We offer multiple in person and virtual labor education programs run by instructors with real world labor and organizing experience. These help students expand their knowledge, gain more skills, build connections, and prepare them to take on new levels of leadership.
Labor Leadership Certificate Program
Our six-course "Labor Leadership Certificate" program develops 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 contracts and labor laws, effective organizational communication tools (visual, written, verbal, and social media based), arbitration, organizing, bargaining practices and strategies, and a graso 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 ensures 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:
Click here to learn more or enroll.
Worker Educator Certificate
This two-part instructor development program is designed for alumni of our Labor Leadership Certificate program and other experienced labor leaders from unions and worker centers. The goals of the program are to:
- train more women, BIPOC, and rank and file labor leaders to become educators in their unions, caucuses, community organizations, university centers like ours, and other labor related venues
- provide another developmental milestone for former students to continue their lifelong learning & further define their career path
Part 1 of the Certificate program features six class meetings and assignments during the summer for you to develop teaching skills and materials for a three-part workshop series. You will leave with the ability to collect relevant teaching materials, put them together into a coherent curriculum, and prioritize, craft and measure relevant learning outcomes. The program will also focus on helping you improve on your presentation and facilitation skills.
Part 2 is a practicum in the Fall where you schedule and facilitate your workshop series. You will be observed and evaluated, then submit a report, revised materials, and plans for continuing your teaching efforts.
Click here to learn more or enroll.
Individualized Trainings
We work with unions, worker centers, and community-based organizations to provide tailored trainings to fit your 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.
ALUM Network (Alumni Leaders Uniting Movements)
The ALUM Network is a group run for and by Labor Leadership Certificate and College Fellowship for Worker Justice alumni to meet monthly to continue their education, networking, and solidarity building together. The group also organizes public educational events quarterly.
Public workshops
We also provide periodic workshops open to youth, community members, and labor leaders to facilitate open discussions, encourage new initiatives, and promote a broader understanding about the labor movement and issues affecting workers.