powerpoint slide talking points

COMMON SENSE ECONOMICS • AFL-CIO • OCTOBER 2015 CSE 101 GUIDE • 1

Learning Objectives

After completion of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• share with others their experiences with the economy and how the economy is not working for most working people;

• describe the impact of neoliberal political choices on working people;

• articulate that powerful people manipulate the rules of the economy;

• explain how working people can change the rules of the economy by acting together (voting, volunteering, organizing and activism); and

• empower family, friends and co-workers with a specific message to join together to change the rules to create an economy that works for everyone.

Success will be measured by participants:

• articulating a message about the rules of the global economy to others;

• collectively advocating for policy changes; and

• engaging in campaigns and becoming active campaign volunteers.

CSE 101 GUIDE

2 • CSE 101 GUIDE COMMON SENSE ECONOMICS • AFL-CIO • OCTOBER 2015

TRAINER NOTES

Materials and Logistics

The CSE 101 Workshop will take 1 hour, 20 minutes, divided as follows:

Welcome, Introductions and Group Agreements 5 minutes

Lived Experience Exercise 10 minutes

PowerPoint Presentation 25 minutes

Victory Video 5 minutes

Campaign Overview 10 minutes

Recruiting People to Take Action 20 minutes

Campaign Next Steps, Contact Form and Conclusion 5 minutes

Optional: Inequality Exercise 10 minutes

Note that timing will be tight. Some host organizations will need you to finish exactly on time; others may permit a little more time for discussion. Plan to use your time carefully!

You will need the following materials:

• Projector setup with sound for the PowerPoint and video• Paper and pens for participants• Flip charts and markers• System for keeping time (timekeeper, watch)• Optional: Placard and/or hat for Mr. Wealthiest 10%

TIME

MATERIALS


TRAINER NOTES

There will be a few handouts you will need to have ready:

• Common Sense Conversations• Action Campaign Materials• Contact Commitment Forms• Evaluation Forms• Rewriting the Rules Summary

This session can be done in any kind of room and does not require breakout spaces. It will be best if people are not too crowded together, so they can comfortably talk in pairs and small groups, as well as in a line for the practice conversation exercise.

Additional space may be needed at the front of the room for the optional Inequality Exercise.

Reference materials available at the end of this guide:• Optional activity: • Wealth Inequality Exercise: 10 Chairs• Glossary of Economic Terms• Mr. Wealthiest 10% Placard

HANDOUTS

ROOM

RESOURCES


TRAINER NOTES

You will see two types of print in these Trainer Notes.

Print Like This Will Be Training Tips

Or suggestions for how to conduct the training. It will be in a box apart from the main flow of the page. Read these tips before you conduct the training to get ideas of how to handle various parts of the session, what to expect, and various situations which might come up.

Print Like This Will Be Trainer Scripts

That is, words that can be read aloud to the group as you lead the training. As you become familiar and comfortable with the training materials, you will make the words your own—you do not need to use our scripts! The scripts are available here so you can see how a trainer might introduce something, make a transition or stimulate a conversation. You should always feel free to put any of this into your own words, and into words you think will resonate with the particular group you are leading through the module.


TRAINER NOTES

Make Changes and Adaptations Thoughtfully

We want you to make this training your own—adapt it to the groups you are using it with, and make the words your own. However, we also want you to think carefully about the following as you do so:

• A lot of thought went into the wording of these materials, particularly the questions, introductions and summaries. Casual changes in some places may lose the meaning of the material. Changes to questions may elicit a whole different type of responses, rather than what is intended.

• This curriculum was designed by the AFL-CIO, and reflects its current thinking on economic issues. Please do not misrepresent the AFL-CIO’s positions.


WELCOME, INTRODUCTIONS AND GROUP AGREEMENTS

Trainer Note

It is extremely important to introduce the Action Campaign here, and to frame the session as preparing us to move into action.

We want participants to know from the beginning this is not just about sitting back and listening. It is about getting involved and getting others involved as well—building the movement.

J


Welcome to this session of Common Sense Economics, a tool developed by the AFL-CIO to enhance activism in our communities. Thank you for coming.

Today, we’ll be talking about the impact of neoliberal political choices on the lives of working people and how the economy is out of balance. We will look at how and why the current economy is not serving working people, how our lives are impacted and how we can act together to create an economy that works for all of us.

We will be talking particularly about <Insert Action Campaign here>. We hope that coming out of this session, you not only will better understand what influences the rules of the economy, but you will be ready and motivated to take action to support this campaign and to recruit your family, friends and co-workers to take action.

WELCOME, INTRODUCTIONS AND GROUP AGREEMENTS 5 minutes



The Importance of Introductions

Be sure to practice the introduction in order to avoid reading from your script. This is one of the opportunities you will have to establish yourself as a credible facilitator; few things do that better than a solid introduction.

J

About Credentials

Let people know why you are qualified to lead this session:

“I’m a shop steward in my union, and I’ve been working in the labor movement for five years.”

“I’ve been an activist on my church’s justice committee for 10 years.”

The goal is to position yourself as knowledgeable, without boasting or claiming unnecessary expertise. Why are you at the front of the room?

J

Telling Your Story

Include a quick personal story as you introduce yourself. Quick can be defined as two sentences that let people know why you are here.

“When I started my first full-time job, I thought I would work with one company for life. I got laid off three years ago and have had four jobs since then.”

“I’ve done OK, but my kids are struggling; one of them has moved home with me. I worry what their futures will be like in this economy.”

A good story tells your personal connection to the economy and helps people understand why you are concerned about taking action to improve the economy for working people.

J



Personal Introductions

My name is <insert name>. I am <insert credential>.

I am excited about doing this workshop with you today because <insert your own story>.

Let me have my co-trainer introduce herself—Jane?<Jane tells her name, credentials and story.>



Advance Preparation

Prepare the flip chart sheet with the list of Learning Objectives in advance (this saves time in your session). Have your co-trainer hang it where people can see it.

J



Learning Objectives

I want to start by reviewing our Learning Objectives. I’ve written them here on the flip chart.

Learning Objectives• share with others how the economy is not working for most working

people;

• describe the impact of neoliberal political choices on working people;

• explain how working people can change the rules of the economy by acting together (voting, volunteering, organizing and activism); and

• empower family, friends and co-workers with a specific message to join together to change the rules to create an economy that works for everyone.

It is important we understand why our economy is out of balance. A lot of people talk about the economy like it’s a force of nature—something that happens to us, like the weather. We know that’s not true.

We are going to talk today about how deliberate policy choices have changed the rules of the economy to benefit corporations and the top 1%, and how we can act together and organize to change the rules to create an economy that works for everyone.



Prepare the Room Beforehand

Before the workshop begins, write the bold-faced group agreements on a flip chart. You will want to print with a marker that is thick and dark so it can be read more easily. The box at right contains the suggested group agreements.

J

Timing Suggestions

If you have a large group and/or a very tight timeline, you may want to add:

Allow the trainer to move the agenda. Given that we have a lot to talk about today, allow the trainer to move the agenda forward, as needed.

J


Group Agreements s

Ask Participants for AgreementHere are suggestions for group agreements that will help move our conversations today and make them as productive as possible.

Group Agreements

• Listen. It is very important to really listen to what your fellow participants are saying. Give each other the space to talk and take in what we are learning.

• Keep an open mind. We all have opinions and things we believe, but don’t be too quick to dismiss ideas that might be different from yours.

• Value your own experience. It is important to keep an open mind, but don’t forfeit what you know, feel or believe. Have confidence in who you are.

• Step up, step back. If you find yourself shy and contemplative, push yourself to step up and contribute to the conversation. If you are feeling very talkative, step back to allow others the space to contribute.

• Cell phones on silent.

Are there any other group agreements you need to help facilitate our time together?




Trainer Note

If you have a group of 20 or fewer people, have each person introduce him/herself briefly. Ask for their name, where they are from and their organizational affiliation. If you have a larger group, you could ask people to raise their hands if they are from particular geographic locations or are a part of particular organizations. Choose locations and organizations you know are likely to be represented in the room. For example, if the event is hosted by a coalition, you might mention the coalition member organizations and cities or towns in the immediate area.

J



Participant Introductions

The goal of the AFL-CIO and its allies is to touch 1 million people through Common Sense Economics and for us all to move into action together, though we will not all be working on the exact same issues. Some of us will be working on local issues, some on state issues, some at the national level, some on minimum wage hikes, some on immigration reform, and so on. If 1 million people start to take action to change the rules of the economy and recruit others to work with us to create an economy that works for everyone.

Sound good?

OK, let’s get started and find out who is in the room. Each person should take 20 seconds to give his/her name, city and organization (if you belong to one).


LIVED EXPERIENCE EXERCISE

Learning Objective

To share with others our experience with the economy. J

Trainer Note

If there isn’t sufficient space for participants to take steps toward the center of the room, have participants stand instead to statements that apply to them.

J


Let’s start by reflecting for a few minutes about our own experiences and views of the economy. This bad economy has affected all of us, as well as our friends, our family, our neighbors and our co-workers.

Choose ONE of the two exercises below.Use Option #2 only if you have 30 or fewer participants.

OPTION #1 MOVING TOGETHER

Better for larger groups 10 minutes

We are going to do a simple exercise. First, please stand and move to the edges of the room. I am going to read a series of statements; for any statement that applies to you, please take one step toward the middle of the room.

Our goal is to get a sense that this bad economy impacts us all in one way or another, not to put anyone on the spot or pry into your personal business.

As I go through the questions, look around at one another to take in our collective experience with the economy.

LIVED EXPERIENCE EXERCISE 10 minutes



Leading a Discussion

Ask broad, open-ended questions to get people to respond with their own thoughts. There are no right or wrong answers. Encourage a variety of people to talk. Do not try to respond to what each person is saying, or you will dominate the conversation. You may want to acknowledge what was said by repeating part of it back. “Yes, we can really see that everyone is affected!”

Trainer Note

Remember to pause briefly between questions so participants have time to look around the room. Make sure you save 5-7 minutes for the debrief.

Questions can be uncomfortable!

Some of these questions might make some participants a little uncomfortable. The goal is to help participants get a sense of their common experience with the economy and not so much to put people on the spot or pry into their personal lives. Let people know they should feel free to stand as the statement applies to them, so long as they are comfortable expressing themselves in this way.

J

J

J



Statements:

1. You or someone you care about, a family member or friend, have been unemployed in the last five years.

2. That person had to take a job at lower wages than the job he or she lost.

3. You or someone you care about works more than one job.

4. You or someone you care about has had trouble paying their mortgage, rent or car payment in the last five years.

5. You know a young person with huge student loan debt.

6. You know a young person who can’t get a good job.

7. You know a young person who had to move back in with his or her parents.

8. You worry your parents won’t have enough money for their retirement.

9. You worry that you won’t have enough money for retirement.

Lead a Brief Discussion

Look around and see where people are standing in the room.

What do you notice? Are you surprised at where people are standing?

What does this tell us about what is going on with our economy today?

Elicit three or four responses from the group.



Troubleshooting Tip

Someone may point out the inconsistency of the bank bailout as compared with the auto bailout. It is worth noting, in this case, that the auto industry crisis was an unusual situation requiring unusual action. Because of the financial crisis, no private lender was in a position to provide Chrysler and GM with funds. If government turned down the companies, their only recourse would be liquidation—they’d have to shut down operations and sell off their assets. Their workers, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, would quickly become unemployed.

J



Summarize the Exercise

You’ve made some good points.

Most people have struggled in this economy. People have lost jobs, or worried about losing jobs, or worried about their friends who have been laid off.

If we’re younger, we’re worrying about that first job, or about finding work we really want, or that pays enough to pay off student loans and save for the future.

If we’re a little more seasoned, we’re worried about our children’s future or about our own retirement prospects.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. As we said earlier, the economy doesn’t just happen.

For example, the federal minimum wage hasn’t been raised in years, and people can barely survive on $7.25. That’s a policy our elected officials can change—and some of them have been trying, but there is a lot of pushback from corporations and the top 1%.

When Wall Street and the Big Banks needed bailing out, our elected officials got together and voted to spend the money for that right away. That’s a public policy. It just isn’t one that helped the average person struggling to pay a mortgage.

<If you have time, take some comments here, but stay on schedule!>

We’ve gotten a personal view of what’s going on with the economy. Now we’re going to take a look at the overall picture and what is happening at a larger level.

If you did Option 1, skip Option 2 and go to page 26.



Respecting Privacy

Some people may feel uncomfortable talking about personal matters. Let people know they only need to share what they are comfortable saying. Also, be sure to say you will not be asking the pairs to share each other’s personal stories with the rest of the group—these should remain private unless the person chooses to share with the group.

Give an Example

“For example, for me, I haven’t been worried about my job, but I have two kids in their 20s who haven’t been able to find good jobs, and I worry that I will have to help support their families.”

Your goal in sharing your story is to model that we want personal stories, not just general complaining about the economy.

J

Everyone Should Talk!

Midway through the pair time, let people know they have two minutes left to make sure both partners have a chance to talk.

J



OPTION #2 PAIR DISCUSSIONS

Better for smaller groups 10 minutes

For this exercise we will work in pairs. In a minute, I want you to find a partner. Together, you will answer this question:

How has the economy affected you, your family and your community?

For example, for me … [give an example, see note].

Be sure each person in your pair has a turn to speak. You will have five minutes.

[If there is an odd number of people, have one group with three people, or have one of the trainers participate.]

After five minutes, reconvene the group.

OK, let’s come back together. Let’s take a couple of minutes to hear from folks who want to share parts of their conversations.



Making Your Own Summary

As you summarize the conversation, refer back to issues that were mentioned.

Be listening for similarities and common threads as people report back from the pairs.

You may want to have your co-trainer write down what people say on flip chart paper to help with the summary.

J

Use a Different Example, If You Want

If a different policy example would be better locally, or fits with the Action Campaign, use it in place of the minimum wage example.

J

Leading a Discussion

Ask broad, open-ended questions to get people to respond with their own thoughts. There are no wrong answers. Encourage a variety of people to talk. Do not try to respond to what each person is saying, or you will dominate the conversation. You may want to acknowledge what was said by repeating part of it back. “Yes, we can really see that everyone is affected!”

J




There are a wide variety of experiences in this room and also a lot in common. Everyone has been impacted in one way or another.

Most people have struggled in this economy. People have lost jobs, or worried about losing jobs, or worried about their friends who have been laid off.

If we’re younger, we’re worrying about that first job, or about finding work that we really want, or that pays enough to pay off student loans and save for the future.

Those of us who are more seasoned are worried about our children’s future, or about our own retirement prospects.

<Note that political choices have played a role.>

Are these concerns the results of individual choices, or political choices made by those in power who make public policy?

As we said earlier, the economy doesn’t just happen.

For example, the federal minimum wage hasn’t been raised in years and now is worth a lot less than it used to be. That’s a policy our elected officials can change—and some of them have been trying, but there is a lot of pushback from corporations and the top 1%.

When Wall Street and the Big Banks needed bailing out, our elected officials got together and voted to spend taxpayer money to help the banks. That’s a public policy; it just isn’t one that helped an average person struggling to pay a mortgage.

<If you have time, take some comments here, but stay on schedule!>

We’ve gotten a personal view of what’s going on with the economy. Now we’re going to take a look at the overall picture and what is happening at a larger level. Keep in mind what’s happening in our own lives.


POWERPOINT PRESENTATION

If you are not equipped with a PowerPoint projector, please see the CSE 101 Low-Tech Chapter for an exercise to substitute for this presentation.

JThis PowerPoint presentation should take 25 minutes. You will need to pace yourself carefully.

This timing does not allow for a lot of discussion. You can take a few comments, but generally you will need to move through the presentation.

Do not go so fast that people can’t understand the material!

Remember the goal is to get across the basic concepts, not to make everyone an expert or to engage in a detailed discussion.

The overall points of this presentation are laid out on Slide 2:

• a historical view of the rules of the economy—how the choices made throughout our nation’s history have changed who benefited from the economy and how (slides 3–12);

• how the neoliberal agenda is driving policy changes that benefit CEOs and the top 1% in our country, creating an economy out of balance (slides 13–20);

• how we can build power to change the rules to create an economy that works for everyone (slides 21–28);

• how we can take action today to begin to change the rules of the economy (slides 29–30).

Review the section in the Training Fundamentals chapter on the basics of using PowerPoints effectively. Practice giving this session—for friends, co-workers or just reading out loud while moving through the slides—before you do it in front of a group. Time yourself, and mark where you should be at 3 minutes, 6 minutes and so on. Change the sentence flow if there are words that trip you up. Mark in places where you need to pause, and underline where you need to make sure to emphasize.


POWERPOINT PRESENTATION 25 minutes

Learning Objective:

To understand the economy is not inevitable but is determined by policy decisions and to think about a new direction forward for the economy

SLIDE 1



INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK



In this section, we will be looking at:• a historical view of the rules of the economy—how the choices made

throughout our nation’s history have changed who benefited from the economy and how;

• how the neoliberal agenda is driving policy changes that benefit CEOs and the top 1% in our country, creating an economy out of balance;

• how we can build power to change the rules to create an economy that works for everyone.

But what do we mean by “the economy?”

You know, a lot of people talk about the economy like it’s a force of nature—something that happens to us, like the weather.

That’s not true. The economy is a result of deliberate policy choices made by powerful people. We can make different choices. That’s what we’re going to look at in more detail.

SLIDE 2



The economy is a set of laws, rules and policies made by powerful people.

The choices those people have made over the last 30 years are not working for working people.

As a nation, we can make different choices. We can change the rules. We can create an economy where working people have a say at work, get fair pay and benefits, and earn enough to sustain a family.

The economy should work for we the people, not just the wealthy and well connected.

SLIDE 3



Click to view animation. J



We have struggled over economic rules since the beginning of our nation.In a democracy, we choose who makes the rules. And who votes determines what the rules are and who benefits from them.

As we expanded the right to vote, through protest and pressure, we changed the rules and more people got work that could sustain a family.• In 1776 the U.S. Constitution said that only white men with land or property

could vote or hold office.• It took another 64 years before all white men without property could vote.• Black men couldn’t vote until 1870. • Women did not have a voice in electing the rule-makers until 1920.• Native Americans—the first people on the continent—couldn’t vote until 1924. • It wasn’t until 1971, the nation decided that if 18-year-olds could be drafted to

fight and die for their country, then they should be able to decide whether or not we GO to war.

As the electorate grew, working people helped change the rules—slavery was abolished, land ownership opened up, it became illegal to limit access to jobs because of a person’s race or gender, and laws were established to protect workers who join unions.

SLIDE 4



During the period from the Civil War to the New Deal, the shift from agriculture to manufacturing accelerated. Urban factories recruited European immigrants and the children of farmers. But the transition from farm to the factory was not easy.

There was no national banking system at the time. The economy cycled between boom and bust—the blue lines on this chart are periods of recession. Huge fortunes were made through fraud and intimidation. Wealthy elites consolidated control over entire industries, fixing prices and raking in huge profits, while working people faced uncertain, insecure and unsafe employment. Industrialists employed private “security firms” to suppress collective action by working people.

Few states or cities had minimum wage standards, prohibitions on child labor, limits on working hours or workplace safety rules. If a worker was crippled or killed on the job, employers were not required to provide anything to their families.

There were strikes and walkouts in cities across the country as workers fought for the right to organize and sought to improve working conditions and wages.In the Midwest and South, small farmers joined the Farmers Alliance and Populist party to get fair shipping fees from the railroads and fair prices for their crops.

In the Deep South, both black and white tenant farmers were tied to the land through the debts they owed landlords, and faced chain gangs if they tried to leave.

SLIDE 5



In 1929, the U.S. stock market crashed, thanks to speculation and fraud by Wall Street traders, enabled by incompetent and dishonest bankers.

In the Great Depression, unemployment skyrocketed, with one in every four men out of work. Many people were thrown off their land and became “hoboes” moving from place to place in search of work. In cities across the country, there were rent strikes and demonstrations as people struggled to sustain their families and survive.

It became clear the economic rules weren’t working for most Americans.Working people had had enough. They voted Franklin D. Roosevelt into office with a mandate to change the rules of the economy.

SLIDE 6



Working people demanded new rules for the economy and the Roosevelt administration responded by creating rules that changed the power dynamic between employees and employers: • The right to join a union —without getting fired, beaten up or killed.• 40-hour workweek—with mandatory overtime and an end to child labor.• A national minimum wage.• Social Security—providing public income support for the elderly, widows and

orphans.• Rules on banks and the stock exchange—to prevent reckless bankers and

traders from gambling with other people’s money. • Unemployment insurance—with mandatory contributions from employers.• Government agencies—to ensure the rules were enforced.

The nation raised taxes on the wealthy to pay for enforcement. What do you think the top tax rate was in 1937? • In 1937, the wealthy paid 79% of every dollar over $5 million—the equivalent of

79% of every dollar over $81 million today.

What do you think the top tax rate is today?• 39.6%

SLIDE 7



Together we created rules that ensured the profits from productivity and growth were broadly shared.

As the United States started mobilizing for World War II, our national government invested millions in research and munitions. The war effort mobilized both public and private investments, rapidly growing jobs and the economy.

When the war ended, the new rules, coupled with strong unions, ensured that wages and benefits increased along with productivity, giving working people more money to spend on goods and services. This increased demand drove investment in new businesses.

The rules of the economy created a virtuous cycle—higher wages increased demand, demand stimulated new investments, technology advanced, productivity rose, tax revenue increased and we had more wealth to invest in public infrastructure, public education, research and other things important to our communities.

SLIDE 8



As a nation we invested in: • Construction of the interstate highway system and hydroelectric plants; • Public institutions of higher learning, including the G.I. Bill that put millions of

veterans through college with federal funding; • Scientific research in public universities and government labs that led to

inventions associated with the space program, spurring new products and businesses in the private sector;

• Our national space program that led to numerous technological advances and a landing on the moon.

And under President Eisenhower—a REPUBLICAN—the tax rate on the wealthy was HIGHER than under FDR: The tax rate on income over the first $200,000 (today, that would be $1.8 million) was more than 90%.

Could you live comfortably on $1.8 million a year?

SLIDE 9



For 25 years, wages (the red line) and productivity (the blue line) rose together—both nearly doubled between 1948 and 1973.

SLIDE 10



Although the New Deal rules and growth improved the economy, many working people still were excluded:• Domestic workers were left out of most New Deal protections—primarily

women of color.• Agricultural workers also were excluded—primarily workers of color. • Tipped workers weren’t covered by the minimum wage—more than 70% of

tipped workers were women.• Black workers in the South continued to live under legal segregation. In the

North, employers paid black workers less and excluded them from some jobs. • Latino migrant workers in the Southwest were regularly subjected to mass

deportation from areas their families had lived in for generations (e.g., Texas).• Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people had no legal protections.

Many of these exclusions continue to impact people today.

SLIDE 11



Then, as now, working people came together to fight for change:• African Americans led civil rights marches to protest segregation and political

exclusion. • Latino and Asian communities fought for equal access to education,

immigration reform and an end to job discrimination. • Women demanded equal pay and equal treatment in the workplace, and an

end to sexual harassment and discrimination. • The movements for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights worked to

end discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.

Through collective action, we changed the rules to build a more inclusive democracy and economy.

CIVIL RIGHTS:• 1957—The Civil Rights Act was passed, allowing the federal government to

investigate abuses• 1964—President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Title VII of the act banned discrimination based on sex, race, color, religion or national origin.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

SLIDE 12



VOTING RIGHTS:• 1964—24th Amendment ratified; prohibited poll taxes used to prevent African

Americans from voting. • 1965—Voting Rights Act passed; prohibited voting test requirements for

African Americans and established federal election supervision in places where African Americans had been prevented from voting.

• 1975—Voting Rights Act expanded to require language assistance at polling stations.

WOMEN’S RIGHTS:• 1963—The Equal Pay Act made it illegal to pay men and women different

wages for equal work.• 1972—Title IX of the Education Amendments prohibited discrimination based

on gender in federally assisted educational programs.• 1974—Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibited discrimination in granting credit

based on race, sex, age, national origin or marital status.

If time permits, ask participants about their personal knowledge or experience with the impact of these rule changes.



Let’s look closer at what’s happening to the rules in today’s economy.

SLIDE 13



Let’s start with looking at how the economy is out of balance. Reflecting on the exercise we did at the start of this section, and considering who stepped forward and why, what does this say to you about the current economy? Who was negatively impacted? [Take a few responses from participants.]

It wasn’t just one or two people, it was almost everyone in the room—and some folks were impacted in multiple ways.

And it’s not just those of us in this room; working people across the country are struggling to make ends meet in this economy.

[CLICK] We can see from the headlines that many families are struggling. All over America, people are wondering what’s happening, why the middle class is having a hard time making ends meet.

Well there is ONE group that is not worrying—corporate CEOs and the top 1%.

SLIDE 14


POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONSLIDE 15

In the early 1970s, conservative elites came together and set about changing the rules to reduce constraints on their power and to weaken the power of working people. They dubbed their ideas “neoliberal economics.” They wanted to remove any constraints on the power of corporations and businesses that reduced their profits.

What does this mean for working people like us? What have you seen in your community?




[Review a few key points from the list and connect to participant responses.]

• Make it harder to form and join unions and to negotiate contracts• Make it easier to break strikes • Misclassify workers (e.g., taxi workers as independent contractors)• Keep the minimum wage low • Weaken overtime rules• Attack project labor agreements and prevailing wage rules• Deregulate the banking sector and Wall Street, remove laws protecting

consumers• Promote trade agreements, like NAFTA, that pit working people against each

other• Change policies at the Federal Reserve to keep unemployment rates high• Cut programs and enforcement of standards that help working people• Cut corporate tax rates and create new tax loopholes• Change campaign finance laws to allow unlimited contributions by corporations

and the very wealthy to ensure the election of leaders who support their change in the rules



We looked before at how productivity and wages rose together from 1948 to 1973.

Looking at this graph, what starts to happen in the early ’70s? What do you think caused this change?

[Take a few responses from participants. Responses might include trade, attacks on unions, corporate influence, etc.]

As we can see from the slide, from 1973 on productivity continued to rise, but employers refused to pay higher wages.

The wealthy and powerful changed the rules of the economy to keep wages low and make it harder for working people to make a living.

SLIDE 16



What has been the result of these changes to the rules of the economy?

When unions are strong, they act as a check on corporate power and provide a way for working people to exert economic and political power to set and enforce rules that work for everyone.

This graph shows union membership rates (the blue line), and the share of income that goes to the top 10% of our country (the red line). What do you notice about these lines?

[Take a few responses from participants.]

We can see the relationship between union membership and income—as union density declined, the share of income going to the top 10% increased substantially. When unions represented 30 to 40% of the workforce, they influenced all wages.

As it became harder to form and join unions, and to speak up together, it became harder to demand our fair share of economic growth and the wealth we all create.

SLIDE 17



Our economy in 2014 was more than two times bigger than it was in 1973, but average wages and the share of household wealth has declined.

As the rules changed to reduce the power of working people, our share of the growth of the economy went to corporations, CEOs and the top 1%.

SLIDE 18

A Growing EconomyEven though our economy continues to grow

$7.6 Trillion(indexed to 2014)

Size of U.S. economy(measured in GDP)

1973 2014

$17.4 Trillion



Wealth is much more concentrated in today’s economy.

Just eight people, the heirs to the Walmart fortune and the Koch brothers, control $216 billion—the same amount of wealth as 44% of American households.

Under the current neoliberal economic rules, wealth inequality is growing. In 1982, there were just 32 billionaires in the United States, according to Forbes. Last year, there were 513 billionaires in the United States.

SLIDE 19



The rules of the economy have changed to benefit the top 1% and keep us in a vicious cycle of low-wage work and communities starved of resources. Low wages mean no customers, no growth and no business investment.

Instead of the wealth of our country being invested in research, infrastructure, education and other things important to our communities, the increased wealth is going into the pockets of the top 1% of our country. This starves the public sector and undermines the institutions that built the middle class—public colleges and universities, good government jobs that protect public health, build and maintain our infrastructure and provide valuable public services.

CEO pay has skyrocketed. Investor profits are on the rise. Contributions to lobbyists and political campaigns are at an all-time high.

The attacks on unions have made it harder for working people to negotiate together to demand a fair share of the wealth they create.

The economy of the 1% doesn’t work for most of us.

SLIDE 20



We can change the rules. By acting together, by organizing, we can create an economy that works for everyone.

SLIDE 21



This is our choice—fight for an economy that works for everyone, or watch our democracy and our families’ future collapse.

That’s why we’re here today—to take action.

What can we do change the rules?

[Take a few responses from participants.]

SLIDE 22



We can exercise our power to change the rules to build and support an economy for shared prosperity.

We can start by raising wages and labor standards—as thousands of people are doing now across the country—by:

• Strengthening workers’ rights to organize unions and to negotiate for better wages and working conditions.

• Raising the minimum wage and tipped wage.• Passing living wage ordinances.• Supporting prevailing wage standards and project labor agreements.• Increasing the number of people eligible for overtime.• Passing paid sick leave and family leave legislation.

Wage growth increases consumer demand. When there is more demand, businesses hire more workers, invest in research and development, and expand operations, driving increased productivity. Strong unions ensure working people get a fair share of economic growth.

SLIDE 23



We can lower unemployment rates by investing in infrastructure, education and research to create more jobs that pay wages to sustain a family on and to ensure the United States remains competitive in the global economy. For America to succeed in the 21st century, we have to invest in the things that help us all grow and improve as a country: • 21st century energy systems• Learning and education• Early childhood education for all children • Public infrastructure—roads, bridges, ports, schools, etc.• Mass transit• Clean water• Science• Public lands and resources

This means we have to reclaim our relationship with government—we have to understand that government can and should be a tool for a fairer America.

SLIDE 24



We can exercise our power to change the rules and ensure our government represents all working people. We need a government that will fight for a better America. When people like us elect people who work for us, and we hold them accountable, then we will have rules that benefit all working people.

SLIDE 25



For America to succeed in the 21st century, we have to include everyone: • We can provide economic security and health care for all our seniors, including

strengthening Social Security and Medicare and expanding access to pensions.

• We can invest in high-quality, fairly compensated child care so every child has a healthy start in life.

• We can create an immigration system that works for working people—not a system that benefits corporations and separates families. The current system allows corporations to take advantage of immigrant workers by paying them low wages and denying their rights on the job. This undercuts the living standards for all workers in the United States.

• We need to put an end to mass incarceration that robs people—especially African Americans and Latinos—of a future. This matters to the economy because when you have millions of people incarcerated or formerly incarcerated, it presses down wages for everyone. The United States has more incarcerated people than any other nation in the world. Over the past 30 years, our crime rate has stayed the same, but the number of people incarcerated has tripled. And now corporations are fighting to privatize prisons, so they can rake in profits from this system.

• We can ensure we all have rights at the workplace, no matter who we love.

SLIDE 26



We’ve looked at how working people have come together in the past to fight for a more inclusive democracy and a fairer economy. But I want to find out from all of you the different actions you’ve taken to create a fairer economy.

I’m going to ask a series of statements; if the statement applies to you, please stand [if you have participants who may not be able to stand, have them raise their hand].

Please stand if:• You have walked a picket line.• You have helped organize an event to raise funds for a cause you believe in.• You have worked with people in your place of worship to help others in need.• You have volunteered to help in your community.• You have voted in a city, county or state election. • You have volunteered to phone bank or knock on doors for a political

campaign.• You have called or emailed an elected representative.


SLIDE 27



[If time permits, ask participants for specific examples of what they did.]

As we can see from all the people who stood, we have experience in taking collective action.

We know how to work together to get things done.

We know how to do this. We’ve done it before. We can do it again.



We can come together to demand more time for our families, our children, for rest, for wages that allow us to make a living and have a decent life. To THRIVE, not just survive.

We can demand more of the wealth we all create together. We have a $17 trillion economy and more than 500 billionaires—if they paid their fair share, we’d have plenty to invest in the common good—education, infrastructure, basic research.

We can rewrite the rules to stop offshore tax havens, loopholes and excessive CEO pay.

We can write rules that stop billionaires from trying to buy elections and lawmakers.

We can vote for, and work for, people who care about people like us, people who will go to Washington, D.C., and fight for our interests and for a better America.

We have momentum—we are moving forward all over the country.

But we need more people to get involved. Not for today or a week or a month, but for the long haul. We need you, your friends, your family and your co-workers to take action.

SLIDE 28



Together, we can change the rules of the economy. Take out your phones and text “WIN” to 235246; you will be added to the AFL-CIO’s activist database and receive updates about ways to get involved in your local community.

And that’s what we’re going to focus on now—taking action here and at home to create change.

SLIDE 29



[Modify this slide to match the campaign being used for the presentation. Use to introduce the campaign after showing the video.]

There are national fights and there are local fights.

Right now, we want to ask you to help us with:• A key national fight [insert national campaign information]. • An important local campaign [insert local campaign information].

SLIDE 30


VICTORY VIDEO

Learning Objective

To see how working people are taking action together andorganizing to change the rules of the economy.

J

Video Technology

Make sure you have the video all set to run! Technical delays can cost precious minutes. Will someone need to turn out the lights? Have them standing by and ready.

J


VICTORY VIDEO 5 minutes

We all know the economy is worse for working people than it has ever been in our lifetimes—unless you are old enough to remember the Great Depression. We have discussed how our out-of-balance economy didn’t “just happen”—it isthe direct result of deliberate political choices. Corporations and the wealthy pushtheir neoliberal agenda—laws, regulations, tax loopholes—that gives them a largershare of the economic growth of our country while making it harder for workingpeople to have economic stability.

We want to focus the rest of this session on how to fight back, to build power tochange the rules to create an economy that works for all working people. Let’s watch this video and see how people are organizing and fighting back all across the country.

After we watch this video, we’ll discuss what we can do right here, right now.

<SHOW VIDEO>


VICTORY VIDEO

Some Points to Make in the Debriefing

Emphasize that people in the video are building power by working together. Large numbers of people who are unified are powerful!

This makes decision makers (employers, elected officials) feel nervous! If we sustain action, they are forced to respond.

It also makes the people who are acting together feel more powerful. We are here today to join in building power!

Being right is not enough. We have to build power.

J


VICTORY VIDEO

Debrief the Video

Start by getting general reactions to the video and observations about it.

Often a video of people taking action will raise the energy level in the room. If this happens, comment on it—just seeing people fight back makes us feel more hopeful and energized.

The time for debriefing will be short. You may not need to ask any questions—but here are some questions to ask if you need them:

• What were some of the examples of working people taking action in the video?

• What campaigns did you see in the video?• Has anyone attended an anti-Walmart rally, or a living wage rally, or one of the

other kinds of actions in the video? Tell us briefly what that was like.• What are some recent campaign successes you’ve heard of?


VICTORY VIDEO



Summarize the Discussion

It’s good to see people organizing and taking action—it makes us all feel more hopeful and energized.

There are many things we all can do, whether we are fighting to improve our owncommunities or supporting other people’s struggles. We have to act together to make the economy work for all of us.

This video shows some of the ways people are acting together and organizing towin real change in their communities.

We’re going to talk now about what we can do right here. I said when we began that this session was not just about giving you some information, but about connecting us all to ways we can take action together to change the rules of the economy.

VICTORY VIDEO


CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW

Important Trainer Note on Action Campaigns

Every CSE training must be coordinated with an Action Campaign that will provide immediate action steps for the participants.

The campaign probably will be introduced and explained by someone else, not the main trainers. Ideally, the person who talks about it is working directly with the campaign.

Review the Action Campaigns chapter for campaign examples. You as the trainer will need to coordinate with the host organization to make sure there is an Action Campaign and that the person who presents it knows exactly what is expected.

J


CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW 10 minutes

At this point, there will be a short introduction to the campaign connected to the workshop. You will introduce the person (if different from you) who is going to talk about the campaign.

At the appropriate point, pass out a handout on the issue.

There should be a clear next step that people are being asked to take. This will be used in the Common Sense conversation that people will develop in the next section.

Introduce the Campaign Activist

I’m very pleased that we have <name> with us today, from <organization>. S/he is going to tell us about the <issue> campaign, and give us some information about how we can get involved.


CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW

Trainer Note

Make sure your campaign activist clearly writes the problem, solution, target and action on the flip chart.

J


CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW

Campaign Activist Talks

The campaign activist should be prepared to talk about the PROBLEM being addressed, the SOLUTION being asked for, the TARGET or person in power who needs to agree to the solution, and WHY the ACTION everyone is being requested to take will help motivate the target to say yes.

For example,

“We all know the minimum wage is not a living wage. Even full-time workers who make the minimum struggle to pay for basic necessities [problem]. We are marching on Saturday [action] to demand that State Representative Smith [target] votes yes to raise the minimum wage to $15.00 an hour [solution]. Representative Smith has a close election coming up, and needs to listen to her constituents [why].”

The campaign activist should end his/her brief talk with one or two action steps that people in the room can take, and for which they can recruit their friends, family and co-workers.

This leads right into the next section, Recruiting People to Take Action.


RECRUITING PEOPLE TO TAKE ACTION

Learning Objective

To gain confidence in holding conversations with family, friends andco-workers about how we can change the rules of the economy, andto ask them to take action together to create an economy that worksfor everyone.

J

Preparing for the TrainingBe sure to adapt this section to your campaign. Include the nextaction step so participants have context. For example, if you aredoing a postcard action, a petition, turnout or a call-in day, use thatmethod when you model the conversation and discuss the elementsof a persuasive ask.

This makes it much more likely they actually will take action, which isthe goal here!

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RECRUITING PEOPLE TO TAKE ACTION 20 minutes

Introduction 1 minute

Based on our discussion of real-life experiences with the economy and some background information on what is behind all of this, the next step is asking you to prepare your own personal stories to share with family, friends and co-workers to get them to take action.

We all need to become leaders in helping people understand why our economy is out of balance and how we can change the rules to create an economy that works for everyone. Almost nobody thinks the economy is doing great, but some people don’t realize just how bad it is. Others see how bad it is, but don’t think they can do anything about it.

You don’t have to be an economist to see what kind of changes would make things better for working people. We can fight together for commonsense changes like higher minimum wages, paid sick days, affordable child care, <insert issue from Action Campaign> and retirement security.

Big corporations are fighting to continue to get far more than their fair share. Weneed to act together to change the rules to create an economy that works for all of us.



Distribute the Common Sense Conversations handout J

This handout can be found in the RESOURCES section of this manual.

Introduce: Start with a conversational and comfortable approach. “Hi, how are you?”

Approach people when they have some time to talk. Ask whether you can tell them about a campaign you are involved in to improve the economy for working people.

Share: Tell them you have been to a workshop about what is happening with the economy. Tell a short story about how you or someone close to you has been impacted by the economy. Say that everyone at the workshop had a similar story.

Keep your story short and focused, but choose some telling details that make it real. Then be clear this is not about just you, it is about all of us.

Inquire: Ask the person what their experiences have been.

Listen to what they say! Getting the person you are talking to engaged in the conversation at this point is crucial. Ask follow-up questions based on their experiences to hear more about their thoughts on why this is a problem, not just for them but also their friends, family and neighbors.

Inform: Explain that our out-of-balance economy is the result of deliberate policy choices. Corporate CEOs and politicians have manipulated the rules of the economy in their favor—keeping wages low, creating tax loopholes for corporations and offshoring jobs. We can change the rules.

There is no need to get all technical here! Naming a couple of policy examples that the person you are talking with can relate to will suffice.

Ask: Invite the person to get involved in taking action together to change the rules of the economy. Ask them to be part of the political, legislative or community campaign that is the focus of the session.

Ask them to do something specific—come to a meeting, make a phone call to an elected official, etc. Let them know their participation really will matter. Have a couple of options ready to offer on how they can take action.

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COMMON SENSE CONVERSATIONS

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Explaining the Conversation Process 3 minutes

What we want to do now is take some time to plan how we are going to recruit more people to take action together.

Here’s a handout that outlines the process. <Distribute Common Sense Conversations handout>

There are five steps we know that lead to an effective recruitment conversation.

1. Introduce and ease into the conversation with a comfortable approach. Do the things you do when you start a friendly conversation. Make sure people have a couple of minutes to talk. Let them know you want to talk about something specific.

2. Share a little bit about why this topic matters to you personally. This draws people in and avoids the “economics lecture” approach, which is off-putting.

3. Inquire and invite the person to tell you their personal story about how bad the economy is. This gets them talking—which is absolutely critical to getting them engaged in the problem. Learn their perspective and what matters to them, and you will be much more likely to be able to get them to take action.

4. Inform. Give them a couple of facts about the issue at hand—the one you want them to take action on. Just a couple—they will ask if they want to know more. Tell them about the action, and why you believe it will make a difference if people get involved.

5. Ask. Invite the person to take a specific action—attend a rally, sign a petition, come to a meeting. Make a direct ask, which calls for a yes or no answer. Often we stop short of this, and say something like, “There’s a rally next Tuesday if you’re interested,” without directly asking them to participate and letting them know their presence will make a difference. “We want to have a really big crowd so that State Rep. Smith sees that her constituents really care and are watching how she votes.”



Modeling an Ask 2 minutes

Have either two facilitators or one facilitator and a volunteer demonstrate how a Common Sense Conversation might go.

Starting the Exercise 2 minutes

Now take two minutes to make some notes for yourself about how you are going to approach your conversation.

Ask participants: How will you take the message you have gotten today and use it to recruit more people to this effort?

Walk around while they are writing to make sure everyone understands what they should be doing, and provide assistance if needed.



Activity Note

Participants practice their conversations at the same time. It’simportant the participants rotate to a new partner for each round.

J

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PRACTICES THERECRUITMENT ASK

PRACTICES THERECRUITMENT ASK

ROLEPLAYS THEPERSON BEING ASKED

ROLEPLAYS THEPERSON BEING ASKED

ROUND 1 ROUND 2



Practicing the Conversation 10 minutes

Have participants form two lines facing each other and make sure each participant is paired up with someone across from them. A facilitator may need to participate if there is an odd number of participants.

Inform participants they each will have the opportunity to practice having a conversation and moving someone to take action on the campaign.

• Designate one row of participants as the person initiating the conversation to move someone to action.

• Designate the second row of participants as co-workers, community members, family, etc. The person being approached should respond the way s/he imagines someone really would respond.

Explain to participants they will have 90 seconds to practice the conversation and move the other person to <Insert Campaign Action>.

Use a timer to keep to the 90 seconds. Start! At the end, call time.

Rotate the group by having one person from the end of a line move to the opposite end of the line and have all the other participants in that line shift until everyone has a new partner. Reverse the roles and start. If time permits, do four rotations so that each participant has initiated the conversation twice and has been the receiver twice. Walk around while they are practicing and listen to the conversations.



Trainer Note

Remind the group that most people do this all the time—just not necessarily in a political context, but maybe at their congregation or their child’s school.

This is how we build power, by getting lots of people involved!

J



Debrief 2 minutes

Have people return their attention to the front of the room, and ask them how the discussions went.

Ask for examples of comments that were persuasive or that were challenging to respond to. Ask participants,

How did you make the connection between working people and the economy?

Emphasize that this conversation is just like many other conversations that everyone has, but a little bit more structured.

End by asking participants to commit to recruiting at least one person in the next week and five people within the next month.

Who do you think you can recruit to <take campaign action>?

Where are you going to find people to ask?

How soon can you get started?

Depending on the specific action, there may be someone that people should be reporting to on their recruitment efforts. That helps build in accountability! Or, there may be a time and place that people will be asked to show up with their recruits—again, accountability. The less vague that you leave this recruitment step, the more likely it is that people actually will begin to recruit.

We need to recruit our family, friends and co-workers to take action together so we can build a powerful group of activists. Alone, we are weak; united, we are strong.


CAMPAIGN NEXT STEPS, CONTACT FORM AND CONCLUSION

Trainer NoteOf course, you will vary your final comments based on what youknow about your participants. For example, if you know you aretalking to a roomful of activists, praise and thank them for what theyare doing, and talk about how they are going to spread the word,rather than urging them to get active.

SAMPLE CLOSING: “Good luck with your conversationsaround <insert Action Campaign here>. Please stay connectedand let us know how they go. By building up a base of people whoare educated about and ready to take action on changing the rules ofthe economy, we can win improvements and create an economy thatworks for all of us!”

Campaign SpecificsIf you have continuing campaign and/or educational programming,now is the time to make these announcements. Make sure any campaign point people have the chance to make final announcements or calls to action.

J

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CAMPAIGN NEXT STEPS, CONTACT FORM AND CONCLUSION 5 minutes

Thank you so much for participating and for sharing your knowledge andexperiences today. We started a great conversation about the economy. What we know is that when we take action together, we can change the rules and build an economy that works for everyone.

The campaign leader should talk about next steps in the campaign andwhat action everyone is encouraged to take. Distribute the Rewriting theRules handout and any other materials.

Have participants complete a contact commitment card, recording theircommitment on the back, and complete the evaluation. Make sure you collect everyone’s contact commitment card and evaluation.

Go to go.aflcio.org/CSE-Reports to submit a brief report on thesession. Attach the spreadsheet of participant contact information, the scanned evaluation forms and any photos to the report.

If you are unable to scan the evaluation forms or input thecontact information, mail the completed evaluations and contactcommitment cards to:

AFL-CIO815 16th St., N.W., Washington, DC 20006Attn: CSE

See the Staying Connected chapter for more instructions.


RESOURCES



RESOURCES 5 minutesOptional Activity:• Wealth Inequality Exercise: 10 Chairs

Glossary of Economic Terms

Mr. Wealthiest 10% Placard


INEQUALITY EXERCISE

Learning Objective

To understand how the wealth produced by our nation is not equally shared

J

Trainer Note

Look the space over when you first arrive to plan for this exercise. It takes some space where everyone can see.

Look for a participant who is a bit of a ham, or at least not shy, to play the role of Mr. Wealthiest 10%.

J

Trainer Note

The set-up for this exercise needs to move fast, or the group will start to lose focus. Be bossy (but with a big smile) if you need to be in order to keep people moving.

At the end, thank the actors and send them quickly back to their seats. This is a point where you could lose precious minutes!

J


OPTIONAL ACTIVITY—WEALTH INEQUALITY EXERCISE: “10 CHAIRS” 10 minutes

Use this optional activity to engage participants in a deeper discussion about wealth inequality.

To dramatize how our economy is out of balance, we’re going to have a little demonstration up at the front of the room. During this activity, we will take a closer look at wealth inequality across American society.

First, we have to clarify two terms we are using.

Wealth is different from income.

Does anyone know what we mean by income?

How about wealth?

If the group doesn’t come up with definitions quickly, you can supply the following:• Income is the amount of money you have coming in; for most people, that’s

their wages.

• Wealth is the amount of money and property you already own—what’s in the bank, the value of your house, stocks or investments and so on.

In this exercise, we are going to be looking at inequality through the lens of wealth.


INEQUALITY EXERCISE

Don’t ask how much money the wealthiest 10% would have. People will have no idea, and won’t know how it compares. Look for an answer in percent of wealth, or the number of chairs.

J

Distribute Mr. Wealthiest 10% Sign

J

Advance Preparation

Look at the actual chairs available for use and be prepared to adapt the activity based on the chairs available (e.g., chairs with arms, the size of the chairs).

J


INEQUALITY EXERCISE

Instructions for the 10 Chairs Exercise

OK, I need to have 10 volunteers to help out with this. Come right on up here, and bring your chairs.

Let’s have one volunteer to play the part of Mr. Wealthiest 10% of people in the United States. How about you? <pick someone>

Now, everyone line your chairs up in a long row right here—10 chairs, real close together in a straight line.

Mr. Wealthiest 10%, I’m going to hand you this sign. <see handouts for Mr. Wealthiest 10% sign> Please hold it in front of you so everyone knows who you are!

Now, everyone have a seat and Mr. Wealthiest 10%, let’s have you sit right here on the end.

This is what it would look like if wealth were evenly distributed in the United States; everyone would have the same amount. In fact, each household would have about $400,000. Sounds pretty good, right?

Now, those of you who are watching: What share of the wealth do you think Mr. Wealthiest 10% actually has? How many chairs would our rich person get, if this reflects our current reality?

<Get a few answers, before going on.>

Well, actually, right now, the Wealthiest 10% own 75% of all the wealth in the country. That’s right, Mr. Wealthiest 10%, can we get you to occupy seven of these chairs, please? We know you own seven and a half chairs but for our purposes now, just occupy seven.

<Depending on how tall the person is, this may require quite a bit of stretching! Give him/her a moment to spread out.>



INEQUALITY EXERCISE

Usually this exercise gets a great response. Encourage comments about what actually happened, what might have happened and how the chairs are like the economy. Don’t feel you need to react to every comment; let the group carry the discussion. Encourage quiet people to speak up. Use these questions and others to stimulate discussion, as needed.

J

WEALTHIEST 10% EVERYONE ELSE


INEQUALITY EXERCISE

Okay, so the remaining nine of you get three chairs; we’re going to borrow half a chair from our Mr. Wealthiest 10% since the bottom 90% only have 25% of the wealth today. Could you please take your places now.

<The nine may all try to sit; they may push each other; they may share politely; some may stand behind. Everyone should be observing as they arrange themselves somehow.>

Well, Mr. Wealthiest 10%, how are you doing? (Ask this with a smile!)

Let’s look closer at the current state of wealth inequality in the United States. Our Mr. Wealthiest 10% here owns seven and a half chairs. How many chairs do you think the top 1% currently own?

Take a few guesses from participants.

The top 1% currently own four of these chairs —43% of the wealth—much more than the entire bottom 90% of the country.

Debrief the Exercise

Depending on your space, the people on the chairs may remain where they are, or take their chairs and rejoin the circle.

If they rejoin the circle, thank them as they leave the area.

Ask questions to the group to stimulate discussion:

OK, those of you who were watching this exercise, what did you observe?

What did the people who had no chair do? Were they passive? Or aggressive? Or confused? Does this happen to real people who are left out by our economy?

What happens in the actual economy when nine people share the equivalent of two and a half chairs?


INEQUALITY EXERCISE

If you don’t often lead a discussion like this, be sure to read the section on Leading a Discussion in the Training and Facilitation Fundamentals chapter.

J


INEQUALITY EXERCISE

Talk about The Rules of The Economy

<After some discussion, if it has not come up already, move the discussion to talk about the rules of the economy and the public policy choices that create this disparity in wealth by asking:>

Did the person with seven chairs work that much harder, or how did he/she get all those chairs?

What kinds of public policies, or rules of the economy, let wealth become so concentrated?


Review some of the best points that were made about the actual economy and how corporations and the top 1% benefit from the current rules of the economy.

Points to make include the following:• The economy is out of balance—it’s not working for most of us.

• Some people have way more than their share, and some have much less. Wealth inequality is worse than it’s ever been in the history of our nation, and it’s continuing to grow.

• The current rules of the economy tend to favor corporations and the top 1% over working people.

• We need to change the rules of the economy—raise wages, ensure working people a collective voice, invest in the common good—to create an economy that works for everyone and not just the top 1%.


GLOSSARY OF ECONOMIC TERMS




Capital: Money or physical property, such as machinery, equipment and buildings used in the production of goods and services.

Corporation: A company or group of people authorized to act as a single entity (legally a person) and recognized as such in law; a multinational corporation (MNC) is a business organization whose activities are located in more than two countries and is the organizational form that defines foreign direct investment.

Deregulation: The reduction or removal of government rules like safety and health or environmental regulations.

Economy: A system of exchange concerning the production and consumption of goods and services within a country, region or locality. Three basic factors of production are necessary for an economy to function: land, capital (see above) and labor.

Electorate: All the people in a country or area who are entitled to vote in an election.

Farmers Alliance: An organized agrarian economic movement among American farmers that developed and flourished in the 1870s and 1880s. The movement included several parallel but independent political organizations—the National Farmers’ Alliance and Industrial Union among the white farmers of the South, the National Farmers’ Alliance among the white and black farmers of the Midwest and High Plains, and the Colored Farmers’ National Alliance and Cooperative Union, consisting of the African American farmers of the South.

G.I. Bill: A law passed in 1944 that provided educational and other benefits for people who had served in the armed forces in World War II. Since the original U.S. 1944 law, the term has come to include other benefit programs created to assist veterans of subsequent wars as well as peacetime service.



The Great Depression: A drastic decline in the world economy predicated by a collapse in the U.S. stock market resulting in mass unemployment and widespread poverty that lasted from 1929 until 1939. Investment speculation and a lack of financial regulation were major contributing factors to the economic collapse. It was the longest, deepest and most widespread depression of the 20th century.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP): A measure of the total value of goods and services produced within the country over a specified time period, usually a year. Income arising from investments abroad is not included. The gross domestic product (GDP) is one of the primary indicators used to gauge the health of a country’s economy.

Income: The amount of money received by a person or family from all sources during a specified period of time.

Inflation: The decline in the purchasing power of a given currency over time, typically accompanying an increase in the supply of money in circulation or growth of the economy.

Infrastructure: Basic facilities and services that the economy’s industry and commerce depend on. Examples include roads, rail systems, port facilities, sewer systems, power plants and communication lines.

Living wage: The minimum income necessary for a worker to meet basic needs, including housing, food, clothing, health care, transportation and minimum recreation.

Neoliberalism: An economic theory that favors economic “liberalization” policies like free trade, deregulation, privatization, minimal role of government, destruction of unions and corporate tax cuts.



New Deal: A series of domestic programs enacted in the United States between 1933 and 1938 in response to the Great Depression. These programs focused on relief, recovery and reform: relief for the unemployed and poor; recovery of the economy to normal levels; and reform of the financial system to prevent a repeat depression.

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): A free trade agreement between Canada, Mexico and the United States formed in 1994. It is currently the largest trading bloc in existence. While overall trade within North America increased due to NAFTA and corporate profits skyrocketed, wages have remained stagnant in all three countries.

Privatization: The process of transferring ownership of a public service or property from the public sector (a government) to the private sector. This could involve the government paying a contractor to provide public services, or the government selling off assets or services. Once a public service or asset is privatized, the public loses the ability to have a voice in decisions affecting that service or asset.

Productivity: The quantity of goods and services produced per hour of labor.

Profits: The monetary surplus left over out of sales revenues after costs of production have been paid.

Quintile: One of five equal parts.

Real Value: A given value (e.g., household income or wages) adjusted for inflation.

Real Wages: Wages adjusted to take into account the effect of inflation.

Recession: A decrease in the total production of goods and services in the economy lasting for at least six months.



Shared Prosperity: A broad vision within the labor movement of a more equitable and fair economy, within which all those who work share in the wealth they create. This is an economy in which workers have a strong voice at work and at the ballot box, human needs are met with high-quality public services, and the global economy prospers based on broad inclusion and high wages.

Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP): A proposed free trade agreement (FTA) currently being negotiated behind closed doors by 12 countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region (Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam). If enacted, it would be the largest FTA in history. Many of the proposed rules in the TPP would impose limits on government policies and regulations designed to protect workers, promote food safety, conserve the environment and more.

Union Density: The proportion of paid workers who are union members.

Wages: Payments to an employee for working in a private or public institution.

Wealth: The value of assets that a person or family owns at a particular time. Assets might include a home, other real property, savings accounts, and stocks and bonds.