The Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO is hosting a year-long series of labor education workshops designed to better equip labor activists and leaders to meet the challenges facing today's labor movement. Now in its fourth year, the Philadelphia Labor Activist Academy is co-sponsored by the Labor School at Penn State. All local unions affiliated with the Philadelphia Council are eligible to send members to participate, as well as invited community allies.

The curriculum consists of four comprehensive, non-credit courses designed to develop critical thinking skills and to increase capacity for building power. Instructors include faculty from Penn State's Labor School, labor leaders, and community experts. Using a multi-union setting, the courses encourage participation and networking with other activists. Each course includes ten hours of classroom time over fours weeks. Participants should commit to attending all four sessions of each course. Each 4-week course costs $60. Participants who complete all four courses will graduate with a Certificate in Labor Studies from Penn State.

Fill out the form on this page to register for the second course: What Labor History Can Teach Us: Lessons for Today. After you submit this form, we will contact you to make arrangements for your payment of the course fee.

Course Dates: Tuesday November 13, Tuesday November 20, Tuesday November 27, Tuesday December 4

Course Time & Location: All sessions run from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM at the Philadelphia Council, AFL-CIO

Course Description: What Labor History Can Teach Us: Lessons for Today

The history of worker organizing holds many lessons for labor organizations and activists today. We will gain an appreciation for the rich history of worker collective action and how labor organizations have related historically to broader struggles for economic, social, and civil rights, offering a new perspective on the particular challenges of the current period.

• Week One (11/13): Eight Lessons from Labor History
• Week Two (11/20): 19th Century Labor History
• Week Three (11/27): 20th Century Labor History
• Week Four (12/4): Rise of the Conservative Movement and Labor's Response