2008 Madison Institutes
The School for Workers offers these institutes at the J.F. Friedrick Center and the Pyle and Lowell Centers located on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.
REGISTRATION FORM - register online on our secure site- Financial Officer Training upcoming in September 2008
- Union Leadership
- Political Action for Trade Unionists
- Bargaining in Tough Times
- Grievance Arbitration
- Working as a Union in Lean Manufacturing
Information
Conference Centers & Parking
Meals
Lodging Reservations
Fee & Payment Information
Cancellation Policy
Travel to & around Madison
Financial Officer Training
September 3-4 , 2008
Registration form
This program is designed specifically for union financial officers--new treasurers, financial secretaries, trustees and other union officers. The class includes basic recordkeeping to help you comply with the requirements of the Landrum-Griffin Act and will also focus on what records you will have to keep to comply with the LM-2, LM-3 and LM-4 forms..
We will also cover auditing and financial planning, and we will spend half a day in a computer lab showing you how to set up your records in a popular commercial software called Quick Books Pro. You'll see how easy it is to set up charts of accounts, handle payroll and generate a number of useful reports.
We will also concentrate on recordkeeping practices that will be key if your union is audited by the Labor Department, including expense and credit card policies, maintaining records of minutes, receipts and disbursements.
You will receive copies of sample forms, spreadsheets and model financial standards code on a CD-ROM as well as a copy of John Lund's book Auditing Local Union Financial Records.
Questions about course content? Please contact:
John Lund at 608-262-9847 or john.lund@uwex.edu
Registration deadline: August 4 Enrollment is limited.
Registration will be at 8:00 a.m. Wednesday. The program concludes on Thursday at 4:00 p.m.
Fee: $325.00
Location: Pyle Center
Union Leadership
March 31-April 2
Registration form
BUILDING & RUNNING EFFECTIVE UNION LOCALS
The spring module on union leadership focuses on organizational skills and the nuts and bolts of running an effective organization. Conducting effective meetings, parliamentary procedure, organizational communication, budgeting and planning will be covered. Most importantly, tools to engage people to be active in the union and tools to build union effectiveness through people power will be explored.
(The fall module emphasizes personal leadership skills.)
Recommended for officers, stewards, executive board members, and anyone contemplating union office.
Registration deadline: March 3
This 3-day program begins at 8:30 a.m. Monday with registration. It concludes at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday.
Fee: $360.00
Location: Pyle Center
Political Action for Trade Unionists
April 22-23 , 2008
Registration form
"I know no safe depositary of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves..."
Thomas Jefferson
Participation in the political process is one of our most important responsibilities as citizens of a democracy. Increasingly it has become harder to understand how the process works and to participate effectively.
In this 2-day class, participants will expand their knowledge of the political process, how unions participate in the process, and how individuals can become more active and informed to personally participate.
TOPICS COVERED
- the ins and outs of the election cycle
- how the lobbying process works
- where to find information about the candidates, their positions, and how they are funding their campaigns
- how to engage members and mobilize participation
Registration deadline: March 24
Registration will be at 8:00 a.m. Tuesday. The program concludes on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m.
Fee: $310.00
Location: Pyle Center
Bargaining in Tough Times
May 5-8, 2008
Registration form
Today union bargaining committees and negotiators find themselves caught between the needs and expectations of their members and the relentless drive of corporations to reduce costs and maximize profits. The same pattern has spilled over to collective bargaining in the public sector, confronting public worker unions with problems similar to those faced by unions in the private sector. Unions have been forced to deal with employer attempts to implement cost shifting of benefits costs from employers to workers, inadequate wage increases, and other pressures placed on workers. This has become a major feature of the contemporary corporate global economy. In this difficult environment unions cannot expect successful collective bargaining outcomes simply by using strategies and tactics that perhaps once worked.
This class is the School for Workers' basic collective bargaining class and is designed for both experienced unionists and those who are new to the process. Unions are encouraged to send their leadership groups or bargaining committees so that they can actually begin designing their bargaining plans in the class. Trade unionists and others with recent experience in the front lines of collective bargaining are brought into the class as resource people and to provide examples of what worked and what did not work for them.
TOPICS COVERED
- the collective bargaining process
- relevant labor law and unfair labor practices
- expanding participation of the membership
- researching the employer
- contract costing
- developing bargaining language
- strategic and tactical analysis for bargaining
Please bring your contracts and extra copies to exchange with others!
Registration deadline: April 7
Registration will be at 8:30 a.m. Monday. The program concludes on Thursday at 3:00 p.m.
Location: J.F. Friedrick Center
Fee: $455.00
Grievance Arbitration
May 12-15, 2008
Registration form
This course is designed for union members, stewards, activists and staff who have an interest in knowing more about the grievance arbitration process. In virtually all collective bargaining agreements the grievance procedure ends with an arbitration step. Understanding the arbitration procedure generally and in your contract is critical for any union official from steward to staff representative. The course begins with a review of the grievance process and the considerations unions face in deciding whether to go to arbitration. The remainder of the course focuses on the various aspects of the arbitration procedure through a variety of classroom exercises and discussions. Participants will be assigned to role play a mock arbitration case which is presented to an actual arbitrator.
Topics covered include the scope of arbitration, authority of arbitrators and how to select them, preparing and presenting a case in arbitration including developing a "theory" of the case, gathering relevant facts, and proving the case using witnesses and exhibits. We will discuss standards that arbitrators use to decide cases, how to prove a case (evidence rules), and the law of arbitration including arbitrability, remedies, and the limited bases for reversing arbitration decisions.
At the conclusion of the course, participants will have an understanding of the importance of the grievance procedure to the arbitration process, how arbitration works and the issues unions face in going to arbitration to resolve contract disputes.
Registration deadline: April 14
Registration will be at 8:00 a.m. Monday. The program concludes on Thursday at 4:00 p.m.
Fee: $455.00
Location: J.F. Friedrick Center
Working as a Union in LEAN MANUFACTURING
June 10-11
Registration form
"Lean" is a term describing a form of manufacturing that uses less of everything when compared to mass production: less human effort, manufacturing space, investment in tools, engineering hours, and inventory. It has many aliases, including Toyota Production System, just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing, single piece flow, high-performance work organization (HPWO), and total quality management (TQM).
Companies that seek to implement Lean need their workers' knowledge and cooperation to help create and implement successful changes.
In this course, participants learn about the beginnings of Lean and its fundamental components. You will also learn how to:
- ask the right questions to recognize your company's Lean goals;
- negotiate joint committee agreements;
- conduct joint labor-management programs; and
- develop a union strategy to ensure that both workers and companies benefit from Lean.
A summary of alternative compensation and gainsharing plans will also be discussed.
Recommended for union officers, business agents, chief stewards and executive committee members.
Questions about course content?
Please contact: Michael Childers at 608-262-9839
michael.childers@uwex.edu
Registration deadline: May 12
Registration will be at 8:00 a.m. Tuesday. The program concludes on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m.
Fee: $310.00
Location: J.F. Friedrick Center
Information
Questions about enrollment, registration, travel and facilities should be directed to Carol Graham.
Phone Number: (608) 262-4496
Fax Number: (608) 265-2391
Email Address: schoolforworkers@uwex.edu
Please be sure to read the information below carefully.
Conference Centers & Parking
Pyle Center
This is a campus conference center located at 702 Langdon Street in downtown Madison. Many of our classes and conferences are held at the Center. Reserved room blocks for our participants have been arranged at the Lowell Center. Parking for commuters is nearby in a city ramp on Lake Street.
Lowell Center
The Lowell Center is at 610 Langdon Street in downtown Madison. It offers lodging for our guests. If you reserve a room at the Lowell Center, parking and breakfast are included. For dinner, you can explore the many restaurants on nearby State St. Lowell is a nonsmoking facility.
J F Friedrick Center
This is an adult education facility on the west end of the UW campus where sleeping, classroom and eating facilities are all in the same building. If you reserve a room at this center, parking and breakfast are included. If you are commuting to a program at this center, parking permits are $10.00 per day, payable at the front desk on arrival. JF Friedrick has a limited number of smoking rooms.
Lodging Reservations
Participants are responsible for arranging their own lodging. A block of guest rooms has been reserved at the center hosting the program:
Room Blocks
The following classes will be held at the Pyle Center. A block of rooms has been reserved at the Lowell Center, one block away. Contact Lowell to make your reservation.
Financial Officer Training
Union Leadership
Political Action for Trade Unionists.
The following classes will be held at the JF Friedrick Center. A block of guest rooms is reserved there as well. Contact Friedrick to make your reservation.
Bargaining in Tough Times
Grievance Arbitration
Working as a Union in Lean Manufacturing
Rates at both the Lowell Center and the JF Friedrick Center are $81-86/single and $91-96/double.
The lodging room block will be released one month before the class start date.
CALL NO LATER THAN 1 MONTH BEFORE the class date to ensure a room.
Toll free 866-301-1753 (for BOTH centers)
Direct to JF Friedrick: 608-231-1341
Direct to Lowell: 608-256-2621
Please DO NOT INCLUDE lodging fees in your payments to the School for Workers.
For alternative lodging go to http://www.cityofmadison.com/recTourism.html#LODGING
Meals
Fees include lunches and breaks. If you reserve lodging at the Lowell Center or the JF Friedrick Center, breakfast is included in your room rate.
Fee and Payment Information
School for Workers fees include tuition, instructional materials, lunches and breaks. Participants are responsible for arranging their own lodging. For information go to Lodging Reservations
To assure participation in the course, registration forms should be received by the deadline.
PAYMENT BY CHECK: Make checks payable to UW-Extension. Please DO NOT INCLUDE lodging fees in your payments to the School for Workers. Mail to: School for Workers Registration, 610 Langdon St, Rm 422, Madison, WI 53703.
PAYMENT BY CREDIT CARD: Use our secure Registration form to enter your credit card information or, if you prefer, phone that information to our office 608-262-2112.
Participants will receive confirmation information approximately two weeks prior to the course.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancellation notification must be 14 days or more prior to the program start date. If notification is less than 14 days, the cancellation fee will be: $100.00. The School for Workers reserves the right to cancel programs when enrollment criteria are not met or when conditions beyond our control intervene. If the School for Workers cancels a class, class fees are refunded in full, but additional costs incurred are the responsibility of the registrants.