UAW Region 1A Online Academy
Course descriptions:
Updated 11-09-2022
Building an effective Women’s Committee – This course will assist you in establishing your local union Women's Committee. It will give you an understanding of the purpose, history, and the roles and responsibilities of a Women's Committee. You will be able to connect the Women's Committee with the goals and objectives of your local union and the labor movement. You will also learn ways to recruit and engage members.
Building Unionist – This workshop is designed for leaders who want to strengthen the power of their union by building activism in their membership. Building unionists doesn’t happen automatically: it takes effort and leadership, and this workshop will help leaders channel their energies into a program that helps everyone.
Community Services - The Community Services Committee works through public and private organizations to ensure that members faced with problems or emergency situations get relief when needed. This workshop will help you understand the historical and present roles of this very important committee.
Conservation & Recreation - This workshop is part of our series where we do a deep dive into the standing committees of the UAW. This online course will be reviewing the Conservation and Recreation Committee.
Consumer Affairs - Workshop for Consumer Affairs Committee members and those interested in the Committee.
Disaster Preparedness - Natural disasters wreak havoc on our lives and economy. This workshop teaches participants basic survival tips such as: preparing a survival kit, how to find drinkable water in your home, how to identify safe exits, etc. We then go a step further and share tips for your local union on how to set up a communications network and save important records, as well as bargain an emergency plan at your worksite.
Education - The Education Committee is at the center of strong locals. This standing committee is tasked with training and education of union members. This course will give an overview of the committee’s history, an understanding of the importance of union education, learn about the purpose and work of the committee, as well as bring awareness to the resources available to the committee.
Effective Union Meetings - This workshop will help leaders plan and facilitate effective union meetings. The class focuses on laying out objectives, meeting preparation, parliamentary procedure, and the role of the chair. The workshop also teaches strategies for getting more members to attend meetings.
Globalization 101 - This workshop discusses our economy from a worker's perspective, provides some of the history surrounding the U.S. economy and explains what drives our economic model. Participants will understand how technology is accelerating and expanding the process of globalization, how legislation creates the global system, how the laws that protect workers are being weakened, the goal of the neoliberal agenda and how our power can shape the system.
Ending Sexual Harassment in the workplace - This course explores the UAW’s position on sexual harassment, helps members understand what constitutes harassment, and how sexual harassment undermines our solidarity and union power. Participants will learn how to identify and address sexual harassment using UAW protocol and bystander intervention. Upon completion, participants will have a strong understand-ing of key issues related to sexual harass-ment and a commitment to stand in solidarity with our union family
Grievance Handling - This course teaches stewards the basics of grievance handling.
It Starts With me - This training is meant to share with you how our union and our locals build power so we can win better wages and benefits, and improve our lives, our families and our communities. This class emphasizes the roles we all can play to make our union and ourselves stronger.
Keys to Effective Standing Committees - Participants will learn the duties and responsibilities of their standing committee, committee structure (chair, co-chair, recording secretary, treasurer, member and subcommittee/task force), ideas for recruiting and engaging members in committee work, learn how to plan an event or project, plan a meeting, how to run an effective meeting, and how to report out at their local union meeting.
Layoffs, Closings and Strikes - The mandate of the Community Services Committee is to support members in times of need. That often means strikes, layoffs or closings. This workshop gives Community Services Committee members an overview of this important work as well as guidelines on how to prepare for these challenging events
Leading with Vision - This course defines leadership and the elements of a great leader. Our union was built on the shoulders of men and women who knew that their role was to inspire change in others. This workshop explores those traits and helps participants evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses.
Lessons from Labor History - Our past is our history. And that history is rich with stories. Stories of heartbreaking loss and great success. As we stand here today, we have the right to collectively bargain, to grieve violations of our contracts. To come together to elect officials who support working families, safe worksites and retirement security. But nothing of what we have today was given to us. All of it was fought for. And some paid the highest price. Appreciating the long journey that brings us to today gives us insight into what we must do tomorrow.
Money Matters: Budget Planning for Life - Providing members with strong consumer education is the natural partner to effective collective bargaining. Improved wages are easily undone if members are subject to predatory lending or overextended credit. This workshop provides common sense budgeting tips, strategies on building an emergency fund and simple advice on how to avoid the pitfalls of endless debt.
Money Matters: Consumer Tips - This course is a continuation of Money Matters: Budget Planning for Life. Throughout these modules we will explore our options if we find ourselves in debt trouble. We will learn the truth about payday lending and the true cost of credit card purchases. We will identify the best loans for us. Lastly, we will learn ways to protect ourselves from identity theft, frauds and scams.
Reinvigorating Your Women's Committee - This course will help you restart and reinvigorate your local union Women's Committee. You will learn about membership surveys, creating a calendar, how to recruit and empower members of your committee and the importance of event evaluations.
Roles of Officers - This workshop is a great fit for newly elected leaders to learn the duties and responsibilities of their local union's executive board officers. Participants will discuss some do's and don'ts of local union leadership, learn surrounding information related to these leadership roles and will leave with a good understanding of how the local union executive board works together to carry out the duties of our union.
Strengthening Our Union - This course focuses on the importance of building the power of the local union through standing committees. Participants will learn the purpose and function of each standing committee and what types of members are the best fit for each committee. There is also discussion centered around strategies for building member relationships, increasing member involvement and ideas for committee events and projects.
Strategic Planning to Grow Your Standing Committees - Too often, standing committees fall into a routine, where the same program is run year after year with diminishing results. This workshop is designed to help all standing committees reset and create strategic plans that meet the needs of today’s membership.
Talkin’ Union - When it comes to talking about organized labor, how you talk is as important as what you say. This workshop delves into 10 lessons of effective communication when it comes to our union. Examples include: the power of leading by example and the downside of debating.
The Ethical Consumer - This workshop does a deep dive into the ethical considerations when purchasing goods and services, and how union-made and USA-made ties into those principles. Participants of this workshop will learn how to locate union-made and USA-made goods, why it’s imperative to make an effort, and the importance of spreading the word to family and friends. Ultimately, the goal of this workshop is for participants to understand the power of their wallets and how their spending affects union jobs.
UAW 101 - In this workshop, participants will learn information about our UAW history and structure; the purpose and mission of the UAW and the responsibilities of local unions, and the International. This workshop also covers the importance of member involvement, why unions are relevant and necessary today, and participants will be encouraged to get even more involved in their union.
UAW Basics - In 2015, the UAW celebrated its 80th anniversary. We are a union rich in history and heritage with a powerful influence over today’s labor agenda for working people.In this course, you will learn essential UAW information that will be useful and relevant in your daily life as an active UAW member!
UAW Core Values - When we understand the principles upon which our union was built, we understand the path forward. This workshop focuses on four of our union’s core values that are found in our constitution. First, we must build and maintain strong contracts. Second, all are equal. Third, we fight for everyone, not just ourselves. And fourth, we understand the importance of electoral politics. These four pillars define the UAW and serve as a guidepost for all members.
Using the UAW Constitution - The UAW Constitution is the supreme law of our union, amended by majority vote by the delegates to our Constitutional Convention. Every member should read our UAW Constitution when joining in union and every four years, as amendments are made. This brief 15-minute course teaches participants how to navigate the Constitution and find the information they are looking for. It’s a great fit to add onto any other workshop and for presenting at local union meetings.
Understanding Grievances - This course gives you, as UAW members, the tools to understand grievances and grievance procedures, to learn your rights as a union member, and to find your role in the grievance process
Union Meetings & Me - Meetings play a vital role in our union – but why? In this course, you will learn the importance of attending union meetings, the basic elements of an agenda, understand Robert's Rules of Order and other information that will help you to feel more comfortable and confident in your ability to participate in your local's union meetings!
Understanding Bargaining - A workshop designed for rank-and-file members to understand the vitally import-ant process of bargaining. Participants learn the role of the law and member solidarity and how the interplay affects what we get at the table. Highly recommended for local union membership facing a bar-gaining year.
Understanding Strikes - A workshop designed for rank-and-file members to understand the vitally import-ant process of strikes. From how strikes happen to why they are effective, this workshop is highly recommended for local union membership facing a tough bargaining year.
Union Label Committee - Union Label is one of the original standing committees of our union. It’s for a very good reason, as the work of this committee covers the importance of educating the public about unions and our members about their purchasing power. This workshop explores creative ways existing union label committees are carrying out the message today.