Union Skills & Strategies Courses
Designed for Your Union
Designed for union leaders, staff and activists, these courses and workshops present union skills in a concentrated format. Taught by instructors with first-hand experience in labor relations, courses are offering in a variety of formats and lengths. Case histories, simulations, and up-to-date materials give participants the chance to learn new skills and refine old ones.
These courses can also be arranged off campus at union halls, or other meeting places more convenient to union members. These classes can be structured into all day training, including weekend days, or 2 to 4 hour sessions offered once or twice a week. Contact Gayle Hamilton 577-2191 to explore a customized program.
You can also send your members to classes run by the Center for workers throughout the region. Many of the courses listed below are offerred at various times either on Wayne State's Campus or at several offcampus locations. For our current schedule click here.
ADA, FMLA & Workers Compensation. Participants will not only review the legal requirements involved in the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family Medical Leave Act and Michigan's Workers Compensation System, but will also examine how these three laws interact and effect union representation.
Arbitration. An introduction to the arbitration process, including preparation of the case and arbitration standards.
Collective Bargaining. This course reviews the structure and function of the collective bargaining agreement, preparation for negotiations, strategies and tactics for bargaining, model contract language and trends in collective bargaining.
Advanced Collective Bargaining. This course provides an in depth examination of the collective bargaining process, including researching the employer, membership surveys, costing the labor agreement, drafting contract language, and emerging issues such as health care cost containment, new forms of work organization, and productivity bargaining.
Employment Discrimination Law. Analyzes state and federal laws that protect workers from employment discrimination. Reviews interaction with contractual rights and the union's role in enforcement.
How To Do Union Newspapers And Newsletters. This class covers the bases on effectively writing, laying-out, and distributing leaflets, newspapers, and newsletters.
Labor And The Media. Designed to help participants understand the role of the media, and its use to communicate the union’s position. Topics include: the structure and dynamics of the commercial media, sources of bias, working with the press, organizing effective public events, and emerging issues. Specific topics will vary from year to year.
Labor Law. Reviews federal and state law, court decisions and NLRB-MERC rulings.
Labor Perspectives. A review of labor's incredible history in order to understand today's labor movement and build effective strategies for the future. A great class for new member or new steward orientation.
Leading a Diverse Union. This class will examine the issues of diversity as they effect union members and leaders within their workplace and local union. The main themes for discussion include the changing demographics of the workforce, legal obligations under labor and discrimination law, self-awareness, interpersonal communication, and strategies to strengthen local unions.
Member Mobilization Strategies. This seminar examines the techniques of "internal and public organizing" that many unions are using to mobilize support for contract campaigns, political action, and membership recruitment. Specific topics will vary from year to year.
Worker-to-Worker. Designed to improve communication with members, this course includes determining a worker-to-worker structure, mapping the workplace, one-on-one communication, recruiting and training volunteers, internal organizing and emerging workplace issues. Specific topics will vary from year to year.
New Forms of Work Organization: Implications for Labor. This course will examine new management initiatives in organizing work - including employee involvement programs, team concept and lean production - and union strategies for worker-centered alternatives.
Parliamentary Procedure. An introduction to the basic techniques of parliamentary procedure and its application to union and community meetings.
Public Sector Collective Bargaining. The structure and procedures unique to government workers are given special consideration in this course specifically designed to enhance the negotiation skills for union activists in the public sector.
Public Speaking. Students in this class will learn to improve skills and build confidence when speaking at union meetings and community gatherings.
Steward Training. This class reviews the role and legal status of stewards and strengthens skills in grievance handling, internal organizing, and effective communication.
Advanced Steward Training. This class is geared toward the more experienced union activist and focuses on arbitration standards, employment laws, and organizing around workplace issues.
What Unions Do. This course examines the development and organization of unions in the United States and abroad, the role of unions in the workplace and the larger society, the impact of unions on firm performance, and new issues affecting unions and their members. Specific topics will vary from year to year. Ideal as part of a new member orientation program.
For more information, contact: Gayle Hamilton 577-2191
To take a Skills & Strategies class that's already scheduled at the Labor Studies Center, click here.
