Resources and Useful Links

Labor Education

University-based labor education began after World War II as a partnership between colleges and unions to provide education and skills training to union leaders and members in all aspects of labor relations. Today, labor education programs offer information and courses for union members, unorganized workers, and the general public on the values, functions and role of unions in a democratic society and the changing nature of the workplace and workforce in a global economy.

Labor education traditionally blends theory and practice and is highly participatory in its teaching techniques. University and college based programs are guided by labor advisory committees. Most labor education programs are members of the United Association of Labor Education.

Labor Radio

Labor in the Schools

The American Labor Studies Center is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization whose mission is to collect, analyze, evaluate, create and disseminate labor history and labor studies curricula and related materials, aligned to the various state and national standards, to kindergarten through 12th grade teachers nationwide.

The American Social History Project/Center for Media and Learning aims to revitalize interest in history by challenging the traditional ways that people learn about the past.

The California Federation of Teachers is the statewide affiliate of the AFT. It represents faculty and other school employees in public and private schools and colleges in California. It has been very involved in getting Labor History into the school systems and has developed some wonderful materials and lesson plans.

Child Labor in America 1908-1912: the Photographs of Lewis W. Hine. Child labor in the U.S. wasn’t effectively regulated until the 1930s. Hine documents how children were contributing to our national economy until that regulation was in place.

Child Labor Public Education Project: the University of Iowa Labor Center’s resource page on child labor in and out of the U.S.

Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) is a searchable index that has lots of resources helpful in researching and teaching about organized labor.

The New York Times Learning Network: Lesson Plans | Unionized We Stand | Child Labor

The Organization of American Historians (OAH) is the largest learned society devoted to the study of American history publishes a Magazine of History. Its winter 1997 issue was dedicated to teaching labor history.

Wisconsin Labor History Society. In 2009, Wisconsin passed a resolution requiring teaching of labor history in their public schools here’s their website which together with others provides a curriculum help for social studies teachers.

Women’s Labor History. The American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) site noting particularly the important contributions that women have made to the American labor movement.