Labor Education

About Labor Education | Labor Education Programs

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About Labor Education at Penn State

For over sixty years the Department of Labor Studies and Employment Relations has worked with the labor movement to provide union members in Pennsylvania and nationally with high quality education and training opportunities. Generations of union activists have attended classes, conferences, and summer institutes sponsored by the Department's labor education program in order to increase their knowledge and sharpen their skills. This program has long symbolized Penn State's commitment to making education accessible to working Pennsylvanians and to its public obligation as a land grant university.

Penn State is also one of the few institutions of higher learning in the United States to offer a labor studies bachelors degree . This degree can help prepare students for careers in the labor movement as union representatives (organizers, business agents, etc.) or professional union staff members (researchers, educators, administrators, attorneys, etc.). The degree is also relevant for students who want to pursue a career in law representing unions and union members. Students often complete internships with unions and interact with labor practitioners brought to campus. Working adults who cannot come to Penn State's main campus can now pursue a Certificate in Labor Studies and Employment Relations through a combination of on-line courses and courses at Penn State's locations around the state. Credits earned in this program can be used toward a Labor Studies degree at Penn State, the National Labor College, or another institution.

The Department also offers a Masters of Science degree in Human Resources and Employment Relations. Several graduates of this program have obtained full-time positions with unions across the country.

Labor Studies faculty also are actively engaged in research, much of which focuses on the labor movement or the workplace. Among on-going faculty research interests are union administration, government, and politics; union member commitment and participation; healthcare unionism, the relationship between work and family; and dispute resolution. Faculty are often asked to share their research findings with unions and union leaders.

Labor Education Programs

The Department of Labor Studies and Employment Relations at Penn State works with the Pennsylvania labor movement and other educational institutions to help meet the training and education needs of union members across the Commonwealth.

Penn State provides the following labor education services:

1. Weekend Seminars for Union Leaders and Activists

Periodically, Penn State conducts 2-3 day seminars at its University Park Campus on topics of relevance to local and regional union leaders and activists. These seminars are led by experienced labor educators and focus on a number of topics including building more effective unions, arbitration, and workplace safety and health.

2. Summer Institutes

Pennsylvania unions have been coming to Penn State's campus for week-long summer education programs for many years. The campus provides an ideal setting for learning and building solidarity. Periodically, the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO COPE and Community Services Institutes are held on campus. AFSCME Council 13 also holds its biennial summer institute at University Park. In addition, an annual Occupational Safety and Health Institute brings union activists together with experts in workplace health and safety.

If your union is interested in conducting a summer institute at Penn State, contact Paul Clark.

3. Speakers/Instructors for Union Education Programs

Penn State faculty have expertise in a range of areas relevant to unions and are available to speak at union education programs. Faculty regularly are asked to teach workshops on:

• Labor History: Its Relevance for Today's Unions
• Increasing Member Commitment and Participation
• Building a Stronger Union Culture in Your Local Union
• Making the Case for Union's in a Democratic Society
• Strategies for Union Image Building

Contact Paul Clark if you need a speaker or instructor for your conference or labor education program.

4. The Department's faculty include nationally known researchers who have significant experience working with unions on research projects. For example, one faculty member has developed a survey to measure member commitment to the union. This survey has been used by numerous local and national unions to gauge their member's attitudes toward the organization and to develop strategies to strengthen member commitment and increase member participation in the work of the union.

Unions interested in discussing possible research projects with LSER faculty should contact Paul Clark.