News
Using Graphic Images in Labor Campaigns
New Degree Course for Fall 2010!
"Using Graphic Images in Labor Campaigns"
Instructor: Mike Konopacki
Strategic Communications for Effective Campaigns
New Degree Course for Fall 2010!
"Strategic Communications for Effective Campaigns"
Instructor: Trish Westwater
NLC Green Workplace Representative Certificate Program to Begin on September 26, 2010
NLC Green Workplace Representative Certificate Program to Begin on September 26, 2010. Course Schedule for the Green Workplace Certificate Program:
1) Introduction to Green Jobs and Green Workplaces (3 cr) / Sept 26–Oct 1, 2010
2) Green Audit I: Building the Sustainable Workplace (3 cr) / Dec 5 – 10, 2010
3) Green Audit II: Reduce, Re-Use and Recycle (3 cr) / March 6 – 11, 2011
4) Building Green Labor-Management Partnerships (3 cr) / June 5 – 10, 2011
Union Skills Class Descriptions, Spring & Summer 2010
Register Now for NLC Union Skills Training Classes!
New Union Skills Classes are starting. Enroll now for classes in May, June, and July.
The President Proclaims April 28 as "Workers Memorial Day"
Presidential Proclamation -- Workers Memorial Day
A PROCLAMATION
This year marks the 40th anniversary of both the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act, which promise American workers the right to a safe workplace and require employers to provide safe conditions. Yet, today, we remain too far from fulfilling that promise. On Workers Memorial Day, we remember all those who have died, been injured, or become sick on the job, and we renew our commitment to ensure the safety of American workers.
May Day 2010
M A Y D A Y
Saturday, May 1, 2010 -- 12:00 P.M. – 3:00 P.M.
DRUMMERS *MAGICIANS *GAMES *FACE PAINTING *FREE FOOD *DRINKS
All activities and food are free.
National Labor College to Dedicate National Workers Memorial on April 28th
The National Labor College will observe Workers' Memorial Day on April 28th by honoring victims of the mining tragedy in Montcoal, West Virginia and the Tesaro Refinery explosion in Washington State, along with hundreds of other workers who have lost their lives on the job. The ceremony will take place at 2:00 PM.
Labor College Weathers Storm To Stay Open
NLC Board Of Trustees Approves Tuition Increase
As approved by the NLC Board of Trustees, tuition rates will increase effective with the Summer 2010 term (May 20, 2010).
Download the PDF file with the new tuition rates.Chicago SEIU Local 20 Steward Receives Union Plus National Labor College Scholarship
Thirty years ago, Belinda Gunn began taking classes to earn her college degree. Unfortunately, life got in the way and Gunn was forced to drop out of the University of Illinois. Now, because of the support of her son Kenneth, her union and a Union Plus scholarship, Gunn is back on track with her education.
Region 13 Cook County Hospital Activist Receives Union Plus National Labor College Scholarship
Cook County Hospital RN Martese Chism is part of a long family tradition of community and voting rights activism stretching back to the ‘60s.Chism, a Chicago nurse for the past 18 years, carries on the memory of her great-grandmother who was murdered because she was a civil rights activist. Today, Chism is receiving support from her union and financial help from a Union Plus National Labor College (NLC) Scholarship to continue on her rich family history.
Spring 2010 Registration Deadline Extended to January 8, 2010
Register before January 9th to avoid $25 late fee. On-line Registration now possible!
NLC Launches "Green Labor Journal"
By Tom Kriger
The National Labor College (NLC) is the nation’s only accredited higher education institution devoted exclusively to educating union leaders, members and activists. With a forty year history in providing education and training to working people and union members, the NLC is proud to make its contribution to the ongoing debate over the future of the planet. In cooperation with the AFL-CIO’s Center for Green Jobs, the NLC is launching two distinctive programs in the field of green jobs and sustainability: the Green Workplace Representative Certificate Program and the Green Labor Journal.
Top higher ed publication profiles NLC
"Union U" - Inside Higher Ed
SILVER SPRING, MD. – Ethan is indeed a rare breed. Trotting through the administrative offices of the National Labor College on a recent Tuesday morning, the German Shepherd/Chinese Shar Pei mix is just about the only “worker” on campus who has yet to secure a contract with management.
“He works off of love and bones,” says Carol Rodgers, Ethan’s owner and the college’s associate provost for external relations.
Welcome to the National Labor College, where library visitors are greeted by a bronze sculpture of George Meany, the plumber turned A.F.L.-C.I.O. president who first envisioned the campus. But much has changed in the labor movement since Meany started building it up more than 50 years ago. Unions are at a crossroads, and many question how they will retool themselves for the 21st century. Membership fell to about 12 percent of the workforce in 2008, down from 20 percent in 1983 when comparable data first became available, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Press
National Labor College Announces Dr. Paula Peinovich as the College’s Interim President
Silver Spring, MD—The National Labor College (NLC) announced today that Dr. Paula Peinovich has been appointed as the College’s Interim President following the retirement of President William Scheuerman. Peinovich, who holds a Ph.D. in higher education policy from the University of Pennsylvania, has devoted her career to increasing access for underserved learners. The National Labor College, which is the nation’s only fully accredited institution devoted to educating working families and labor activists, recently announced a major initiative to offer a broader curriculum online to millions of union members and their families across the nation.
NLC Elects New Trustees & Sets Future Course
Silver Spring, Maryland – The National Labor College elected five new members, each distinguished leaders in their fields, to the College’s Board of Trustees, during its January 14, 2010 meeting. The elections were part of an extraordinary session that approved plans to establish a new online service that will bring high-quality degree programs to the AFL-CIO’s 11.5 million members and their families.Construction Starts on National Workers Memorial - Memorial Bricks and Benches must be purchased by February 28!
Silver Spring, MD-- NLC President Bill Scheuerman today announced that construction has begun on the new National Workers Memorial, to be located on the College campus in Silver Spring, MD, in time to commemorate Workers Memorial Day, April 28, 2010, held annually in memory of workers killed or fatally injured on the job.National Labor College to Launch Online Program for Working Families In Partnership with The Princeton Review
SILVER SPRING, Md.— January 14, 2010 – The National Labor College today announced plans to establish a new online service that will bring high-quality degree programs to the AFL-CIO’s 11.5 million members and their families. Tentatively named the College for Working Families, the program will build upon the College’s existing distance learning curricula to combine the advantages of online learning with the on-the-ground resources of labor unions throughout the nation to provide programs specifically suited to the special needs and interests of union members and their families.NLC Event: Prof. Bethany Moreton Book Signing
Upcoming Book Signing Event:
When: February 9, Tuesday evening, 7:00--8:30 pm
Where: National Labor College
The National Labor College will host Prof. Bethany Moreton, University of Georgia, Athens, to discuss and sign her new book To Serve God & Wal-Mart: The Making of Christian Free Enterprise (Harvard University Press, 2009) for an evening discussion and book signing.
The book explores the complex role of grass roots and top-down Sunbelt evangelical culture in the making of the Wal-Mart retail empire. Prof. Moreton’s analysis and insights into the complex inner workings of Wal-Mart will be of particular interest to labor and other social justice activists seeking to organize the South.
National Labor College's Green Workplace Program
The National Labor College (NLC), the nation’s only accredited higher education institution devoted exclusively to educating union leaders, members and activists, is pleased to announce the NLC’s Green Workplace Representative Certificate Program, which will be offered in Spring 2010. In cooperation with the AFL-CIO’s Center for Green Jobs, and in response to innovative work on sustainability and climate change by unions in the United States and Britain, the NLC has developed the Green Workplace Program in order to empower working people to advance the cause of sustainability in their workplace.
National Labor College and College of Menominee Nation Agreement Focuses on Increasing Higher Education Access
The National Labor College located in Silver Spring, Md., has signed an articulation agreement with the College of Menominee Nation, an accredited degree-granting institution with locations in Keshena and Green Bay, Wisconsin. The agreement, announced today by the NLC, makes it easier for students attending the tribal college to transfer up to 90 credits toward one of six labor studies majors offered by NLC, the nation’s only institution focused solely on learning related to the labor movement.
National Labor College Establishes Leadership Circle to Recognize Major Contributors
Silver Spring, MD—Weeks following the National Labor College highly successful 40th Anniversary celebration fundraiser, the College announced a new giving society, the NLC Leadership Circle, created to honor individuals who make cumulative contributions of $25,000 and above to the College of the labor movement.
NLC Announces Early Registration Incentives
Silver Spring, MD—The National Labor College today announced special student incentives to encourage early registration for its Spring 2010 term. The fee waivers will apply to students registering on or before December 15, 2009. This is a "win-win benefit providing relief to cash strapped students and facilitating our spring course planning" noted College Provost Tom Kriger. The details are set forth below.
College's 40th Anniversary Celebration Fundraiser Breaks Record
AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney Honored
Silver Spring, MD—The National Labor College raised an unprecedented $600,000 ($586,000) at its 40th Anniversary celebration held July 28th attended by more than 500 labor leaders, labor allies, elected officials and private industry.
The event marks an aggressive stepping up of fundraising efforts by the College and its allies led by its new Vice-President, Robert Molofsky. More than 200 International and local unions, state federations, allied and service organizations and legal, financial, insurance and health sector firms contributed to the event supporting the College’s programs and operations.
Labor Movement Launches New Effort to Prepare Next Generation of Union Leaders
Silver Spring, MD — Beyond the current economic downturn, today's labor leaders face unprecedented challenges as they deal with global markets, a new emphasis on environmental concerns and other shifts in the workplace. This week, the nation's unions took a step to insure that future leaders will be prepared to meet this changing landscape. At a dinner, Tuesday evening, celebrating 40 years of the National Labor College, college leaders and the top officers of the AFL-CIO announced the creation of the John J. Sweeney Leadership Institute, a new program that will prepare the movement's rising stars to assume leadership roles. The institute is named in honor of retiring AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney.
Teamwork, Technology, and Coordinated Care Improve Outcomes and Lower Costs
Kaiser Permanente/National Labor College Forum Highlights Best Practices for Reformed Health Delivery System
Silver Spring, MD — A national forum hosted by the Kaiser Permanente Health Care Institute and the National Labor College highlighted best practices for ensuring high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans. Speakers discussed proven strategies for incentivizing coordinated care and better outcomes.
"Changing the way we cover health care, without actually reforming care delivery is a mistake," said George Halvorson, chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente. "As a nation, we need to improve access to care, reduce costs and ensure quality care for all. Team-based care, supported by technology, is essential to achieving that vision."
Student Honored for Analysis of Retiree Activism
Alliance Educational Fund Awards Seidman Prize
Washington, D.C.— The Alliance for Retired Americans Educational Fund today awarded its fourth annual Bert and Annabel Seidman Prize for Advancing Social Policy to National Labor College (NLC) student Ken Erdmann, a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers from Toledo, Ohio. Mr. Erdmann was awarded the prize for his senior project, Retirement! Now the Work Begins.
U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis Honors Fallen Workers at Labor College
Silver Spring, Maryland—The newly appointed United States Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis honored the more than 5,000 workers who are killed on the job each year and the more than 50,000 who die from occupation illness and disease at National Labor College’s Workers Memorial Day ceremony. The Secretary joined NLC President William E. Scheuerman, AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney, Secretary-Treasurer Richard L. Trumka, United Mine Workers President Cecil Roberts and hundreds of union leaders and members, college faculty, students and staff who were on hand for the groundbreaking of the new Workers Memorial to be constructed on the center of the College’s campus.
Secretary of Labor Tells Labor College Grads: “We Have A Job For You”
670 Jobs to Be Added at Labor
Silver Spring, MD— Addressing a gathering of more than 800 students and family members, union officials and elected leaders who attended the 11th annual commencement exercises on the National Labor College's campus in Silver Spring, Maryland, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced the creation of nearly 670 new jobs to fulfill the Department's mission to protect and advance the rights and opportunities of workers. Solis, the daughter of union member parents, was confirmed as Secretary in February, 2009.
Labor Secretary to Honor Fallen Workers at College Workers Memorial Day Ceremony
Silver Spring, Maryland— The newly appointed United States Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis, will attend the National Labor College’s Workers Memorial Day ceremony to be held at 2:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 28th. The ceremony will include a formal ground breaking and bricklaying for the new national Workers Memorial to be constructed at the center of NLC campus. Following the groundbreaking and bricklaying will be a traditional candle-lighting ceremony and honoring of all fallen workers.
Joining the Secretary of Labor and NLC president William E. Scheuerman will be AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, Secretary-Treasurer Richard L. Trumka, United Mine Workers president Cecil Roberts hundreds of union leaders, members, college faculty, students and staff. The general public is also invited to attend.
National Labor College Launches Green Workplace Representative Certificate Program
Washington, DC— The National Labor College (NLC) announced today the creation of a green workplace representative certificate program. The certificate program is part of the AFL-CIO’s Center for Green Jobs both of which were announced today at a press conference held at the national Good Jobs Green Jobs conference in Washington D.C.
“With this new certificate program, the NLC will partner with the Center for Green jobs as part of the AFL-CIO’s critical national initiative,” said NLC president William E. Scheuerman.
National Labor College Awarded $1.3 Million Federal Grant to Train Railway Workers Transporting Hazardous Materials
Training Vital to Protect Workers and Communities from Disaster
Silver Spring, MD— The United States Department of Transportation awarded the National Labor College (NLC) a Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) grant for $1,351,060 to fund an intensive program to train railway workers in the handling and transporting of hazardous cargo including dangerous chemicals and radioactive materials. The grant was authorized by the Hazardous Materials Transportation Safety and Security Reauthorization Act of 2005.
Labor Scholar and Unionist Named Provost at National Labor College
Silver Spring, MD— National Labor College president William E. Scheuerman announced today the appointment of Dr. Thomas J. Kriger as the College’s new vice president of academic affairs and provost. Kriger takes over for Dr. Patricia Greenfield who will be stepping down December 1st and will return to a faculty teaching post. Greenfield served as vice president and provost since 2003.
First Class in the Nation to Conclude New Pre-Apprenticeship Program
PROGRAM IN SKILLED CONSTRUCTION TRADES FOR DJS YOUTH
SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND (July 24, 2008) – Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation Secretary Thomas E. Perez and Department of Juvenile Services Secretary Donald DeVore today recognized 11 youth in the juvenile justice system who successfully completed and graduated from the nation’s first Pre-Apprenticeship Program in skilled construction trades. The youth, who are residents of the Victor Cullen Center for boys successfully completed the 10 week program that started on May 19.
National Labor College Establishes National Workers Memorial on Campus; Honors Fallen Workers
Silver Spring, Maryland — In a moving candle lighting ceremony in honor of Workers Memorial Day, more than 100 union leaders and members of the National Labor College community paid tribute to the more than 5,000 workers killed annually on the job, the 4.1 million who are injured and the 50,000 who die due to occupational diseases. Workers Memorial Day is held on April 28th each year marking the passing of the Occupational Safety and Health Act by Congress more than three decades ago.
Health Care Forum at National Labor College spotlights effort to preserve quality of care as national health care reform approaches
George Halvorson, chairman and CEO, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals, and John Sweeney, AFL-CIO president, lead dialogue on preserving quality health care maintaining benefits
Silver Spring, Md, April 24, 2008 — George Halvorson, chairman and chief executive officer, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals, and John Sweeney, AFL-CIO president, are the keynote speakers at a health care forum exploring ways to preserve quality of care and protect union benefits as the nation considers alternative health care options.
NATIONAL LABOR COLLEGE HOSTS SYMPOSIUM ON CIVIL RIGHTS, WOMEN AND LABOR
Event Honors Black and Women's History Months
Silver Spring, MD - The National Labor College hosted a rich and lively symposium on the action agenda of women and African-Americans and the role of labor held last Friday as part of the College's celebration of Black and Women's history months. More than 50 activists and guests attended the event.
"There is no venue more appropriate for a forum and discussion such as this one than the only accredited college in the world dedicated to labor and justice," said Fred Mason, president of the Maryland and D.C. AFL-CIO and member of the College's Board of Trustees, who hosted the event.
NATIONAL LABOR COLLEGE INSTALLS NEW PRESIDENT
Silver Spring, MD - The National Labor College Boardof Trustees Chair John J. Sweeney formally installed the NLC's second president, William E. Scheuerman, Ph.D., in a unique, labor-oriented academic ceremony—the only one of its kind in higher education. The ceremony included a procession of labor leaders, the traditional academic mace symbolizing the president's authority and the presentation of bread and roses symbolizing good wages, benefits and working conditions as well as the broader parts of workers' lives: the time and activities for enrichment. Scheuerman was appointed in August by the Board of Trustees and assumed his duties December 6th. He replaces Dr. Susan J. Schurman who retired in June.