Nancy Simcox, MS
Nancy is a research industrial hygienist with over 20 years of experience in providing occupational health assessments and interventions in workplaces and for academic research projects. She is currently the Director of the Continuing Education Programs at the University of Washington, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) where she develops and delivers research-based education programs for labor, government, and practicing health and safety professionals. She is also a Governing Councilor of the Occupational Health Section Planning Committee of the American Public Health Association.
Rick Gleason has been a Safety Lecturer at the University of Washington in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and the Region XOSHA Training Center for the last 20 years. He also worked for Federal OSHA and State OSHA (Labor and Industries, Division of Occupational Safety and Health) for 13 years as an inspector and consultant. He has completed over 2000 safety and health surveys in the Seattle area over the last 37 years.
Jay Herzmark
While attending graduate school at some university in New York City, Jay worked as an RN in an emergency room where he claims to have saved Cher’s life. Among the 29 jobs he has held since graduating college was one where he worked for 22 years at a large, increasingly expensive, state university in Seattle where he was a company safety guy. He has been an active member of at least six unions and is currently working on a grant with the Washington State Labor Council. Jay has ridden his bike over 40 thousand miles just to go to work.
APRIL
P.O.W.E.R. CLASS--SHOP STEWARD TRAIN-THE-TRAINER
Friday April 10th, 1:00 – 5:00 pm and
Saturday, April 11th, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Class Description
This class is designed for union staff who are responsible for recruiting, training, and developing stewards. Completing this class will prepare you to design (or improve) and implement successful steward classes. The Labor Center’s approach to steward training focuses on leadership and communication skills; how being an effective steward can build the power of the union on the job as well as provide good representational services to members. In this multi-union setting, participants will spend some time looking at their specific contracts, especially as they relate to training stewards for effective enforcement. In addition, participants will get to hear about how other unions approach contract enforcement and steward development.
We have consistently heard from workshop participants that this kind of cross- union exchange is extremely valuable. This train-the-trainer also explores how adults learn and how to structure steward training activities in light of that. Participants will gain an understanding of the legal rights of stewards and the Duty of Fair Representation. This is not a training that focuses on the technicalities of grievance handling or arbitration, but will prepare you to develop an energized and effective groups of steward-leaders within your union.
Interested?
Emailsarah.laslett@seattlecolleges.edu
by March 30th
for more information.
LEADERSHIP EDUCATION AND ACTIVIST PROGRAM
Spokane Regional Labor Council
Schedule
Wednesday April 22nd, 5:00 – 7:00 pm
Thursday April 23rd - Saturday April 25th, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sunday, April 26th , 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
This multi-day, multi-union school covers topics ranging from Labor History, to Health & Safety, to Organizing and Political Action. The Labor Center has implemented this successful leadership development event for the Spokane Regional Labor Council since 2006 and continues to help build the Spokane area labor movement!
For information about cost and registration, contact Beth Thew at bthew@spokanelabor.org
MAY
P.O.W.E.R. CLASS--COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
Thursday May 28th– Saturday May 30th 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Class Description
This class is designed for union negotiators or teams that intend to go to the table within the next year. This is an intensive three-day training that covers a wide range of topics about bargaining including:
Contract Campaigns and Mobilizing Members
Building an Effective Negotiations Team
Table Tactics and Behaviors of a Successful Negotiator Crafting and Presenting Contract Language
Legal Considerations including Good Faith Bargaining
Unions who have sent their bargaining teams through this training have reported a significantimprovement in the bargaining process and outcomes.
From an SIUW local: “I wanted to give you the update on the campaign I was kicking off during the class. We ratified the
new agreement this week with a 95% yes vote. It took a lively informational picket, calling management on a few ULPs,
a 90% strike authorization vote and a whole lot of CAT team members to pull off! I can't thank you enough for the training. It was invaluable!”
From an AFSCME local: “Thank you for training our team, we are empowered!”
Interested?
Email sarah.laslett@seattlecolleges.edu by May 15th for more information.
MAY WORKS SPOKEN WORD WORKSHOP
with Elise Bryant, Executive Director, Labor Heritage Foundation
Saturday May 9th, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
More information coming soon!
JUNE
SUMMER INSTITUTE FOR UNION WOMEN
June 23rd - 27th
At Reed College in Portland, OR
Hosted by the University of Oregon Labor Education and Research Center
Co-sponsored by the Washington State Labor Education and Research Center
For information about the program and how to register, click HERE