the border with North Beach, so treat yourself to some of San Francisco's famed food options for dinner, then come to the party. We'll have DJs and dancing in the basement, and socializing and talking upstairs.

Saturday night: Awards Banquet, Auction and Brass Band
6:30pm - late

Clark Kerr Conference Center - UC Berkeley

Please plan to join us for a special celebration after dinner on Saturday night. We'll present some special awards and hold the fundraising auction where we raise scholarship money for next conference. Auction emcees this year will be the effervescent Toxic Soil Busters crew! So plan to bring your cash to bid. Contact us to donate to the auction. And in keeping with our annual tradition, we'll end the night with a special appearance by the 30-piece brass band the Brass Liberation Orchesta and a party in the courtyard.  


Intensive Trainings

In conjunction with the conference, we are also offering in-depth trainings for those who are interested in more intensive education on specific topics. We're offering two trainings this year - both are two days long and will take place on the Monday and Tuesday after the conference.

This year our topics are "Anti-Racism in the Workplace" and "Developing Democratic Capacity." Intensives will be led by experienced trainers from worker cooperatives and affiliated organizations.

The cost for intensives is $150, and we are trying to meet a minimum for enrollment, so please register as soon as possible if you plan to take an intensive training. (EDIT: PRICES OF INTENSIVES HAVE CHANGED - SEE INTENSIVES PAGE.)

Register for intensives here.



Schedule

For a basic preliminary schedule of events, click here. We are currently finalizing workshop slots and will have a much more complete schedule by the end of this week.

Thank you again for coming, and special thanks to those of you who have offered individual sponsorships. Every little bit counts! Stay tuned for more logistical and transport information in the next update.
Sincerely,
Melissa, Kiran and Stephanie
The League of Extraordinary Conference Planners