Professional Education

Labor History can be understood from the perspectives of both union history and the social, cultural, and political life of workers. Here we explore not only union organizing, collective bargaining, and labor legislation, but also what workers thought, how they work and lived, and their impact on the larger society.

---

---

Register for Labor History

This course explores how a competitive, self-interested view of society has led to a system of laws, rules, and institutions that reliably produces massive levels of inequality and reinforces an “us versus them” mentality between members of different social groups.

---

---

Register for Labor and the American Economy

Ready to make a difference in your union, organization or company? Earn your certificate and build essential leadership, negotiation and communication skills with convenient and flexible online courses. This certificate program is an affordable and rapid-results educational experience that provides skills essential to success in your organization.

---

---

Register for Labor Leadership Skills Certificate Program - Online

This tools-building workshop emphasizes the rights of stewards/committee persons in resolving disputes in the workplace. Participants will learn how to protect the grievance process, the equality principle, and how to simplify grievance writing. This online workshop is part of the four-course Labor Leadership Skills Certificate Program.

---

---

Register for Steward Training: Problem-Solving in the Workplace (online)

 This course, part of the Online Labor Studies Program, examines the history of workers' efforts to form unions. Discussions focus on how unions can "unionize" their members so they become participants in the mobilization of other workers to support the values of the labor movement.

---

---

Register for Building Effective Unions: Motivating and Organizing Union

Part of the Online Labor Studies Program, this course examines the principles of contract bargaining including bargaining environments and standards used in negotiations. Students will learn to prepare bargaining demands, cost economic items, draft non-economic language, negotiate economic and non-economic issues, and resolve a bargaining impasse.

---

---

Register for Introduction to Collective Bargaining

Part of the Online Labor Studies Program which allows busy union activists to take college credit courses regardless of their location or work schedules, this 11-week course is designed to acquaint labor relations professionals, union members, and union stewards with a basic understanding of public sector labor relations.

---

---

Register for Labor Relations in the Public Sector

Learning the key do’s and don’ts of the labor law and how arbitrators interpret collective bargaining agreements is critical to operating in a union environment. Essential for anyone going to the bargaining table or operating day-to-day in a union environment.

---

---

Register for Labor Law and Contract Interpretation

This workshop provides a good foundation for supervising and managing with labor’s values. This workshop focuses on understanding different behavioral styles at work and how to adapt when conflicting styles cause misunderstandings, unproductive efforts, and impede progress on reaching goals.

---

---

Register for Managing With Labor's Values - Part 1: Helping Your Staff to Succeed

It is critical that managers at unions and social justice organizations receive training to become effective leaders and make the best use of limited resources. Participants learn techniques for helping their staff succeed and respond appropriately to common issues while honoring the values of the labor movement.

---

---

Register for Managing with Labor's Values - Parts 1 & 2

Through role-plays and simulations, gain insight into your own negotiation biases, weaknesses and strengths, and build negotiation confidence and competency. Participants learn how to plan a negotiation strategy and practice communication skills necessary to showcase underlying needs and interests. Positional and interest-based negotiation skills are explored.

---

---

Register for Negotiation Skills for the Workplace

Examine the responsibilities and proactive initiatives that guide ER professionals. Learn techniques for conducting effective conversations, making ER decisions and managing performance issues. Practice coaching, counseling, progressive discipline strategies, working styles and communication skills, including effective ways to phrase language. Leave with extensive tools and guides to apply at work.

---

---

Register for Advanced Effective Employee Relations

As tensions rise around immigration, gender, race, and politics, our workplaces grow more divided. This two-day training gives unions and worker organizations tools to address bullying, harassment, and discrimination and lead cultural change that builds solidarity.

---

Dates for sessions will be posted as soon as they are available.

---

Learn more about Prevention of Harassment, Discrimination, and Bullying for Unions and Worker Organizations

This introductory-level workshop is designed to develop the skills of union negotiators who do not have extensive experience in advancing a collective bargaining strategy. This online workshop is part of the four-course Labor Leadership Skills Certificate Program, participants do not have to be online at a specific time.

---

---

Register for Negotiation Skills (online)

Learn a step-by-step process on preparing for bargaining including aligning organizational, labor and bargaining strategies and developing management and union goals, and preparing for the bargaining table. An in-class project includes preparing and delivering a presentation to management to obtain bargaining mandate.

---

---

Register for Preparation for Collective Bargaining