Full course description
Course Introduction
Organizing a labor union involves strategies which help workers join together to engage in collective bargaining for economic security including higher wages, job benefits, better working conditions, and a voice in the workplace. In the United States the rules which govern how workers organize, form a private union, and secure a first contract is known as the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and was passed in 1935 under the Roosevelt administration. The agency which monitors and enforces the NLRA is the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) which has two mandates: to certify representative worker elections and to adjudicate unfair labor practices. The rules governing the establishment of a public union fall under the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statue (FSLMR). Union organizing plays an important role in protecting workers' rights in the face of an unequal power imbalance between labor and management in the private and public sectors.
Interested in the full series? Check out the Program, Union Leadership and Administration Certificate.
Learning Outcomes
After completing the modules, you will be able to:
- Explain the historical and contemporary reasons for union organizing.
- Describe the role and function of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the criteria for determining an appropriate bargaining unit, and understand the process and requirements for union recognition.
- Formulate strategies for creating and maintaining an effective organizing committee, identify the roles/responsibilities or organizing committee members, and develop skills for recruiting and engaging committee members.
- Understand the legal and regulatory framework and challenges and barriers to/for organizing in the public sector.
- Analyze the implications of the Janus v. AFSCME decision on organizing strategies.
- Develop comprehensive organizing strategies for successful member engagement and mobilization.
Module Topics Include
- Why organize?
- The NLRB, determining the appropriate bargaining unit, and recognition
- The organizing committee
- Public sector bargaining
- The Janus vs. AFSCME decision
- Effective organizing strategies
Course creator
This course was designed and developed by the Marquita Walker, Ph.D. and interim chair and associate professor in the Department of Labor Studies, School of Social Work. As an Interim Chair and Associate Professor of Labor Studies at Indiana University, I bring over three decades of experience in research and education to the table. My interests lie in studying social stratification, income inequity, poverty, and e-learning as they pertain to workers and workers' education. I have published multiple articles and book chapters on these topics, and have presented my work at numerous national and international conferences.