The 10th Anniversary of the Women in Leadership Development (WILD) Conference brought together over 200 union sisters from diverse generational, geographical, and occupational backgrounds, and included many familiar faces as well as many new faces. But whether you have been to one WILD Conference or all ten, the knowledge we acquire, the leadership skills we build, and the friendships we forge are enduring.

For ten years, WILD has provided union sisters in New Jersey as well as union groups from around the globe with the necessary building blocks to become more effective leaders and to advance the progressive mission of the labor movement within our communities. WILD understands that there is more to leadership than having years of experience or having an impressive title. Leadership is about upholding our principles, demonstrating courage, and respecting one another. This is just one of the many takeaways from WILD, a groundbreaking conference which continues to empower and inspire union sisters to reach their potential.

This year’s WILD was packed with inspiration, including a magnificent performance by labor singer/songwriter Bev Grant with readings by our very own WILD sisters, which took participants on an unforgettable journey through women’s history and our continued fight for social and economic justice. We were honored to be joined by Senator Linda Greenstein, Assemblywoman Pam Lampitt, and Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. three tried-and-true champions of labor rights and women’s equality and justice, who provided their legislative perspective on various important issues including paycheck fairness and minimum wage. We also welcomed and learned from the uniquely empowering perspective of Dr. Teena Cahill on topics of leadership, health and wellness, productivity, contribution, and success.

We sincerely thank our sponsors for their generous financial support and our unions who grant us in-kind support through member and staff volunteers. Thank you to the East Brunswick Hilton staff for their attention to detail, their professional service, and providing an all-around great venue for WILD.

To the hundreds of WILD women who made the 10th Annual WILD possible: Thank you for your essential role in building a one-of-a-kind conference to foster education, understanding, empowerment, solidarity, and the tools to make change happen.

We Were There, We Are Here, We’re Not Finished!

CLICK HERE for pictures.