Workplace Rights & Inclusion   

Course Overview

Instructors: Scontras Labor Center Staff and Expert Guest Speakers

A union is only as strong as its active membership, but it often feels like “no one wants to do anything.”  When engagement stalls, organizational strength disappears. This 6-week course is designed for stewards, activists, and union leaders who seek to increase members’ participation. 

Through a blend of theory and hands-on practice, you will learn how to transform apathy into action. In this interactive course, we will explore tools such as organizational analysis, mapping and charting, relationship building, 1:1 conversations, structure tests, and action planning. Participants will create a customizable toolkit to increase membership participation and build the structural power necessary to win better contracts and respect on the job. 

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Identify workplace leaders
• Create trust through relationship building and 1:1 conversations
• Understand, design, and implement structure tests and action plans 

Course Overview 

​​Dates: Thursdays from Nov 5-Dec 17 (No Class on Nov 26-Thanksgiving)

Instructors: Scontras Labor Center Staff and Expert Guest Speakers

Strong unions depend on strong stewards/union reps, yet the role of steward/rep is often a thankless and overwhelming job. Stewards/reps thrive when they understand their roles and have the tools to manage their responsibilities.  This course will teach stewards/reps and future stewards/reps skills such as the rights and responsibilities of shop stewards, basic workplace rights, how to investigate and present grievances, the basics of arbitration, and internal organizing and record-keeping. Students will learn through a blend of lectures, case studies, exercises, and role-plays. 

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the course, students will understand:

-When an issue is and isn’t a grievance

-How to investigate and present grievances

-How to address workplace issues that may not be grievable

–Basic workplace rights

–Basics of arbitration

–Basic record keeping