Course Offerings 2024-2025
Register Today!
Register for the Labor School or the Advanced Academy by calling the Labor Studies Center office at 313-577-2191 or register online at go.wayne.edu/LaborSchoolreg
Labor School Certificate Courses
Fall Online (2024)
- September 9th, 2024 - October 14th, 2024
- US Labor History
- This course explores the history of U.S. work, workers, and the organizations that represent them. Students will examine how workers have historically joined together to enact economic and political change in society while comparing and contrasting historic worker events to labor issues today.
- Instructors: Gayle Hamilton (WSU) and Deborah Robinson (MEA)
- This course explores the history of U.S. work, workers, and the organizations that represent them. Students will examine how workers have historically joined together to enact economic and political change in society while comparing and contrasting historic worker events to labor issues today.
- Basic Grievance Handling
- This course is designed to provide union representatives with the basic skills, tools, and knowledge to understand the grievance-handling role needed to protect union members' rights and enforce the collective bargaining agreement.
- Instructors: Anthony Brown Bey (UAW) and Noah Cope (USW)
- This course is designed to provide union representatives with the basic skills, tools, and knowledge to understand the grievance-handling role needed to protect union members' rights and enforce the collective bargaining agreement.
- US Labor History
- October 14th, 2024 - November 18th, 2024
- State of Labor
- This course examines current events, policies, and trends that affect workers, unions, and workplaces in the U.S. This provides context for students entering into, and already working in, the workforce for their labor as well as insights, options, and possible solutions to many issues they may come across.
- Instructors: Donna Jackson (AFT) and Junetta Wynn (DPLSA)
- This course examines current events, policies, and trends that affect workers, unions, and workplaces in the U.S. This provides context for students entering into, and already working in, the workforce for their labor as well as insights, options, and possible solutions to many issues they may come across.
- Your Rights in the Workplace
- This course introduces students to various federal labor and employment laws and regulations, as well as the federal agencies that enforce them. They will also examine the obligations and rights of employees and employers under the law.
- Instructors: Dennis Albers (WSU) and Gayle Hamilton (WSU)
- This course introduces students to various federal labor and employment laws and regulations, as well as the federal agencies that enforce them. They will also examine the obligations and rights of employees and employers under the law.
- State of Labor
Winter Online (2025)
- January 6th, 2025 - February 10th, 2025
- Effective Leadership
- This introductory Leadership course discusses the skills and knowledge every leader should have as well as the important role effective leadership plays in moving an organization forward.
- Instructors: Donna Jackson (AFT) and Brenda Moon (AFL-CIO)
- This introductory Leadership course discusses the skills and knowledge every leader should have as well as the important role effective leadership plays in moving an organization forward.
- Intro to Collective Bargaining
- This course introduces the collective bargaining process, applicable laws, and subjects of bargaining to students for use in their everyday work lives.
- Instructors: Kerry Miller (MNA) and Dennis Albers (WSU)
- This course introduces the collective bargaining process, applicable laws, and subjects of bargaining to students for use in their everyday work lives.
- Effective Leadership
- February 10th, 2025 - March 17th, 2025
- Economics for Workers
- This Economics course provides students with an introduction to economic concepts that may impact their lives as workers (i.e. supply and demand, globalization, immigration, and climate change) and provides a space to discuss how to create a more equitable society.
- Instructors: Shaunte Saunders (UAW) and Gayle Hamilton (WSU)
- This Economics course provides students with an introduction to economic concepts that may impact their lives as workers (i.e. supply and demand, globalization, immigration, and climate change) and provides a space to discuss how to create a more equitable society.
- Power and Politics
- In the Power in Politics course, students learn how the legislative process works and the importance of civic engagement. Students will also compare the interests of business and labor, and discuss how lobbying is used to influence government decision-makers.
- Instructors: Andrea Hunter (AFSCME) and Jerome Buckley (UAW)
- In the Power in Politics course, students learn how the legislative process works and the importance of civic engagement. Students will also compare the interests of business and labor, and discuss how lobbying is used to influence government decision-makers.
- Economics for Workers
- March 17th, 2025 - April 28th, 2025
- Building the Union
- The Building the Union course examines best practices used to engage people in to action, how to build an effective and diverse member-to-member communication network, and establish effective labor and community coalitions.
- Instructors: Christopher Smith (MFFA) and Dawn Bennett (UAW)
- The Building the Union course examines best practices used to engage people in to action, how to build an effective and diverse member-to-member communication network, and establish effective labor and community coalitions.
- Leading a Diverse Organization
- The Leading a Diverse Organization course examines the growing diversity of the U.S. workforce, identifies the challenges and opportunities of leading a diverse organization, and discusses how to promote respect, inclusion, and equity within workplaces and labor organizations. Students will learn how to engage and thrive with diversity as leaders.
- Instructors: Victor Green (AFT) and Erkeisha Terry (United Way)
- The Leading a Diverse Organization course examines the growing diversity of the U.S. workforce, identifies the challenges and opportunities of leading a diverse organization, and discusses how to promote respect, inclusion, and equity within workplaces and labor organizations. Students will learn how to engage and thrive with diversity as leaders.
- Building the Union
Advanced Labor Academy Certificate Courses
Fall Online (2024)
- September 9th, 2024 - October 14th, 2024
- Transformational Leadership
- This advanced leadership course discusses how to take leadership skills to the next level by understanding how to enact change to inspire, motivate, and transform oneself, other people, and an organization's culture as a whole.
- Instructor: Brenda Moon (AFL-CIO)
- This advanced leadership course discusses how to take leadership skills to the next level by understanding how to enact change to inspire, motivate, and transform oneself, other people, and an organization's culture as a whole.
- Transformational Leadership
- October 14th, 2024 - November 18th, 2024
- Strategic Planning
- This course will examine the strategic planning process by teaching students how to create a vision and mission statement, develop a plan of action with others, and set goals that strengthen an organization's future sustainability.
- Instructor: Junetta Wynn (DPLSA)
- This course will examine the strategic planning process by teaching students how to create a vision and mission statement, develop a plan of action with others, and set goals that strengthen an organization's future sustainability.
- Strategic Planning
Winter Online (2025)
- January 6th, 2025 - February 10th, 2025
- Media Matters
- This advanced labor media course teaches strategies and techniques on how to become an effective storyteller. Students will learn how to develop and communicate a powerful pro-union message in print, electronic, and social media formats as well as learn best practices in media outlets when making presentations to union members or the general public.
- Instructor: Lou Grieco (TNG-CWA)
- This advanced labor media course teaches strategies and techniques on how to become an effective storyteller. Students will learn how to develop and communicate a powerful pro-union message in print, electronic, and social media formats as well as learn best practices in media outlets when making presentations to union members or the general public.
- Media Matters
- February 10th, 2025 - March 17th, 2025
- Advanced Grievance Handling
- In the Advanced Grievance Handling course, students will discuss the principle of "just cause", the legal obligation to bargain, examine contract language, review past practice issues, and learn how to prepare for arbitration. This knowledge and skill set will assist students in preparation for self and union activism in the workplace.
- Instructor: Noah Cope (USW)
- In the Advanced Grievance Handling course, students will discuss the principle of "just cause", the legal obligation to bargain, examine contract language, review past practice issues, and learn how to prepare for arbitration. This knowledge and skill set will assist students in preparation for self and union activism in the workplace.
- Advanced Grievance Handling
- March 17th, 2025 - April 28th, 2025
- Powerful Presentations
- In this course, students will examine the elements of a successful presentation and different types of presentations. Students will also be provided with an opportunity to create effective presentations and be evaluated by their peers and instructor in order to develop their communication skills and confidence in presenting to groups of people.
- Instructor: Gayle Hamilton (WSU)
- In this course, students will examine the elements of a successful presentation and different types of presentations. Students will also be provided with an opportunity to create effective presentations and be evaluated by their peers and instructor in order to develop their communication skills and confidence in presenting to groups of people.
- Powerful Presentations
View our Labor School Instructors
Labor School and Advanced Academy Tuition and Scholarships
Classes are $250 each. Labor School courses are approved through UAW-Ford, UAW-GM, UAW-Chrysler and USW tuition assistance programs. A limited number of scholarships are available to pay a portion of your tuition through the Ethel Schwartz Memorial scholarship for Labor Education; students would be responsible for only $25 per course.
Register Today!
Register for the Labor School or the Advanced Academy by calling the Labor Studies Center office at 313-577-2191 or register online at go.wayne.edu/LaborSchoolreg