Labor ExtensioN Program

The Labor Extension Program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a non-credit program providing training and education to Massachusetts workers, their unions, and other workers' organization. Our focus is on strengthening these organizations and increasing activism. Labor Extension programs are designed to help union and community activists, officers, and staff build the skills necessary to effectively advocate for the needs and concerns of the workforce through organizing, bargaining, contract administration, political action, and coalition work.

The Extension coordinator will work with your organization to design specific trainings to meet your specific needs. Open-enrollment, non-credit courses are also offered periodically to union and community members.

Some of the programs we have offered include:
• stewards' training
• preparation for bargaining
• organizing
• strategic planning
• leadership development
• developing member organizers
• mobilizing your members
• media strategy
• political action
• corporate research
• sexual harassment
• arbitration
• labor law
• workers' rights
• labor history
• Common Sense Economics
• public speaking
• talking about racism
• assertiveness

The Labor Extension Bulletin is published three times a year and lists program offerings around the state, as well as interesting educational resources and articles on current issues.

The Amherst program, while focusing primarily on Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire counties, is part of a state-wide effort, with additional Extension coordinators located on the Boston, Dartmouth, and Lowell campuses of the University. Call the coordinator nearest you to find out about current offerings or to discuss custom programs:

UMass Amherst
Dale Melcher
(413) 545-6166
dmelcher@lrrc.umass.edu

UMass Dartmouth
Kim Wilson
(508)999-8781
Kwilson@umassd.edu

UMass Boston
Tess Ewing
(617)287-7352
tess.ewing@umb.edu

UMass Lowell
Susan Winning
(978)934-3127
susan_winning@uml.edu

Join the Labor Center Listserve

Do you want to receive the Labor Extension Bulletin electronically or get information on current programs? Send your email address to Dale Melcher to subscribe.

Future of Work Curriculum

Changing the Future of Work: A Workers' Approach is now available from UMass Labor Extension. This new 2-module curriulum will help workers to analyze changes in their workplaces and determine opportuntites to influence the direction of change in favor of workers and their communities. An expanded version, with additional readings and activities will be available in April.

Workers' Rights Workshops

The Boss Can't Do that, Can He? is a curriculum on basic workplace place rights. These participatory workshops introduce workplace rights to workers who are unfamiliar with their rights - students and young workers, immigrant workers, women coming off welfare or any other group of workers unsure of their rights on the job.

Topics include wage and hour rights, health and safety, the right to organize, workers' compensation, overtime, temporary workers and day laborers, and the rights of workers under the age of eighteen.

These workshops are useful for already organized workers, to assist in organizing workers or to provide resources to educators and service providers who work with new entrants to the labor force or vulnerable workers.

All materials, including facilitator guides, are available for downloading. Most of the handouts and materials have been translated into Spanish. Check them out, try them out, and let us know how they work for you.

Non-credit ula option

We are piloting a non-credit Union Leadership Certificate Program, offering courses through our Union Leadership and Administration (ULA) on a reduced-fee, non-credit basis. This is an opportunity to step back and engage with other trade unionists around pressing issues, to take the time to see the big picture, to frame the work you do daily, and to take courses from national experts in their field. See the ULA non-credit option page for more details.