Courses
B.S. Labor Studies Courses
- LSTU-L 100 Survey of Unions and Collective Bargaining (3 cr.) This course includes coverage of historical development, labor law basics, and contemporary issues. It also discusses a survey of labor unions in the United States, focusing on their organization and their representational, economic, and political activities.
- LSTU-L 101 American Labor History (3 cr.) This course explores the struggles of working people to achieve dignity and security from social, economic, and political perspectives. It also explores a survey of the origin and development of unions and the labor movement from colonial times to the present.
- LSTU-L 104 Labor History (3 cr.) This course serves as an orientation for the study of labor history. It explores both critical and historical methodologies based on primary and secondary sources, biases, and interpretations. Discussions focus on selective questions and events.
- LSTU-L 110 Introduction to Labor Studies: Labor and Society (3 cr.) This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary and advocacy approach of labor studies. Exploring labor’s role in society, the class will look at how unions have changed the lives of working people and contributed to better social policies. Discussions will highlight the relationship of our work lives to our non-work lives and will look at U.S. labor relations in a comparative framework.
- LSTU-L 200 Survey of Employment Law (3 cr.) This course explores statutes and common-law actions protecting income, working conditions, and rights of workers. Topics include workers’ compensation, unemployment compensation, fair labor standards, Social Security, retirement income protection, and privacy and other rights.
- LSTU-L 201 Labor Law (3 cr.) This course reviews a survey of the law governing labor-management relations. Topics include the legal framework of collective bargaining, problems in the administration and enforcement of agreements, and protection of individual employee rights.
- LSTU-L 203 Labor and the Political System (3 cr.) This course examines federal, state, and local governmental effects on workers, unions, and labor-management relations; political goals; influences on union choices of strategies and modes of political participation, past and present; relationships with community and other groups.
- LSTU-L 205 Contemporary Labor Problems (3 cr.) This course examines some of the major problems confronting society, workers, and the labor movement. Topics may include automation, unemployment, international trade, environmental problems, minority and women’s rights, community relations, and changing government policies.
- LSTU-L 210 Workplace Discrimination and Fair Employment (3 cr.) This course examines policies and practices that contribute to workplace discrimination and those designed to eliminate it. It explores effects of job discrimination and occupational segregation. It analyzes Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and related topics in relation to broader strategies for addressing discrimination.
- LSTU-L 220 Grievance Representation (3 cr.) This course looks at union representation in the workplace. It evaluates uses of grievance procedures to address problems and administer the collective bargaining agreement. It also explores analyses of relevant labor law and the logic applied by arbitrators to grievance decisions. Students learn about the identification, research, presentation, and writing of grievance cases.
- LSTU-L 230 Labor and the Economy (3 cr.) This course analyzes aspects of the political economy of labor and the role of organized labor within it. It emphasizes the effect on workers, unions, collective bargaining of unemployment, investment policy, changes in technology and corporate structure. It also explores patterns of union political and bargaining responses.
- LSTU-L 231 Globalization and Labor (3 cr.) This course explores the globalization of trade, production, and migration and the effects of these processes on American Workers. Through reading, discussion, and problem formation, students will critically think about the ways global processes and polices impact American Workers’ daily lives, analyze existing historical and current justifications of offshore production and the dismantling of barriers to trade and investment, and explore alternatives to these policies.
- LSTU-L 240 Occupational Health and Safety (3 cr.) This course reviews elements and issues of occupational health and safety. It emphases the union’s role in the implementation of workplace health and safety programs, worker and union rights, hazard recognition techniques, and negotiated and statutory remedies—in particular the OSHA Act of 1970.
- LSTU-L 250 Collective Bargaining (3 cr.) This course emphasizes development and organization of collective bargaining in the United States, including union preparation for negotiations; bargaining patterns and practices; strategy and tactics; economic and legal considerations.
- LSTU-L 251 Collective Bargaining Laboratory (1-3 cr.) L250 is either a prerequisite or a corequisite. This course provides collective bargaining simulations and other participatory experiences in conjunction with L250.
- LSTU-L 255 Unions in State and Local Government (3 cr.) This course explores union organization and representation of state and municipal government employees, including patterns in union structure, collective bargaining, grievance representation, and applicable law.
- LSTU-L 260 Leadership and Representation (3 cr.) This course evaluates organizational leadership issues for union, community, and other advocate organizations. It analyzes leadership styles, membership recruitment, and leadership development. It examines the role of leaders in internal governance and external affairs, including committee building, delegation, negotiations, and coalition building.
- LSTU-L 270 Union Government and Organization (3 cr.) This course provides an analysis of the growth, composition, structure, behavior, and governmental processes of U.S. labor organizations, from the local to the national federation level. It considers the influence on unions of industrial and political environments to organizational behavior in different types of unions and to problems in union democracy.
- LSTU-L 280 Union Organizing (3 cr.) This course explores various approaches and problems in private- and public-sector organizing. Traditional approaches are evaluated in light of structural changes in labor markets and workforce demographics. Topics range from targeting and assessments to committee building and leadership development.
- LSTU-L 285 Assessment Project (1 cr.) This is a capstone experience for associate degree students.
- LSTU-L 290-L390 Topics in Labor Studies (3 cr.) These are variable-title courses which offer an array of topics, which include Bringing Human Rights Home to Indiana; Family Medical Leave Act; Citizenship and Social Change, Labor Journalism, Labor and Global Warming; Latin American Issues in Global Society; Preventing Sexual Harassment; Women and Development; and Preventing Workplace Violence.
- LSTU-L 314 Ethical Dilemmas in the Workplace (3 cr.) This course examines how work is organized and how jobs are evaluated, measured, and controlled. It explores social and technical elements of work through theories of scientific management, the human relations school of management, and contemporary labor process literature
- LSTU-L 315 The Organization of Work (3 cr.) This course examines how work is organized and how jobs are evaluated, measured, and controlled. It explores social and technical elements of work through theories of scientific management, the human relations school of management, and contemporary labor process literature.
- LSTU-L 320 Grievance Arbitration (3 cr.) Recommended only after L220 or with permission of instructor. This course explores the legal and practical context of grievance arbitration, and its limitations and advantages in resolving workplace problems. Varieties of arbitration clauses and the status of awards are also explored. Students analyze research, and prepare and present cases in mock arbitration hearings.
- LSTU-L 330 Global Comparisons: Labor Relations Examples from Three Continents (3 cr.) This Course uses a political economy framework to explore and compare countries’ systems of labor relations, drawing from at least three continents. It analyzes the diverse approaches to the structure of twenty-first century labor law and social policy. It focuses on the role of organized labor in the global economy, patterns of breakdowns in the enforcement of labor and employment law, and union nonunion political and bargaining responses.
- LSTU-L 331 Global Problems, Local Solutions (3 cr.) This course addresses local manifestations of global problems confronting society, workers, and the labor movement. Students will cooperatively analyze issues, propose potential solutions, and engage in activities or practices that address globally driven local issues. Students will identify governmental, non-governmental, and charitable organizations that aid in ameliorating local problems.
- LSTU-L 350 Issues in Collective Bargaining (3 cr.) This course includes readings and discussions on selected problems. A research paper is usually required.
- LSTU-L 360 Union Administration and Development (1-3 cr.) This course covers practical and theoretical perspectives on strategic planning, budgeting, and organizational decision making. It addresses the needs and problems of union leaders by studying organizational change, staff development, and cohesiveness within a diverse workforce. This course may be repeated for up to 3 credits with department approval.
- LSTU-L 370 Labor and Religion (3 cr.) This course examines the relationship between religion and the labor movements as it has developed in the United States over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries. Students will analyze the approach taken by religious institutions concerning workers’ issues and assess the tradition in which workers of faith connect to more secular concerns for social and economic justice.
- LSTU-L 380 Theories of the Labor Movement (3 cr.) This course examines various perspectives on the origin, development, and goals of organized labor. Theories include those that view the labor movement as a business union institution, an agent for social reform, a revolutionary force, a psychological reaction to industrialization, a moral force, and an unnecessary intrusion.
- LSTU-L 385 Class, Race, Gender, and Work (3 cr.) This course provides a historical overview of the impact and interplay of class, race, and gender on shaping U.S. labor markets, organizations, and policies. It examines union responses and strategies for addressing class, race, and gender issues.
- LSTU-L 410 Comparative Labor Movements (3 cr.) This course uses historical, analytical, and comparative perspectives to examine labor movements and labor relations in industrial societies. It also emphasizes interactions between unions and political organizations, national labor policies, the resolution of workplace problems, the organization of white collar employees, and the issues of worker control and codetermination.
- LSTU-L 420 Labor Studies Internship (1-6 cr.) This course applies classroom knowledge in the field. May be repeated for up to a maximum of 6 credit hours.
- LSTU-L 430 Labor Research Methods (3 cr.) This course focuses on the study of research design, methods, techniques, and procedures applicable to research problems in labor studies.
- LSTU-L 480 Senior Seminar or Readings (3 cr.) This course can be used as a classroom seminar or directed reading course. It addresses current issues, historical developments, and other labor-related concerns. Topics may vary each semester.
- LSTU-L 490 Topics in Labor Studies (1-3 cr.) This is a variable-title course. Some courses focus on contemporary or special areas of labor studies. Others are directed toward specific categories of employees and labor organizations. Inquire at Labor Studies offices. L490 can be repeated for credit with different subjects. The transcript will show a different subtitle each time the course is taken.
- LSTU-L 495 Directed Labor Study (1-6 cr.) This is a variable credit course. Students arrange to study with an individual labor studies faculty member, designing a course of study to suit their individual and varied needs and interests. The contract might include reading, directed application of prior course work, tutorials, or internships. Competencies are assessed through written papers, projects, reports, or interviews. May be taken for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
- LSTU-L 499 Self-Acquired Competency in Labor Studies (1-15 cr.) Self-Acquired Competency (SAC) can be awarded for learning gained outside of the university setting, such as learning derived from union activities. Students must demonstrate and document their learning is equivalent to college-level material.
