Elaine Bernard

Elaine Bernard

Template:TOCnestleft Elaine Bernard is an Harvard labor academic and a leading member of Democratic Socialists of America. She is a former Canadian and one time president of the British Columbia New Democratic Party.

Dr. Elaine Bernard serves as the Executive Director, Labor and Worklife Program at Harvard University. She has a BA from the University of Alberta, a MA from the University of British Columbia and a Ph.D. from Simon Fraser University. Bernard has conducted courses on a wide variety of topics for unions, community groups, universities and government departments. Her current research and teaching interests are in the areas of international comparative labor movements and the role of unions in promoting civil society, democracy and economic growth. Some of her more recent talks and publications include: “The Changing Workplace and Building A Union’s Organizational Capacity,” “Organizing in a Cold Climate,” “How to Get Momentum to Change the Structure,” “Why Unions Matter,” “Labor Rights as Human Rights,” “Why Health Care Should Not Be a Business,” “Social Unionism: Labor as a Political Force,” “Public Sector Workers and the Creation of Public Value,” and “The Way to the Future: Setting a Social Agenda for Labor.”

Socialist Scholars Conference

Elaine Bernard; Arthur Lipow, Michael Harrington Center; Kurt Stand, Democratic Socialists of America and Judy Page, New Party were speakers on the Towards a New Party panel sponsored by the Democratic Socialists of America at the Tenth Annual Socialist Scholars Conference. The conference was held April 24-26, 1992 at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, New York City.

Elaine Bernard also spoke alongside Daniel Singer in the closing plenary entitled What's Left of the Socialist Project?.

New Party builder

New Party News Fall 1994 listed over 100 New Party activists-"some of the community leaders, organizers, retirees,, scholars, artists, parents, students, doctors, writers and other activists who are building the NP" the list included Elaine Bernard, Harvard Trade Union Program.

Hearing on Economic Insecurity

Boston Democratic Socialists of America was involved in the January 1996 Boston Hearing on Economic Insecurity. Participants included Joe Faherty, DSA member Elaine Bernard, John Kerry, Joe Moakley, Barney Frank, Joe Kennedy, John Olver, Marty Meehan.

Lui Cheng 2007 American tour

The American Center for International Labor Solidarity and the National Labor College recently hosted Professor Liu Cheng for Shanghai Normal University to discuss the evolution of the new draft contract labor law in China. Cheng’s visit to the NLC on March 27th was the culmination of a multi-state tour meeting with union leaders and members of Congress.

For the report by Global Labor Strategies analyzing the impact of transnational corporations on the first draft of the Contract Law go to: UNDUE INFLUENCE: Corporation Gain Ground in Battle Over Chinas New Labor Law

Liu Cheng's tour included nearly 45 events over 17 days, in the Bay Area, Boston, Amherst, New York and Washington DC. A partial list of the many sponsoring organizations, and their key contact, includes:

Harvard Law School, Labor & Worklife Program, Cambridge - Elaine Bernard.

Association for Union Democracy

In 2008 Elanine Bernard was listed on the Advisory Board for the Association for Union Democracy.

Open letter to Andy Stern

On May 1 2008, Elaine Bernard, of the Labor and Worklife Program at Harvard Law School signed an open letter to SEIU president Andy Stern in protest at SEIU move to force its local United Healthcare Workers into trusteeship.

"We are writing to express our deep concern about SEIU's threatened trusteeship over its third largest local, United Healthcare Workers (UHW). We believe that there must always be room within organized labor for legitimate and principled dissent, if our movement is to survive and grow. Putting UHW under trusteeship would send a very troubling message and be viewed, by many, as a sign that internal democracy is not valued or tolerated within SEIU. In our view, this would have negative consequences for the workers directly affected, the SEIU itself, and the labor movement as a whole. We strongly urge you to avoid such a tragedy."

Independent Progressive Politics Network

In 2009 Elanine Bernard served on the Advisory Committee of the Independent Progressive Politics Network.

Vietnam trip, 2011

In April 2011 Tim Paulson, of the San Francisco Labor Council traveled to Vietnam, on business and pleasure. In Vietnam Paulson met with his friend Kent Wong, from the UCLA Labor Studies Department. Wong arrived in Hanoi the same night Paulson arrived, along with Elaine Bernard, Chair of the Harvard Trade Union Program; Abel Valenzuela, Jr., Chair of the UCLA Cesar Chavez Chicano Studies Department; and Greg Mantsios, Director of the Joseph S. Murphy Institute for Worker Education & Labor Studies at The City University of New York.

The group was picked up by leaders from the national Vietnamese General Federation of Trade Unions whom Paulson had visited with Kent Wong three years previously. The San Francisco and Alameda Labor Councils and the Asian Pacific American Labor Association have twice hosted leaders from the VGTU for labor exchanges as well. Wong had organized this conference with American and Vietnamese labor scholars to exchange ideas regarding organizing policy, the role of labor education and labor law between the two countries—one country controlled by capital and the other gradually allowing corporations to “invest” in its economy. They invited Paulson to participate before he continued his vacation.

Democratic Socialists of America

DSA vice-chair

Democratic Socialists of America Vice-Chairs in 2009 were;

Elaine Bernard, Edward Clark, Jose LaLuz, Steve Max, Harold Meyerson, Maxine Phillips, Christine Riddiough, Rosemary Ruether, Joseph Schwartz, Ruth Spitz, Motl Zelmanowicz.

DSA Labor Committee

In February 2009 Boston Democratic Socialists of America sponsored a forum on the Employee Free Choice Act with DSA Vice-Chair Elaine Bernard, MA SEIU Political Director Harris Gruman and Steve Schnapp from United for a Fair Economy before about 40 people. Out of that meeting a DSA Labor Committee emerged, organized by David Duhalde with several non-members, working to build support for EFCA. The group has been joining with Jobs with Justice and tenant groups to publicize other issues related to the economic crisis.

Debs-Thomas-Bernstein Awards Reception

On June 30, 2009, Boston Democratic Socialists of America presented its annual Debs-Thomas-Bernstein Award to Professor, author, and health care reformer Rashi Fein, along with the winners of a union election at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton, accepted by Sonia Marshall, the key organizer of the campaign. Sheila Decter of the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action presented the award to Rashi Fein. The event was held at the home of Marcia Peters and David Karaus. Mike Fadel of SEIU Local 1199 (formerly Boston DSA staff person) and the AFSCME-affiliated New England Organizing Project were benefactors of the event.

Elaine Bernard was a supporter of the event.

New Politics

As of 2009 Elaine Bernard served as a sponsor of New Politics, magazine almost completely staffed and run by members of Democratic Socialists of America.

National Jobs For All Coalition

In 2010, Elaine Bernard was listed as serving on the advisory board of the Democratic Socialists of America dominated National Jobs For All Coalition.

New Labor Forum

New Labor Forum is published by Center for Labor, Community, and Policy Studies, Joseph S. Murphy Institute for Worker Education & Labor Studies.

Editorial Board members listed, as of March 2013; were; Elaine Bernard, Ron Blackwell, Barbara Bowen, Kate Bronfenbrenner, Arthur Cheliotes, Mike Davis, Amy Dean, Steve Early, Hector Figueroa, Janice Fine, Bill Fletcher, Jr., Juan Gonzalez, Marie Gottschalk, Gerald Hudson, Lisa Jordan, Tom Juravich, Robin D G Kelley, Jose LaLuz, Nelson Lichtenstein, Manning Marable, Ruth Needleman, Ai-jen Poo, Katie Quan, Adolph Reed, Daisy Rooks, Andrew Ross, Kent Wong.

Harry Bridges Project Advisory Board

As of 2014 Elaine Bernard served on the The Harry Bridges Project Advisory Board. The project was formed to promote the work an ideals of the late Harry Bridges, an iconic Bay Area labor leader and one time secret member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party USA.

Retail Justice Alliance Steering Committee

As of 2015 the Retail Justice Alliance Steering Committee included;

LNS Board

Labor Network for Sustainability board, July 2018;

• Barbara Byrd, Board Treasurer and Chairperson of Compensation Committee, Portland, OR.
• Dr. Elaine Bernard, Board Member, Cambridge, MA.
• John Brown Childs, Board Member, Santa Cruz, CA.
• Sarita Gupta, Executive Director of Jobs with Justice.
• Lisa Hoyos, Board Secretary and Secretary of Compensation Committee, San Francisco, CA.
• Jennifer Krill, Board Member, Washington DC and San Francisco, CA.
• Carla Lipsig-Mumme, Board Member, Toronto, Ontario, CA.
• Bob Massie, Board Member, Somerville MA.
• Ananda Lee Tan, Board Member, Berkeley, CA.
• Joseph B. Uehlein, Board President, [Takoma Park], MD

References

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