Learn how to succeed in today’s ever-changing workplace, economy with UMSL’s online Labor courses

Classes begin Jan. 18

After 18 months of working during a deadly pandemic, tens of thousands of workers are quitting or going on strike – they are fed up with low wages, long hours, unsafe work conditions, subpar benefits and threats to cut pensions and outsource jobs.

And they are winning. The pandemic has provided an unexpected shot in the arm to Labor unions and American workers by increasing bargaining power amid the labor shortage.

You can gain an upper hand and learn how to succeed in today’s ever-changing workplace and economy with two online Labor education courses being offered this spring by the University of Missouri at St. Louis.

The courses for current and future union leaders, representatives and activists are part of the university’s Labor Studies Certificate Program. They begin Jan. 18 and include: 

LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT LAW
This class will examine the role of government in the regulation of Labor-management relations in the United States. The focus of the course is on federal laws regulating private-sector labor relations. Parallel issues addressed in the Railway Labor Act and state public sector Labor relations law will also be covered. Specific topics include:

• The legal framework for the organization of workers.
• Definition of prohibited or unfair labor practices.
• Legal regulation of the collective bargaining process.
• Regulation of the use of economic weapons in labor disputes.
• Enforcement of collective bargaining agreements.
• Regulation of internal trade union activities.

WORK AND WORKING PEOPLE’S HISTORY
This course will examine the history of work and the working class in the United States, focusing on:

• The transformation of the workplace.
• The evolution of working-class consciousness.
• The development of the Labor Movement.
• The role of race, gender and ethnicity in uniting or dividing the working class.
• The nature of Labor’s relations with other social groups in the political arena.

There will be a particular emphasis on the political and economic conditions and strategies of periods when working class power was growing.

Students have the opportunity to develop skills of analysis, leadership and organizing that will provide an equal footing with counterparts in the corporate and political world. Completion of the program earns 18 hours toward a degree and a Certificate in Labor Studies.

For more information or to register, contact Doug Swanson, the UMSL Labor Studies coordinator, at 314-516-6698 or swansondj@missoui.edu.