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  ​
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!

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Session 2- Online:
Labor and Employment Law Basics 
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.

Session 3- Online:
New Media and Union Organizing

How Unions and Union Members can use narratives, media, and social media to advance their objectives

Register Here!
Dates: February 5, 2025 - March 12, 2025 (Wednesdays)
Time: 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm (EST) 

Instructors: Matthew Braunginn, a Senior Consultant with New Working Majority and       Dani Paez, a Social Media and Marketing Strategist with New Working Majority

Format: Remote (via Zoom)

Course Overview 

For students from unions and base-building organizations to gain a greater understanding of social media, the new media landscape, digital messaging, and how to utilize this information within their organizing efforts. 

Goal: Students will be able to learn about the evolving social media and new media landscape through a mixture of presented information and hands-on scenarios. Helping them apply this knowledge to their organization's organizing efforts.

Register Here!

 

Session 4- Online:

Strategic Corporate Research Fundamentals

Strategic Corporate Research Fundamentals is designed to equip union leaders with the essential tools and techniques to analyze companies and industries for strategic bargaining, organizing, and advocacy efforts.

Register Here!
Dates: March 27, 2025- May 1, 2025 (Thursdays)
Time: 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm (EST) 

Instructor: Ahmer Qadeer is a Managing Director at QRI, a private investigation and research firm. He specializes in conducting strategic research and investigations on behalf of advocacy organizations, with a focus on promoting economic justice and labor rights.

Format: Remote (via Zoom)

Course Overview 

The course covers how to research corporate structures, key decision-makers, financial health, competitors, and vulnerabilities to help union members build power. Participants will learn how to use research methods and publicly available data to build innovative strategies. Practical case studies and hands-on exercises ensure that participants can immediately apply these skills to their current challenges. This course empowers union leaders to think strategically and act decisively in advancing worker power.  

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!