Midwest School for Working Women Workshop Courses List    Print Listing    Print Registration Form   Session I, Friday morning, 9am – 12pm                                   A.    Grievance Handling (Monica Bielski Boris) This class will review some of the basic principles of grievance representation. Tactics for settling grievances more effectively will be addressed through a grievance simulation exercise. This is a good course for union stewards.   B.     Building Bridges (Cassandra Baker) This workshop is based on the program experiences of STITCH in building solidarity among union women of different races, particularly between women of color. Led by Outreach Coordinator Cassandra Baker, the class asks participants to examine tactics used to divide workers and to reflect on how this affects women. Participants will learn concrete ways that union women of all races can build understanding and solidarity in their organizations and communities.   C.    The Health Care Crisis and the 2008 Elections (Jen Sherer) Why is the U.S. health care system broken, and what’s the outlook for change?  How do we really compare to other countries when it comes to health care?  Learn more about recent developments in U.S. health care policy (including  “health savings accounts” and what to look out for in bargaining), and discuss  national, state, local strategies to build support for health care reform. We’ll  also review proposals being floated during the 2008 presidential race and how  they might affect unions and workers.   D. Building Your Team by Organizing New Activists (Lara Granich) The Director of Missouri Jobs with Justice shares the secret of building a team of powerful grassroots leaders.  Whether it’s bringing co-workers into the union, neighbors into your block unit, or building any other effort for positive change you’ll need these tools for building powerful relationships and shaping them into a winning organization.      Session II, Friday afternoon, 2pm - 5pm  A. Labor Law and Electoral Politics (Joan Hill) Federal labor laws encourage collective bargaining and workers rights to organize. Yet decisions by agencies administering these laws have restricted workers rights to organize and be represented by unions. Politics has played a role in this shift in balance, where the purposes and policies of federal labor law have been turned on their head. This class will cover all sectors (public, private, federal and industrial); an overview of labor laws; and the role activists can play in restoring workers’ rights.   B. Organizing in Hard Times: Lessons from Central America (Carmen Molina) As anti-union tactics in the U.S. become more vicious and the ability to enforce labor laws has become extremely difficult, activists and organizers often face hostile organizing environments similar to that experienced in other countries. In this class, participants will learn from strategies used by banana workers in Guatemala and garment workers in Central America under oppressive conditions.   C. Promoting Union Women’s Leadership (Michele Kaminski) You've heard this union motto:  The leadership should look like the membership. But in too many unions, women are underrepresented in leadership positions. We'll talk about why women's leadership matters, the obstacles to women's union leadership, and strategies for promoting more women into leadership positions. Join us and share your experience.  D. Fighting Sexual Harassment and Discrimination (Sally Barker & Rochelle Skolnick) Workplace sexual harassment and sex discrimination are serious problems for employees and unions that represent them. Unions have an important role in advocating for members who suffer discrimination or harassment at work. Union representatives must also be prepared to address the complex problem of responding to sexual harassment complaints between bargaining unit members. This class will explore the problems of sexual harassment and discrimination and the union's role in responding to and solving them. Session III, Saturday afternoon, 2pm – 5pm A.    Grassroots Mobilizing for Political Change (Marquita Walker)  This class focuses on developing strategies to encourage voter participation, building a political infrastructure, ensuring the wise utilization of resources, and marshalling labor’s forces to win local, state, and national political elections. The strength of union women, bound by ties of solidarity, can make the difference on Election Day in November if we build and hone our skills in all areas of political mobilizing. This workshop covers the fundamentals of political campaigns and best practices; it provides hands-on training about local precinct activities, organizing candidate and issue campaigns, and fund raising. B.     Promoting Union Women’s Leadership (Michele Kaminski) You've heard this union motto:  The leadership should look like the membership. But in too many unions, women are underrepresented in leadership positions. We'll talk about why women's leadership matters, the obstacles to women's union leadership, and strategies for promoting more women into leadership positions. Join us and share your experience. C.    Arbitration, Part I of II (Michele Hoyman) Learn how to present an arbitration case while having a lot of fun. No prior arbitration necessary. This is a hands-on experience based class in how to win those hopeless cases for your union. It covers evidence, opening and closing arguments and direct and cross examination. We will do a simulation of an arbitration case. This class is a two-part series, with the second session held Sunday morning. D.    The Cost of War for Workers (Helena Worthen) This class will enable participants to speak in public and give testimony about the cost of the war to workers, linking the social, economic and legislative factors to personal experience. Participants will be provided with source material to enable them to develop a compelling argument.  Participants will practice their presentations. We will drawn from recent National Labor Board, OSHA and other government decisions and read selections from Dollars and Sense magazine, the book The Trillion Dollar War by Stiglitz and Bilmes, and Naomi Klein’s The Shock Doctrine.  Session IV, Sunday morning, 8:45am – 10:45am            A. Talking about Wedge Issues for 2008 (Judy Ancel & Jennifer Rafanan)            Wedge Issue: A divisive or controversial social or political issue which splits apart            or creates a "wedge" in the support base of one political group or constituency which            otherwise has similar interests. In 2008 the big wedge issues are immigration and race.            There's also the perennial abortion wedge. We'll talk about some general principles of            framing, disarm the fear and pandering surrounding these issues, and practice conversations            that help people clarify their values and political priorities.            B. Arbitration, Part II of II (Michele Hoyman)            See description above. This workshop is only open to those who participated in the            first part of the class on Saturday afternoon.            C. Building Solidarity in a Global Economy (Mary Bellman, STITCH women)            What does solidarity mean in a world that is more interconnected each day? As            corporations have grown more global in scope, many unions have participated in            solidarity campaigns and other actions on a global scale. We will talk about why            global solidarity is so important, how U.S. unions can learn from struggles            elsewhere, and take action on current campaigns to investigate the murder of            unionists in Guatemala and elsewhere.   D. The Delicate Balance of Family and Work (Jamie Reyes-Jones) Unions play a vital role in preventing and remedying the discrimination that sometimes occurs when women exercise their rights under the law to care for their families, (i.e., taking time off for the birth or adoption of a child, taking time off to care for a sick family member, etc.)  This class examines the unique challenges women face when they either choose to or must work while meeting the many needs of their families; the family friendly legislation that currently exists; and the ways Unions can encourage women by negotiating appropriate contract language designed to meet these special, yet important needs.