UMSL offering two online Labor education courses this fall

The University of Missouri at St. Louis is offering two online Labor education courses this fall in an effort to give current and future union leaders, representatives and activists the background and skills needed to succeed in the changing workplace and economy.

The courses, part of university’s Labor Studies Certificate Program, begin Aug. 24 and include:

LABOR 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.

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.