Labor Leadership Academy
Fall 2025 – Spring 2026
The Labor Leadership Academy lays the foundation for educated union participation and future leadership.
This program serves as an introduction to the labor movement, laying the groundwork for a more in-depth development of labor education. Classes are designed for current union leaders, new members, activists, union staff, and working individuals who wish to learn about the labor movement.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Payment in full is required before attending the first class unless alternate arrangements have been made in advance. (See pricing section below for more information.)
- You will receive a certificate of completion after taking all seven (7) classes.
- We do not currently offer make-up sessions for missed classes. If you miss a class, you will have to wait until the series runs again next fall.
- Classes require a minimum of 10 students to run. If we do not have adequate enrollment a week prior to class, we may cancel the session.
- All classes are held in person in Chicago: 815 West Van Buren, Ste. 110, Chicago, IL 60607.
- Class runs from 9 am to 4 pm with an hour for lunch.
Pricing
- Advanced registration for the certificate program is due September 1st.
- Certificate program (all 7 classes) tuition: $700. Individual classes: $150.
- Union group rate for 5+ students, $500, email Nadja Robot for invoicing.
Course Descriptions
History & Power of Labor
Saturday, October 3, 2026
What does the history of the U.S. look like when viewed from the point of view of those who built the country? The class reviews working-class and labor history since the Civil War, but focuses (with films) on some key labor struggles such as the 1894 Pullman Strike; organizing in the mine and textile industries; the growth of trade unionism; the rise of the CIO and the autoworker sit-down strikes; the impact of McCarthyism on the labor movement; and the expansion of public sector unionization (1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike and the 1970 Postal Workers Strike).
Labor & Employment Law
Saturday, October 24, 2026
The class covers the basics of labor and employment laws that every union activist should be familiar with. The class reviews the laws, the agencies that administer the laws, and the effectiveness and weaknesses of the laws and their enforcement. The course covers the National Labor Relations Act and the challenges workers face in union organizing, strikes, lockouts, and contract campaigns; employment laws that impact all workers, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and anti-discrimination laws; and the Landrum-Griffin Act on union members’ rights.
Steward Training
Saturday, November 7, 2026
The class will discuss how to investigate, screen, write, and negotiate a grievance; how to conduct interviews with the grievant and witnesses; the multiple roles of a steward; the seven principles of just cause; and the legal rights of union stewards. The class will discuss several common grievance areas and practice resolving grievances.
Collective Bargaining
Saturday, December 12, 2026
This class introduces the student to the process and content of collective bargaining. It addresses, among other topics, the legal obligations to bargain, mandatory and permissible subjects of bargaining, types of bargaining relationships, and bargaining styles, and guides the student through multiple stages of labor negotiations. The class also examines the critical information necessary to bargain successfully. Students learn to analyze a contract, cost out a contract, develop a bargaining proposal, practice good table behavior, negotiating skills, how to use the caucus, keep records, and write appropriate contract language.
The Economics of Work
Saturday, January 9, 2027
Understanding the economy and examining your day-to-day and long-term social conditions and worker rights. How much power do you have as a worker in the US? Analyzing how the system works will position workers to develop better strategies and tactics in labor organizing. Topics will include the growth of “right to work” laws, gig work, and automation. We will also examine why the minimum wage has not kept up with the cost of living and the current attacks against the prevailing wage. We will consider race, gender, immigrant status, and the impact of globalization on changing working conditions, as well as the role of resource distribution at the local, state, and national levels in shaping organizing efforts for a better future.
Internal Organizing
Saturday, February 6, 2027
The class will discuss ways to educate, organize, and mobilize the members. Topics include collective action around grievances, confronting and overcoming divisions such as those based on race, gender, or immigration status, one-on-one conversations with apathetic or anti-union members, organizing contract campaigns, and organizing in support of bargaining for the common good.
Media Matters:
Building Union Power through Social Media and the Press
Saturday, March 6, 2027
This class will provide interactive instruction on building an effective union media strategy. Topics include building your message, writing a press release, writing letters to the editor, how to talk to the press, and creative and impactful social media strategies. The emphasis of the course will be on developing inclusive media messaging that amplifies the stories and voices of union members.