For Immediate Release October 11, 2005

For More Information Contact: Diane Brown, 317-274-7711 habrown@iupui.edu

The Division of Labor Studies Re-Organizes, Expands Course Offerings

INDIANAPOLIS - Despite challenging budget cuts, the IU Division of Labor Studies continues to be in the forefront of innovation.

In the process of re-organization, Labor Studies has increased enrollments in its degree programs, expanding on-line student participation for the 2005-06 school year.

In addition to regular offerings such as Labor History; and Class, Race, Gender and Work; online offerings explore a range of issues, from Introduction to Globalization, to Comparative Labor Movements, to a new course, Labor and Community.

These courses respond directly to the university mission statement for Labor Studies to deliver credit and noncredit programs to build leadership among workers in their organizations and communities.

Another new course offering for this fall covers a full range of anti-discrimination programming presented by Professor Mark Crouch in Fort Wayne.

This spring, labor studies will open new credit programs to be held in union halls in Anderson and South Bend.

In addition, a new 3 credit course, Labor & Religion, will be offered on a swing shift basis at Northwest. The course is taught by Professor Paul Mishler, who has worked and researched extensively on labor and religious coalitions. The last presidential election highlighted the impact of religious organizations on national policy. This course will examine the equally important role of religious coalitions in labor's history.

One-credit course offerings, available on different campuses, include Take Back Your Time; Wal-Mart; Working Class Hollywood: Labor Issues in Popular American Films; Gay Issues in the Workplace; and Women and Development: A View from the South, which is taught by visiting Indian scholar Shradha Nayan.

"Labor studies faculty, drawing from a broad research agenda, are addressing the most immediate challenges facing workers, unions and labor policy decision-makers," says Ruth Needleman, president of the labor studies faculty. "Today labor relations and bargaining occur in a global marketplace, and our courses provide this worldwide perspective, examining comparative policy studies and strategies for job creation and protection, as well as providing instructional support for unions organizing workers here and networks abroad."

Labor studies faculty offer open enrollment noncredit courses as well. These programs are designed to assist workers and unions with understanding labor law changes; balancing work and family; bargaining under global economic policies, and organizing across diversity, as well as across borders. Noncredit programs combine history and theory with practical applications, explained in terms of a worker's day-to-day experiences.

In addition to its statewide credit and extension program, the division also offers unique overseas exchanges. Registration is open for these programs, the first of which is a week-long Canadian study program in conjunction with the Canadian Labour Congress in Ontario, Feb. 5 -10, 2006.

The second provides an 11-day intensive exchange with the Metalworkers Federation in Porto Alegre, Brazil, March 8-18, with a sign-up deadline of Nov. 5.

Professors William Mello and Ruth Needleman will lead the Brazil program, and have extensive experience within the country.

For additional information about the Canadian or Brazilian program, contact the IUN labor studies office at (219) 980-6826 or IUK at (765) 455-9387.

Labor Studies recently co-sponsored the conference, "The University and Fair Trade," which focused on new ways universities can improve working conditions in factories that produce university logo clothing.

To enroll in a labor studies program or to find out more about exciting new courses, contact the labor studies program in your community at: IUN (219) 980-6826; IUB (812) 855-9084; IUPUI (317) 274-5028; IUK (765) 455-9387; IUSB (574) 520-4595; IPFW (260) 481-6831.

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