DePaul Labor Leadership Certificate Program
The Labor Leadership Certificate Program is taught by the DePaul University Labor Education Center. Through progressive coursework, the six-course program develops the skills and leadership abilities of activists, student leaders, members, stewards, officers, and staff from unions, worker center, and community-based organizations. Each course helps you gain a deeper understanding of labor issues and builds your skills to achieve economic justice for fellow members and your broader community. Classes are taught by highly-trained instructors with real-world labor and organizing experience.
You will leave this program with the knowledge and skills to engage in enforcement of contractual and labor law, effective organizational communication (visual, written, verbal, and social media based), arbitration, organizing, bargaining practices and strategies, and a knowledge of labor history and political economy. Earning a DePaul Certificate indicates you have essential training to fulfill your roles more effectively and to better support your fellow peers, members and co-workers while you strengthen your respective organizations. Completion of the certificate program also certifies that you are equipped to move into higher levels of leadership or employment in your union, worker center, or community-based organizations.
Please note: Each of the six Labor Education courses can be taken individually or all together to earn the Labor Leadership Certificate.
- Advanced Labor Leadership: Arbitration
- Advanced Labor Leadership: Collective Bargaining and Labor-Management Relations
- Advanced Labor Leadership: Labor History and Economics
- Advanced Labor Leadership: Skills for Organizing and Basics of Health & Safety
- Introduction to Labor Leadership I - The Role of the Steward and Labor Law
- Introduction to Labor Leadership II: Written & Verbal Union Communications and Meeting Facilitation
This certificate program is intended for union, worker center and community-based organization members, staff, activists, and Executive Board officers. You are welcome to enroll at any level: Beginner (Working knowledge of topics), Competent (Good working and background knowledge of topics), or Proficient (Depth of understanding of topics).
Upon completion of all six courses, you will:
- Build on existing labor knowledge and skills
- Gain a deeper understanding of labor issues and economic justice
- Prepare to take on new levels of leadership in unions, worker centers and community-based organizations
- Earn a Certificate of Achievement from DePaul University
The Labor Leadership Certificate Program is presented in partnership with the Labor Education Center.
- Role of the steward and labor law
- Written and verbal union communications, and meeting facilitation
- Collective bargaining and labor-management relations
- Labor history and economics
- Skills for organizing and basics of health and safety
- Arbitration and politics
Is there a required textbook?
No, no textbooks are required for this program. Reading materials will be provided in class.
Do I get DePaul credit for this class?
No, but some DePaul CPE courses have been approved for continuing education units (CEUs). These classes are professional education classes with different requirements than courses taken for academic credit.
Is this class offered in-class or online?
This certificate program is offered both in-class and online.
Will I have to write papers and take exams?
There will be short papers and exams in some of the courses.