Current ULA Course Offerings

Fall 2024 - Spring 2025 Schedule

Union Leadership Academy (ULA)

ULA classes are designed by union members and for union members and worker organizations.

Session I - Online:
Unions and Democracy  ​

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Dates:  September 10, 2024 - October 15, 2024 (Tuesdays)
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. (EST)

Instructors: Steve Lawton, The Labor Institute and Van Arsdale School of Labor Studies and Tunisia Allah-Byrd, CWA District 1

Format: Remote (via Zoom)

Democracy as we know it is in constant flux. Even though the U.S. has been called a democracy since its founding, only a small minority of Americans could vote or hold office in the first elections: white men who owned land. Generations of Americans had to fight for democracy to include the rest of us, from ending slavery and indentured servitude to fighting for—and sometimes dying for—our right to act collectively to make our workplaces more democratic. To achieve these rights, the working class had to expand democracy so that full citizenship and the right to vote included women, people of color, Native Americans, and immigrants. Labor unions are an extension of the democratic principles of our society. However, in recent years, there has been an effort to roll back our democracy once again. In this workshop, we will review the decline of democracy and its ties to economic and political disparities within our society. We’ll also examine how authoritarianism creates scapegoats to gain power. Lastly, we’ll challenge workers to envision a more democratic society, which can serve as a platform to both expand democracy and revive the labor movement.

Contributes toward completion of the Rutgers LEARN - Union Leadership Academy (ULA) certificate.  

ULA classes are designed by union members and for union members and worker organizations - join the academy today to become the leader you want to be tomorrow!

Session 2- Online:
Labor and Employment Law Basics 

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Dates: November 12, 2024 - December 17, 2024 (Tuesdays)
Time: 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm (EST) 

Instructor: Ray Heineman, JD, Partner at Kroll, Heineman, Carton

Format: Remote (via Zoom)

Labor and employment law sets the stage for everything from how we organize unions to how we negotiate and enforce contracts and resolve disputes. In this six-week online ULA class, students will learn the major federal and state laws that govern labor and employment, including their origins as well as the major agencies that are responsible for implementing the laws. Topics will include the National Labor Relations Act, the NJ Public Employee Relations Act, Title VII, and more.

Each week students will have short pre-class assignments.Class will consist of lectures and small and large group discussions to better understand labor history from the perspective of working people and how that knowledge is useful for us today. LEARN from top US labor historians for just $100!

Contributes toward completion of the Rutgers LEARN - Union Leadership Academy (ULA) certificate.  

ULA classes are designed by union members and for union members and worker organizations - join the academy today to become the leader you want to be tomorrow!