Union Representative

By supporting WEPs, unions focus on increasing the value of employees to the company.  When you involve your union representative in planning and delivering WEPs, you will likely increase the commitment level of union members to the success of the learning program.

Unions devote considerable resources and energy into helping their members cope with change in the workplace. It is largely with the awareness of the need to manage workplace change that unions have financially supported and actively encouraged WEPs. The introduction of new and advanced technologies to the workplace directly affects the work performed by labor and alters the skill sets needed to use and operate the new machinery. Unions recognize that the skills their members need today are broader than in the past. They can assist union members to change in order to meet the needs and interests of the membership. 

A Guide to Creating Worker-Centered Education Programs, from the Massachusetts Worker Education Roundtable is for teachers, program coordinators, union representatives and others interested in creating worker-centered education programs. It demonstrates the unique benefits, complexities and challenges of labor-management workplace education (for fee).
    URL: www.umass.edu/roundtable

Collective bargaining agreements have spawned effective training programs. By working together, unions and management can create effective learning environments where adults can take their next steps toward literacy and career development.
     URL: http://www.workforce.com/archive/feature/22/17/40/223650.php

This recent report on joint labor-management educational programs uses best practice examples to show the key design elements as well as the benefits and impacts for organizations, unions and individual workers.
     Success by Design (pdf, 258 KB)

This Digest explores the labor movement's new vision for workers' education. This new educational vision of labor unions is based on the belief that worker-centered learning can contribute both to individual development and the economic viability of the organization.
     URL: http://www.ericacve.org/docgen.asp?tbl=digests&ID=95

This paper discusses the union role in ensuring that American workers have the skills they need in a dynamic workplace.
     URL: http://www.nald.ca/fulltext/report3/rep23-27/rep24-01.htm

A successful joint labor-management training program is rooted in cooperation. This article shares five qualities that illustrate a good labor-management partnership for employee training.
     URL: http://www.workforce.com/archive/feature/22/17/40/223926.php

The Working for America Institute, in consultation with unions and labor-management partnerships in advanced manufacturing, has developed a list of the most pressing workforce challenges affecting the sector.
     URL: http://www.workingforamerica.org/documents/challenges.htm

Contact trade and professional organizations for valuable information about occupations, internships, apprenticeships, certification programs, professional development and training.
    URL: http://www.acinet.org/acinet/resource/trade.htm

Link to national and local labor organizations in the United States, Canada, and other nations through the Institute for Global Communications.
    URL: http://LaborNet's Directory of Union Organizations and Resources on the Internet

 

A searchable database of links to international, national, and local unions in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The list is organized by country. The site also lists other labor organization related sites.
   URL: http://Union Resource Network

 

A directory of links to national and local unions from Union Systems International.
    URL: http://unionweb.org

 

A directory of links to trade associations.
   URL: http://Yahoo! Trade Associations

 

A directory of links to unions.

   URL: http://Yahoo! Unions

For problems or questions regarding this web site contact campbell@conferenceboard.ca.
Last updated: July 28, 2006.