Community Classes
Fall 2026
Cost: $50 for union-sponsored participants; $25 for participants without union support; free to anyone who cannot afford to pay. If a class meets several times, the suggested price is per meeting. Registration is required for these classes, the majority of which are virtual. Click the class title to register. Zoom links will be emailed after registration for virtual classes.
Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) provided for most online classes.
Video Production for Organizers
Date & Time: September 30th & October 14th, 6PM-8PM CT
Video is an important part of storytelling and sharing a narrative for labor and community organizing. In Part I of this two-part series, we will go over how to plan a video, how to produce a video with basic equipment, how to capture an interview and b-roll, the basics of editing, and how to share a video once it’s made.
Between sessions, participants will be tasked with making a short video project of their own. In Part II, participants will share their videos, get feedback, and go over more editing techniques.
This class is best for beginners.
Facilitator: Isabela Escalona
Effective First Contract Negotiations
Date & Time: October 6th, 5:30PM-7:30PM CT
Using a case study of a group of nurses in Rochester, New York, this workshop will teach participants how to negotiate strong and effective first contracts quickly by treating the first contract campaign as an extension of the organizing campaign. The workshop is co-led by Nela Hadzic, who was chief negotiator on the first contract campaign. Eric Lehto, who has negotiated many strong first contracts, will moderate.
Facilitators: Matthew Cunningham-Cook, Nela Hadzic, Eric Lehto (moderator)
Educación Popular : Una metodología para fortalecer el movimiento laboral
Fecha & Hora: 11 de Octubre, 1-4PM CT
La educación popular es una metodología de liberación, empoderamiento y cambio social. En el movimiento laboral, los trabajadores enfrentan duras realidades e inequidades estructurales todos los días. Con demasiada frecuencia, sus voces son ignoradas en el trabajo. La educación popular permite crear espacios donde la clase trabajadora se sienta escuchada, pueda participar activamente y se inspire para impulsar un cambio real.
Esta sesión presenta los principios fundamentales de la educación popular y le enseña cómo integrarlos en sus propias capacitaciones, reuniones de personal y presentaciones con trabajadores. Juntos, exploraremos herramientas prácticas y practicaremos cómo facilitar espacios donde los trabajadores lideren la conversación y construyan poder colectivo.
Esta sesión es en colaboración con el Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha - CTUL.
Modalidad: En persona
Direccion: 3715 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55407
Facilitadora: Indira Garmendia, en colaboración con CTUL
Grocery Workers Speak: What Inequality Looks Like From Behind the Supermarket Register
Date & Time: October 27th, 3PM-4:30PM CT
Grocery stores aren’t just places to shop. They are workplaces, neighborhood centers, and a window into the inequalities that ravage our society, from low wages to high prices to monopolies that harm our communities. Join us for a panel discussion about grocery stores and the labor that makes them run, featuring grocery workers, Ann Larson, the author of Clean Up on Aisle Five, and journalists from In These Times. This event is co-sponsored by In These Times.
Facilitator: Sarah Lazare
Date & Time: November 10th, 1PM-4PM CT
This course is intended for stewards and union members who are new to grievance handling, but it is also a good refresher for long-time stewards. We will cover the basics of grievance handling: what is a grievance? What is a steward’s role in handling a grievance? How do stewards conduct grievance investigations? What is an investigatory interview, and how do stewards prepare for discipline-related grievances? How can stewards use grievances to build the union’s power?
Facilitator: Amy Livingston