EARNCon 2025

November 12 - November 14

EARNCon is headed to “The Big Easy” in 2025!

New Orleans has a rich history, one that is inextricably tied to racial, economic, and social justice movements. For example, on November 8, 1892, 30,000 factory and dock workers in New Orleans called for a general strike to demand a union. These workers were later joined by musicians, clothing workers, clerks, utility workers, streetcar drivers, and printers. Importantly, Black and white workers came together to demand a union, pushing back against efforts to divide workers by race. The success of these workers remains an inspiration for broad-based, multi-racial organizing in the South as we see organized labor and their allies, including EARN groups, continue to make inroads today.

EARNCon 2025 Call for proposals is open now through May 30, 2025 at 11:59ET!

EARNCon 2025 will center around the theme “Community, Solidarity, Resilience: Building multiracial worker power in the states” and feature content connected to EPI’s current strategic priorities. When submitting a proposal, please note the strategic priority that best relates to your idea. If you have a session idea for something you would like to see at EARNCon but do not have a fully developed proposal, we encourage you to still submit your idea with as much detail as you can using the proposal submission form.

The EARNCON 2025 conference planning committee will evaluate proposals based on the overall clarity of the proposal and the guidelines below. We expect to complete session selections by the end of June, and proposal submitters will be notified shortly thereafter.

Session Proposal Guidelines

1. Alignment with the Theme: Session proposals should connect to the conference theme and may align with at least one of EPI’s strategic priorities.
2. Relevance to Current Issues and State / Local Policymaking: Proposals should address issues relevant to conditions facing low- and middle-wage workers in the United States today and that can be shaped by state/local policy changes.
3. Practical Impact / Actionable Ideas: Sessions should aim to provide concrete skills, resources, tools, ideas, lessons, and solutions that researchers, organizers, and advocates can immediately apply in their work to advance racial, gender, and economic justice.
4. Experience and Expertise: Sessions should include diverse voices of people with on-the-ground experience and expertise on the issues discussed, especially those of state/local researchers, advocates, organizers, workers, and community members.
5. Reflect the Diversity of EARN Partners: Session proposals will be selected in part to ensure the conference reflects the diversity of geographic and political contexts in which EARN groups work and the broad array of organizations and constituencies with whom EARN groups partner (e.g., national, state, and local partners; labor, grassroots, and policy organizations; red, purple, and blue states; etc.)

EARNCon workshops are typically 75 minutes, and plenary sessions are 90 minutes. Sessions need not follow the conventional panel-of-presenters format; submitters are encouraged to consider what format would make the session most engaging for attendees.

EARNCon Session Proposal Submission Questions

Please select the strategic priority that best aligns with your proposal.
What ideas do you have for a potential session title?
Brief session description highlighting the session’s alignment with the guidelines provided above.
Do you have any speakers in mind for this proposed session? If yes, please include their organizational affiliations and titles.
Do you envision this session as a plenary session or a workshop?
What format are you envisioning for this session?
If your session is selected, would you be willing to volunteer to organize the session?

Submit your EARNCon 2025 Session Proposal