Courses

This course bridges Labor Studies and Latin American/ Latino/a/x Studies by comparing the histories of realities of Latin American workers in the US and Latin America. Traces the parallel histories of Latin American and Latino workers and the ways in which politics, economics and social movements shape their experiences.

A multicultural, working people's history of the early United States. Native Americans,
Africans and Europeans. Latinos and Asians. Farmers, shoemakers, and slaves.
Revolution and expansion. Abolishing slavery, establishing workers' and women's rights.
Cooperative communities and unions. The Civil War and Emancipation. American ideals
and American realities.

A labor and working class, post-Civil War history of the United States. Native, African, Latinx and European Americans create a country. Cowboy unions and rancher rebels. Republic vs. Empire, Progressives and labor reform. Workers in World War I. During '30s hard times, workers make a New Deal. Labor Defeats Fascism. Cold Warriors attack, Freedom Marchers fight back. Worker rebels of the '80s and '90s. Immigrant workers and unions today. The needy battle the greedy. Liberty and Justice for All!

Strategies and tactics of organizing for economic, racial, and social justice in various settings, including workplace and community organizing, unions and workers' centers, and labor-community coalition building. Study the effectiveness of different approaches to building labor and community power in the current historical context.

History of California's working people and their quest for social justice, encompassing the state's diverse regions, races and cultures. Examines early Native Peoples, the Spanish conquest, and Chinese workers and the railroads. Studies agricultural, industrial, service and public sector workers, the tech sector, and the impact of economic inequality on society. Explores strategies used by workers, unions, worker centers, and community organizations advocating for workers power.

A study of United States labor relations and employment rights. Includes labor history, economics and law, as well as contemporary issues in various industries. Labor relations and employment rights as they have shaped American society.

A study of labor relations in general and through the lens of specific industries. Course explores workplace power: its history, present status, and current issues. Topics include forms of ownership, the structure of the workplace, the changing workforce, management practices, unionization, workers' rights, and current developments. A thorough analysis of labor relations and employment rights as they affect the economy, society and culture.

The beginning study of choral techniques and performances of the songs that reflect workers of diverse cultures such as Native American chants, folk and labor ballads, field hollers, African-American cowboy songs, Chicano farm and border songs, Labor Motown, Asian-American work songs and songs of working women's experiences.

The intermediate study of choral techniques and performances of the songs that reflect workers of diverse cultures. These include Native American chants, folk and labor ballads, field hollers, African-American cowboy songs, Chicano farm and border songs, Labor Motown, Asian-American work songs and songs of working women's experiences. Students will develop a more complex choral singing capacity and ability to sing in solos and small groups within chorus performances.

Advanced Labor Chorus is designed to further develop choral music and knowledge of labor songs from various periods in American history. Students will develop advanced choral techniques and repertoire with an increased focus on the development of a self-directed creative process within the labor song tradition.

Training for volunteer peer counselors in the areas of substance abuse, strike and emergency assistance, unemployment, and related workplace problems. Covers information and referral issues as well as communication skills necessary to peer counseling.

Public policy shapes our workplaces, neighborhoods, the criminal justice system, and the environment. This course examines the role of policy making in working-class communities and communities of color. Particular attention will be given to local policy formation and the ways that labor and community organizations can influence the process for the benefit of all.

The course examines the ways that workforce and housing development policies shape the lives of working-class communities. Particular attention will be given to the ways that city and county governments contend with a shifting global economy, changing federal priorities and regional job training and affordable housing needs.