The goal of the C. L. Dellums African American Union Leadership School is to train unionists active in the Black community so they are able to assume leadership and staff positions in unions. One central need of unions in the U.S. is additional union leaders who are active in the Black community. Historically, the synergy between the labor movement and the civil rights movement has yielded some of the greatest strides toward justice in this country.

Over the course of eight sessions, participants will develop skills in a variety of areas including campaign planning, member mobilization, and building strategic partnerships. Since the school’s inception, over 80 unionists have come through the program; graduates have increased their level of activism within the labor movement as they work with their union and their central labor council.

TBA in 2012

The C.L. Dellums African American Union Leadership School welcomes participation regardless of race, ethnicity, color, sex, or national origin.

Organizing to Scale is a 3-day seminar for Union Organizing Directors and Campaign Directors to delve into cutting edge ways of conceiving, planning and implementing new external organizing campaigns.  The Organizing to Scale seminar will provide a space where organizing and campaign directors can explore ways to reshape market conditions to create real density in an industry, sector or craft by unionizing a critical mass of workers.
Topics will include:

• Building and Maintaining Organizational Support for Campaigns
• Conceptualizing and Planning Campaigns
• Implementing a Campaign Plan
• Managing and Mentoring Staff
  

Participants will share best practices, compare tools and techniques, hear from seasoned campaign directors, analyze a conceptual construct for campaign development, and debate different perspectives on building power. 

Dates in 2012 to be announced soon!

Please contact Karen Orlando at korlando@berkeley.edu or (510) 643-8366 for questions about the program.

The Strategic Campaigns Workshop is a five-day intensive for organizers, researchers, field reps and business agents, member leaders, communications specialists and political coordinators in unions and community-based organizations that are embarking on, or in the midst of, strategic campaigns.

Participants will be guided through a series of steps to create a comprehensive campaign plan.  The workshop will build participants' ability to:

• move a campaign forward and build the organization;
• improve member participation;
• analyze power dynamics;
• utilize strategies that build on the strengths of the organization and consider the weaknesses of key players;
• develop a unifying theme that the public can support;
• create a campaign plan with timeline, benchmarks and escalating tactics; and
• practice how to revise the campaign plan as events unfold.

The roles of research, external communications, political action, strategic partnerships and membership development will be examined.

Applicants are encouraged to nominate a campaign you are working on to be a case study. Participants will work in teams to develop a comprehensive plan for one of the case study campaigns that are selected.

Organizations are encouraged to send teams of two or more who are working on the same campaign.

Past participants have described the workshop as "the best workshop I have ever attended" and said "this class has opened my eyes to a whole new world of organizing."

The workshop will be led by Stephanie Tang, formerly with SEIU and UNITE HERE and Karen Orlando from the Labor Center.

Dates: March 19-23, 2012

Cost: $800

Location: Richmond Field Station, Building 445
1301 South 46th Street, Richmond, CA 94804

The application deadline is Friday, February, 24, 2012.

» 2012 Flyer
» Participant application

Applicants will be notified by the beginning of March of their acceptance. Class size is limited to 20 participants, due to the participatory nature of the workshop. This workshop typically fills up so be sure to apply early.

For more information contact:
Karen Orlando
(510) 643-8366

A two-day workshop for union communications directors, leaders, and organizers who carry out media work. Features lessons in creating a communications strategy, developing and practicing effective media messages and learning the nuts and bolts of public relations.

Dates: April 25 & 26, 2012

» 2010 Flyer

For more information contact:
Clementina Jara
(510) 643-7048

Learn how to use online tools to organize workers and community members, and garner media attention. This two-day workshop will cover best practices for traditional online tools such as email alerts, websites and online newsletters, and will also introduce emerging online tools and tactics such as blogging, podcasting and social networking, among others.

Dates: June 28 & 29, 2012

Cost: $350

Location: UC Berkeley Institute of International Studies
Moses Hall, Room 223

» 2012 Flyer
» Online Application

For more information contact:
Muttika Chaturabul
(510) 643-0910

This two-day workshop is intended for experienced union researchers who are responsible for carrying out research for organizing and collective bargaining campaigns. It will focus on skills and methods related to a topic to be announced.

Dates: August 16-17, 2012

For more information contact:
Muttika Chaturabul
(510) 643-0910