Help Ian Allinson & Nilüfer​ Erdem go to the LaborNotes conference in Chicago

We're union activists from Manchester and London who need your help to go to the Labor Notes conference, which takes place in Chicago 1-3 April 2016.

Labor Notes Conference:

• Involves thousands of union members, officers, and labor activists who are on the front lines in workplaces and communities, organizing new workers and agitating together. Meet troublemakers from around the country and around the world.
• Comprises more than 100 meetings and workshops include creative organizing tactics, beating apathy, running for local union office, winning contract campaigns, bargaining over technology, understanding the economy, life after “right to work,” and reviving the strike

Why help us?

We've already found some of Labor Notes publications useful and think there will be a lot of ideas which can help workers in the UK organise. If your help enables us to go, we will post a detailed report online. If your union body sponsors us we'll do our best to come and give a report in person.

So far our delegation has been sponsored by Unite Fujitsu North-West branch, Unite WM6050 C&W Local Tom Mann Branch, Manchester TUC, Unite Restaurant and Bar Workers Branch (London) and Unite Hotel Workers Branch (London)..

Who are we?

• Ian Allinson is an activist in Manchester, where he's the senior UNITE rep at the IT multinational Fujitsu. In 2009 he led the first national strike in the UK IT industry. Ian served on the union's Executive Council for ten years. Ian is currently on the National Industrial Sector Committee the Graphical, Paper, Media and IT sector. He runs iansunitesite, a blog about union matters. In addition to activism and working full time, Ian is currently doing a part time MA in Industrial Relations at Keele University.
• Nilüfer Erdem is an activist in London, involved in the UNITE Hotel Workers branch. She's active in the Fair Tips campaign and in organising young, migrant and precarious workers. Nilüfer is a member of the London & Eastern region's Young Members' Committee.

What will it cost us?

• Conference tickets cost $210
• Flights cost £900
• A shared hotel room will cost us around $600
• Passports, ESTAs, travel insurance etc. add about £300
• On top of that there will be travel to the airport, over-priced food etc.

We estimate the total is approximately £1800, and will add updates as it becomes clearer.

Update 14/3/2016

We've reached our target, with several pledges still to come through. We've agreed to help Cam Stocks, a BMA activist who is a medical student but heavily involved in the junior doctors' strike, to come with us. So please keep giving - either here or via Cam's own crowdfunding page.