Building on students’ existing knowledge and skills, the center provides in person and online classes and trainings led by highly trained instructors with real world labor and organizing experience. We strive to help labor movement activists, members, stewards, officers and staff improve their skills and prepare them to take on new levels of leadership.
Labor Leadership Certificate Program
Through progressive coursework, our six-course "Labor Leadership Certificate" program develops the skills and leadership abilities of activists, student leaders, members, stewards, officers, and staff from unions, worker centers, and community-based organizations. Each course helps students gain a deeper understanding of labor issues and build skills to achieve economic and social justice. Students leave this program with more knowledge and tools to engage in enforcement of contractual and labor law, effective organizational communication tools (visual, written, verbal, and social media based), arbitration, organizing, bargaining practices and strategies, and a knowledge of labor history and political economy. Completion of our Certificate indicates you have essential training to fulfill your roles more effectively and to better support your fellow peers, members and co-workers while you strengthen your respective organizations. It also certifies that you are equipped to move into higher levels of leadership or employment in your union, worker center, or community-based organizations. Please note: Each of the six Labor Education courses can be taken individually or all together to earn the Certificate. The following classes are held during weekly sessions in the fall from September through November, and in the winter from January through March:
Learn more or enroll here.
Individualized Trainings
We work with unions, worker centers, and community-based organizations to provide tailored trainings to fit their needs. Such workshops have included but are not limited to providing an introduction to the labor movement, labor history, stewardship and grievance handling, addressing sexual harassment and racial discrimination, internal and external organizing, campaign mobilization, labor-community partnership, research skills, public speaking, labor law, contemporary labor issues, contract administration, labor-management relations and organizational solidarity building, as well as in depth trainings on any of the topics from our Labor Leadership Certificate Program classes. These workshops can be held at our office, your office, or virtually.