A new training opportunity from the Labor Education Service, offered in cooperation with the Minnesota AFL-CIO
The first class will be held on February 25th, 2010
Deadline to apply is January 5, 2010
Overview
Program Instructors
Descriptions of 2010 Sessions
How to Apply
Download the four-page MULP brochure (pdf file)
Download the three-page MULP application (pdf file)
The Minnesota Union Leadership Program is an innovative educational series tailored to the needs of union officers and staff.
The program goes beyond regular skills training offered by the Labor Education Service to provide the opportunity for top leaders — and emerging leaders — to develop a deeper understanding of the critical issues affecting working people in Minnesota.
Through in-depth sessions, participants study the labor movement — where we have been, where we are and where we are heading — and discuss how to address the challenges facing unions today.
The sessions draw on the diversity of our labor movement and its unique history. We use a participatory approach to strengthening our organizations through exchanging ideas and learning from each other.
In the Minnesota Union Leadership Program, we take the time to see the big picture, gain more insight into how our organizations fit into a broader labor movement and explore the ideas and solutions that will help our unions prosper and grow.
The Minnesota Union Leadership Program is a two-year program. Participants attend four full-day sessions each year for a total of eight classes. Each participant receives a leadership certificate upon completion.
Classes will be held at the Continuing Education Center on the St. Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota.
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Program Instructors
Training will be coordinated and led by Labor Education Service staff. We will also draw on experienced and talented speakers from the labor movement and our allies in the community.
You will receive readings and course outlines in advance of each session.
2010 Sessions
Session 1: February 25, 2010
WORKERS AND UNIONS IN THE 21ST CENTURY
How did the U.S. labor movement develop into its current form? What are the legal structures that have shaped and restricted the activities of workers and their organizations?
How do unions in the United States compare to labor movements in other countries? What have been the guiding principles behind the formation and expansion (or demise) of American trade unions?
These and related questions will be explored to enhance understanding of the forces, events and legal structures that have determined the current status of the U.S. labor movement. Issues to be addressed include:
• What is a “labor movement”?
• The impact of American attitudes, culture and values on labor unions
• The passage and subsequent interpretation of the National Labor Relations Act by the NLRB and the courts
• Attempts by anti-labor interests to restrict the rights of union members and the strategies that unions have employed to resist
• Challenges to the leadership of labor organizations in contemporary society
Session 2: April 29, 2010
TOWARD A MORE PERFECT UNION
What is the state of our unions? What does it mean to say to members, “You are the union?”
Do members participate and get involved? Do you want members to become more involved? Is your union member-driven?
What are the values of the labor movement? How can we practice and communicate those values to increase involvement and participation?
Most unions struggle with these challenges. This session will:
• Challenge the myth of membership apathy
• Introduce the idea that the local union meeting isn’t the best way to build the union
• Improve communication between membership and officers
• Identify members’ interests and how they can help our union
• Help you to develop new leaders
• Bring your union to the workplace
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Session 3: September 30, 2010
WHAT’S AT STAKE: UNIONS AND THE ECONOMY
What forces have shaped economic development and growing inequalities in this country during the past 30 years? How has globalization impacted different groups of workers and changed the conditions for labor organizing?
How do international economic policies ultimately affect us here in Minnesota? How is immigration reshaping the working class, and what factors can explain immigration trends?
At the end of the class, you will be able to:
• Make sense of key economic concepts important to today’s debates
• Recognize the linkages between global, national, and local economic realities
• Understand how various economic policies affect groups of workers differently
• Describe how the globalization agenda is sold to workers
• Identify changing power dynamics as a result of globalization and implications for workers
• Relate economic policies to immigration trends and understand their economic impact in the United States
Session 4: November 18, 2010
ORGANIZING FOR OUR FUTURE
What is our vision for the labor movement? Given the internal and external challenges facing unions and society, what are effective alternatives to how we organize and do our political and coalition work?
How can we make ‘social unionism’ (the idea that unions are part of a broader social movement) a reality? What are the barriers to getting there and how can we overcome these? How can labor and our allies fight back collectively?
• Learn about successful U.S. models where labor and social movements have built political power and challenged economic and social injustices by working together
• Consider examples of how workers in other countries have built political power by working with social movements
• Assess your union’s current capacity for working across movements and identify strategies for increasing that capacity
• Develop a plan for building relationships with specific organizations and communities
• Determine best practices for building effective political and community coalitions
• Discuss the ways that broader social unionism builds new/diverse leadership
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Second Year of the Program
The second year of the Minnesota Union Leadership Program, like the first year, will involve four full-day sessions. First-year participants will decide the dates, topics and areas of focus, with assistance from Labor Education Service staff. Together, we’ll craft training that reflects your interests and fits your needs and experience.
How to Apply
Enrollment will be limited to 30 people to ensure a high-quality educational experience and to facilitate meaningful dialogue among program participants.
Applicants must fill out an application form and provide a letter of support from their union. Applications will be reviewed by a committee of LES staff and advisors. We request that no more than 3 individuals apply from any single local union. Our goal is to select a diverse group of union leaders reflecting the makeup of Minnesota’s labor movement.
Selection criteria will include:
• Demonstrated interest in the program
• Union and community experience
• Union sector (e..g. public, building trades, industrial, service).
People of color, women and people under age 35 are strongly encouraged to apply.
If you are interested in University of Minnesota credit for participation in this program, call the LES office, 612-624-5020.
Deadline
January 5, 2010
Applications must be faxed or postmarked by this date.
Download the three-page MULP application (pdf file)
Cost
Tuition for the two-year program is $1,000, billed in annual installments of $500. That includes eight training sessions, meals and materials.
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