CPD and PICO National Network co-convened the first-ever Economic Justice Strategy Meeting in Washington DC from November 16-18th in Washington, DC. This three-day strategy meeting included both CPD and PICO Executive Directors and Campaign Managers from New York Communities for Change (NYCC), Organizers in the Land of Enchantment (OLE), the Center for Public Integrity (CPI), Wisconsin Jobs Now (WJN), Minnesota NOC, ACCE, LUCHA, WW, AU, Spaces, GJN, PCUN,WFP-DC [write organizations out in full] and the corresponding PICO in-state affiliate, as well as PICO affiliates from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and  Colorado. Collectively, this group represents the potential to organize for pay raises for around 11 million workers and for paid sick day entitlement for 3.5 million workers.

During the convening, partners developed a multi-state, multi-year collective agenda with an intention to lead with a sharper racial and gender focus, than in the past.

This collaboration is a part of a broader strategy centered around 2016 minimum wage and paid sick day campaigns. Its vision is to succeed on 5 core fronts:

1. To deliver concrete, material gains to a broad constituency;
2. To organize workers into powerful independent political organizations;
3. To build stronger independent state power and infrastructure for future wins;
4. To engage women and people of color as leaders and critical voting constituencies; and
5. To advance a pro-worker, racial and gender justice narrative.