Cheryl Brown
Labor Specialist

Cheryl is an organizer and popular educator who has worked with labor, grassroots and policy organizations. Before joining the Labor Center, Cheryl most recently was Political Director at the Contra Costa Central Labor Council. She coordinated Urban Habitat’s Social Equity Caucus, a regional network that was developed to address the economic development, transportation, housing and health needs of the Bay Area’s low income and people of color neighborhoods. Other past experience includes working with the Tennessee Industrial Renewal Network, a labor-community-faith coalition that fights for living wages and fair trade policies, Save Our Cumberland Mountains, Good Jobs First, and the Labor Project for Working Families. Cheryl has developed or given trainings with the Highlander Center, United for A Fair Economy, National Organizers Alliance, SEIU California State Council, California Labor Federation, California State Building Trades Council, and the Contra Costa and Alameda Central Labor Councils. She received a Master’s Degree in International Development from American University’s School of International Service.

Areas of Expertise
• Organizing
• Strategic planning
• Organizational development
• Member mobilization and communications
• Development, jobs and the environment

Current Projects
California Union Leadership School
A program for senior-level union leaders who are seeking to further improve their strategic planning and decision-making skills. A week-long training is followed by regional projects and a weekend follow-up.

Strategic Campaigns
This week-long training is for organizers, negotiators and leaders from unions and community-based organizations to learn campaign planning skills.

Green Jobs
A research and education project to help local unions, community-based organizations and local leaders prepare for changes in the economy and jobs in response to market trends and implementation of new policies to address climate change, toxics and the depletion of natural resources.

Recent Publications
Movement Generation: Young Workers Connect Theory and Practice, The Ark, National Organizers Alliance Newsletter, June 2007.