LABOR CENTER RISING AND ON THE MOVE! Washington State Labor Education and Research Center South Seattle Community College February, 2014 E- News

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1 LABOR CENTER RISING AND ON THE MOVE! Washington State Labor Education and Research Center South Seattle Community College February, 2014 E- News We send regular bulletins to announce Labor Center news and activities. IF YOU WISH TO BE REMOVED FROM OR ADDED TO THIS LIST, please send a message to william.brucher@seattlecolleges.edu. Information about Center activities and resources is also available at our website - This week in labor history Will, can you grab some stuff off labor/today- in- labor- history? I liked Lisa s suggestion about having some focus on black history month. LEAD ARTICLE The Third Edition of the Washington State Workers Rights Manual is here! This manual is an easy- to- use guide to workplace rights under federal, state and local laws. While it is not a substitute for legal advice, the manual is a reference and resource guide for working men & women to educate themselves about their rights at work. For those in a union, it is likely that your contract sets standards higher than the law (they can t be lower) but there are probably workplace rights covered in the manual that are NOT in your contract, so this can be a good companion piece for union contracts. Our goal is to make the information in this manual as accessible as possible. Here s how we re doing that.! The manual comes in two sizes. The complete version is about 220 pages and comes in a binder. The shorter version is about 160 pages and is printed in a booklet that can fit in your pocket. Both versions are written in simple language.! The complete manual is available in both English and Spanish.! The pocket size is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Somali.! All versions of the manual will be available on line. You can look at the manual and/or download it at (insert web page address). We want to distribute these manuals throughout the state and suggest that anyone who wants one make a contribution to cover the cost of printing. That way we can keep printing them! We suggest a contribution of $7.50 each for the short version and $15.00 each for the binder. Checks should be made payable to WA LERC and mailed to the Labor Center at 6737 Corson Ave S Seattle To order copies, kia.sanger@seattlecolleges.edu We are deeply grateful to the Fetzer Institute for providing funding for this updated manual.

2 Classes based on the manual! We have been working hard to develop curriculum out of the manual that can be used in High School classrooms, community- based adult education settings, union settings, and college- level classes. If you are interested in a training or presentation based on the manual for your union, organization, or class, please contact Sarah Laslett at sarah.laslett@seattlecolleges.edu or The Next P.O.W.E.R. class is Shop Steward Tran- the- Trainer! When: Friday March 14 th from 1:00 pm 5:00 pm AND Saturday March 15 th from 8:30 am 5:00 pm. Where: Georgetown campus of S Seattle Community College 6737 Corson Ave S Seattle Room TBA. Cost: $125 per person. Don t let cost be a barrier! You can apply for a grant. The deadline for grant applications is February 21 st. To download a grant application, go to (insert link) The registration deadline is February 28 th. Register and pay through Continuing Education at (insert link). Class Description This class is intended for union staff who are responsible for training shop stewards. The training will introduce participants to adult learning theory, and focus on leadership and communication skills for stewards. Participants will also walk away with tools to help stewards use the grievance procedure effectively. In this multi- union setting, participants will also get to hear about how other unions work with their stewards. Stewards are the face of the union on the shop floor. Members often base their view of the union on what they think of their steward if they even know that they have a steward and who it is. Stewards are also the front- line educators about the contract. So the importance of well- trained shop stewards cannot be overstated. Great stewards can build the power of the union on the job as well as provide good representational services to union members. TAILORED STEWARD AND STAFF TRAINING: ADVANCED GRIEVANCE HANDLING AND ARBITRATION The Labor Center can also work with a particular union to design a shop steward training based on your specific contract, union structure, and members. With the addition of Lisa Pau to our staff, we are also now able to offer training on advanced grievance handling and arbitration. Lisa has practiced union- side labor law for many years and worked as in- house

3 council for a local union, so she is well- versed in the needs of unions for specific and in- depth legal training. Tailored trainings are done on a contract basis. Contact Sarah Laslett for more information. (make my name a link to an ) MAY WORKS IS COMING! 2014 will be the third year that the Washington State Labor Council, AFL- CIO has led the effort to bring cultural events highlighting work and workers to communities across the state! In the past this has included concerts, exhibitions, video showings and contests, and much more. The May Works committee is now meeting to design this year s May Works. If you are planning a cultural event that s about work and workers for the month of May, let us help you advertise it by adding it to the May Works calendar! If you would like to hold an event and want help to make that happen, we can do that too. Contact Lynne Dodson at TRAININGS ABOUT THE THREAT OF RIGHT- TO- WORK IN WASHINGTON STATE ARE STILL AVAILABLE The Washington State Labor Council, AFL- CIO is leading the effort to prepare Washington for the likelihood that right- to- work (for less) legislation will be introduced in our state soon. This might come in the form of a bill in the state house or senate, or a citizen initiative on the November ballot. In either case, we need to begin NOW to educate union members and the broader community about the impact such a law would have. The Labor Center is offering trainings based on research that shows the most effective messages about right- to- work and how to build an education and mobilization campaign. If you want a training for your union or community on this important topic, contact Sarah Laslett. WA YELL IS OFFERING DIVERSITY TRAINING! In partnership with the Labor Center, Washington Young Emerging Labor Leaders is designing a program to help labor activists develop communication and leadership skills around issues of diversity. This can include how to have difficult conversations about difference and power within an organization, how to build strategy that draws upon the strength of diversity, and how to envision the future of our labor and social justice movement that is welcoming to all and develops leaders from throughout our society. WA YELL is working with Norma Timbang from the University of Washington on a one- day kick- off event to take place on March 1 st, For more information, contact Justine Winnie at CALENDAR Note to Will: Here are listings for the Calendar section of the blast note that dates are subject to change and all events are at SSCC GT campus unless otherwise stated.

4 February 7th & 8 th : Labor Law Class & launch of the new Washington State Workers Rights Manual March 1 st : WA YELL Diversity Training March 14th & 15 th : Shop Steward Train- the- Trainer Class April 22nd 27 th in Spokane: Regional Labor Council L.E.A.P. (Leadership Education and Activist Program) May 9 th & 10 th : Emerging Leaders Conference May 29th 31 st : Collective Bargaining Training June 13th 15 th : Pacific Northwest Labor History Association Conference, Vancouver Island, British Columbia June 26 th : Health & Safety Training for labor leaders in collaboration with the University of Washington School of Public Health July 8th 13 th : Summer Institute for Union Women, University of Victoria, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, hosted by the B.C. Federation of Labour LABOR CENTER GRANT PROGRAM The Labor Center is now offering financial assistance for those who would like to attend our programs but for whom the cost of registration or travel is a barrier. Applications for grants are due one week prior to the registration deadline for the program you wish to attend. To learn more about our grant program, look on our website at FREE LABOR HISTORY PRESENTATIONS AVAILABLE!! These presentations include great stories from the history of labor organizing, a Power Point slide show, and music! We will bring this educational, entertaining, and dynamic presentation to your meetings or events. To schedule a presentation, sarah.laslett@seattlecolleges.edu. NEED A TRAINING TAILORED FOR YOUR UNION? If what we're already offering does not meet the needs of your union or organization, we can design and implement trainings on a wide variety of topics for one or more unions or organizations. We have a standard fee schedule for preparation and training. Some of the topics we can train on include: Rank & File Leadership Collective Bargaining Recruiting the Next Generation of Leaders Basic Workers' Rights Union or Not Immigration and Labor Strategic Planning & Campaign Design Salting Meeting Facilitation Organizing: Internal and External Shop Stewarding

5 MEETING FACILITATION Having a critical meeting to figure out its goals and strategies? Would you benefit from having an outside facilitator who can make your meeting as productive as possible? The Labor Center can provide this service for a fee as well as combine facilitation with education about how to have effective meetings in the future. Contact us. WORKERS RIGHTS MANUAL: This is an invaluable resource that offers easy access to lots of vital information about workers rights in Washington State. It can be downloaded for free at our website in both English & Spanish Staff & Contact Information: Sarah Laslett, Director sarah.laslett@seattlecolleges.edu Will Brucher, Labor Educator William.brucher@seattlecolleges.edu The Labor Center has a web site! - The site includes a catalogue of some of the trainings available, the current schedule of classes and events, information about Center resources are available to the public (like our film & book libraries), our Workers Rights Manual, and the Asian Workers Journey for Justice Project. The resource section of the site is still under development but will eventually include labor history timelines and lots of useful links. PLEASE LINK OUR SITE TO YOURS AND SEND US LINKS TO USEFUL SITES THAT WE SHOULD INCLUDE ON OURS!! The Labor Center has a Facebook page! Go to and log in or join, then search for solidarity works and you will find the link to our page. Enjoy! You Tube Channel