For Planning Purposes Only

Fed Up Coalition to Meet with Fed Presidents and Host Counter-Conference During Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole Symposium

Community and labor coalition brings 120 workers and community leaders to discuss Fed policies and lay out an agenda for legislative reforms of the Fed

Next week, 120 members of the Fed Up coalition will descend on Jackson, Wyoming to ensure that the voices and perspectives of working class communities of color are heard by the Federal Reserve officials. The coalition will engage in a number of activities, open to the press, about issues of economic and racial inequality, Federal Reserve governance and leadership, and the coalition’s plans for legislative reforms in 2017. The coalition’s events will include:

1. An on-the-record meeting with Kansas City Fed President Esther George, who hosts the annual Federal Reserve Policy Symposium, and other Federal Reserve presidents and governors whom she has invited to the discussion. The discussion will focus on crucial and timely questions about monetary policy and Federal Reserve governance. It will be live streamed and open to the press. Visuals will include 100+ members of the Fed Up coalition in green shirts listening as 15 Fed Up leaders sit at a table and discuss monetary policy and Fed governance with leading Fed officials. Thursday, Aug. 25, 4:30-5:30 pm (MT), Jackson Lake Lodge.
2. A press conference and demonstration in the “First Amendment space” outside of the Jackson Lake Lodge. Members of the Fed Up coalition will share their personal experiences seeking good paying jobs in this economy and discuss the importance of diversity in Fed leadership for promoting high-quality governance and public policy. The event will include local immigrant workers from the Jackson, WY speaking about their experience living in what is, according to the Economic Policy Institute, the single most unequal place in America. Visuals will include 120 members of the Fed Up coalition with green shirts and large signs chanting and singing, with a beautiful Jackson Hole park background. Thursday, Aug. 25, 3:30-4:15 pm (MT), outside the entrance to the Jackson Lake Lodge.
3. A telephone briefing call unveiling a report authored by economists Andrew Levin (Dartmouth) and Valerie Wilson (Economic Policy Institute) laying out a vision for making the Federal Reserve a fully public institution. The call will also serve as a preview of Fed Up’s activities in Jackson Hole, so reporters can ask any questions or clarifications about our agenda. Monday, Aug. 22, 12:00 pm (ET). We will circulate a call-in number and a copy of the report to those who request them.
4. An alternative conference with workshops on key social and economic issues. Workers, community leaders, and economists will lead discussions about key public policy issues and the Federal Reserve’s role. Topics will include: why we need a People’s Fed, how poverty impacts mental health, how the criminal justice system distorts our economy and the Fed’s economic metrics, and how the Fight for $15 connects to monetary policy. Thursday, Aug. 25, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and Friday, Aug. 26, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm (MT) at The Hatchet Resort, Moran, WY.
5. Canvassing in the low-income neighborhoods of Jackson, WY. After our alternative conference is over, members of the Fed Up coalition will canvass in low-income neighborhoods of Jackson, speaking with residents about issues of racial and economic inequality and the importance of the Federal Reserve. They will then enjoy beautiful outdoors via a chuck wagon ride and barbecue. Reporters interested in speaking and being with these community leaders in an informal setting are welcome to join us. Friday, Aug. 26, 2 pm to 8 pm, Jackson, WY.

Launched only two years ago, the Fed Up campaign has transformed the national conversation about the Federal Reserve and its role in the American economy, including by elevating the importance of the lack of racial, gender, and economic sector diversity among Fed leadership ranks. When the Democratic Party released its national platform over the summer, it highlighted the need for Full Employment and the need to reform the Federal Reserve’s governance structure, the first time in 30 years that these issues were referenced.

RSVP: Media interested in participating can RSVP to Anita Jain (ajain@populardemocracy.org) and Ady Barkan (abarkan@populardemocracy.org).

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Fed Up is a coalition of community organizations and labor unions across the country calling on the Federal Reserve to reform its governance and adopt policies that build a strong economy for the American public. The Fed can keep interest rates low, give the economy a fair chance to recover, and prioritize genuine full employment and rising wages for all communities.