July 2004 Edition of the Skills for Tomorrow Activities and Updates Listserv

“School’s out for the summer,” as the song goes. Wherever you live, you have the next couple of months to enjoy summer activities. Like trips to the beach, amusement parks, summer camp or staying close to home.

The Teamsters Union continues to encourage educators to work with local leaders in their respective areas to send a strong message about union careers and workplace rights. Introduce young minds to issues such as child labor and young people gain appreciation for the eight-hour workday and child labor laws. At a tender age, young people can learn to distinguish right from wrong, realize for themselves that historically and to this day, workers and their unions have made a difference in the workplace.

Remember, if you have anything of interest to share, we would love to hear from you. To submit information on your organization, or career development curriculum, please email Linn Nguyen at lnguyen@teamster.org or Sharlene Mentor at smentor@teamster.org

John J. Sweeney, President of the AFL-CIO and Chair of the National Labor College’s Board of Trustees, and Dr. Susan J. Schurman, President of the College, presented bachelor’s degrees to 135 students during the college’s sixth graduation ceremony on June 26, 2004. Held at the college’s 47-acree campus in Silver Spring, Maryland, the commencement exercises also included 11 students who earned master’s degrees from the University of Baltimore.

The Class of 2004 represented more than 35 national and international unions and organizations, including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Among the graduates were Teamsters Grantt V. Bedford (Bachelor of Arts, Labor Safety and Health and Labor Studies) and James Lyons (Bachelor of Arts, Labor Studies).

Commencement was preceded by a senior project symposium at which students discussed their senior research papers, and an awards ceremony highlighting distinguished papers. Research papers examined a diversity of topics, including apprentice safety and health training, privatization, international solidarity among workers, labor history in elementary schools, and illness on the job.

Other highlights at this year’s commencement included a special ceremony to launch construction of the Lane Kirkland Center, a new 72,000 square-foot learning facility named in honor of the former AFL-CIO president; and the Howard D. Samuel Memorial Scholarship fund, established by the AFL-CIO in recognition of the longtime labor leader. Members of the Kirkland and Samuel families were among the more than 1,000 guests attending the ceremony. President John Sweeney delivered the commencement address.

The George Meany Center-National Labor College (GMC/NLC) offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in seven major areas, and more than 70 intensive, week-long continuing education programs in organizing, union building, and leadership development. A new Bachelor of Technical/Professional Studies degree will be offered beginning in the fall of 2004. The college is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, an independent, regional accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

The Teamsters Education Department works closely with the GMC/NLC by networking with faculty and administrators, promoting its courses among Teamsters affiliates, and securing National Labor College credit for courses offered through the Teamsters Leadership Academy. In fact, the Department and International Union serve as a "satellite campus," and therefore, can secure credit for any courses in Washington, D.C. or in the field that meet the requirements established by the NLC. Trade unionists can earn credit for taking courses related to employment, workplace rights, collective bargaining, workplace economics, fair trade and globalization.

The Teamsters Education Department is currently developing strategies to offer distance education and English as a Second Language (ESL) programming on its website. In the meantime, we hope to post links to sites that will help our members and their families address workplace literacy education.

The following is a link from the state of California where working adults can supplement interactive learning opportunities for adult workers who are studying English as a Second Language (ESL) or adult basic skills (ABE).

To learn another language, it's helpful to gain some practice. This site features over 1,000 quizzes, exercises and puzzles to help students of all ages study English as a Second Language (ESL). Take a quiz. Do a crossword. Practice your grammar or spelling. The site features activities that make learning English fun and interactive. It also features many different languages and translations. Are you a teacher? This site allows teachers to post content or make suggestions on ways to improve ESL learning on the website. http://a4esl.org/

ALMA's mission is to help adults gain the basic reading, writing, and math skills they need to achieve their goals. It creates innovative, educationally sound, and entertaining television-based teaching materials that bring literacy learning to adults wherever they might be—at home, at work, in class or in the community. ALMA also supports teachers and social service providers through training and staff development workshops.

ALMA staff members have worked in curriculum design, community outreach, media production and business development. This core staff is supported by consultants in the fields of curriculum, research, training, and public relations. Though ALMA's work takes it to television stations, community agencies and professional organizations across the country, it calls Manhattan's West Village home. ALMA’s resources are shared with educators and community activitists nationwide.

For fans of TV411, the television series for adults who want to strengthen their literacy skills, there's now TV411 the Web site. With new game-like interactivity in our lessons, learning with ALMA is more fun than ever!

July 23 – July 25, 2004 - Chicago, Illinois
Contact: AFL-CIO Organizing Institute, Washington, D.C. 202/637-5041 or visit http://www.organize.aflcio.org

August 20 – August 22, 2004 - Baltimore, Maryland
Contact: AFL-CIO Organizing Institute, Washington, D.C. 202/637-5041 or visit http://www.organize.aflcio.org

~~~~> Tutoring Assistance for Kids

What about supplemental educational services? A new website, established through a grant from the Office of Innovation and Improvement, provides information and tools to help parents, educators, and policymakers ensure that eligible children get the free, extra academic help they need. For example, parents can click on a map to find out which providers service their child's area.

Articles of Interest

~~~~> ED REVIEW

July 2, 2004

A bi-weekly update on U.S. Department of Education activities relevant to the Intergovernmental and Corporate community and other stakeholders

Kiwanis Partnership

Last week, Education Secretary Paige and Kiwanis President-Designate Case Van Kleef announced the "Take the Lead in Preparing America's Future" partnership -- a campaign to further engage the business community in the agency's efforts to ensure students are prepared to succeed in postsecondary education and the workforce. As part of the effort, Kiwanis clubs across the country will work within their communities to create and support mentoring and tutoring programs and share their business knowledge and experiences with students and teachers. The term "Kiwanis" comes from an expression in an American Indian language of the Detroit area, "Nunc Kee-wanis," which means, “We share our talents.”

For more information, please visit http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2004/06/06252004.html

Also, at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Committee of 100 meeting, the Secretary expanded on the linkage between the quality of education and U.S. economic success, asking top business leaders for their continued support. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO http://www.ed.gov/news/speeches/2004/06/06282004.html.

~~~~> Union-Backed Paid Family Leave Law in Effect July 1, 2004

The nation’s first-ever paid family leave law went into effect July 1, in California, allowing most workers in the Golden State to get partial pay when they take time off from work to care for family members.

Signed in September 2002, the law allows workers to collect up to 55 percent of their salary—up to a maximum of $728 a week—when they take time away from their jobs to take care of a new baby, foster or adopted child or care for a seriously ill parent, spouse, child or domestic partner. The benefit is funded by employee contributions to the state’s disability insurance fund.

“Starting July 1, California’s working families will no longer need to choose between their paychecks and caring for their loved ones,” says Art Pulaski, executive secretary-treasurer of the California Labor Federation, which worked with allies in the women’s rights community to mobilize support for the law. “Union members worked hard to pass this groundbreaking legislation that will benefit all working people.”

California Law: A Step Beyond Unpaid Leave

The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), signed in 1993, requires large companies to give workers 12 weeks of unpaid leave for birth or adoption and various family health reasons. While more than 40 million workers have benefited from the law, thousands more workers who need to take family leave don’t because they cannot afford to take leave without pay. A U.S. Department of Labor survey found that between 1995 and 2000, the share of workers who needed family leave but could not afford to take it grew from just less than 66 percent to nearly 78 percent.

Moreover, only three in five U.S. workers are eligible to take the leave allowed by the federal law because it doesn’t apply to all employers or workers. For example, the federal law only covers employers with more than 50 employees and workers who have been at their employer at least a year.

The California law addresses these shortcomings by providing workers some income when they take family leave and covering nearly all workers in the state, no matter how long they have worked for their employer or how many workers are at their worksite.

A Model for the Nation

Activists say the paid leave law in California, home to nearly 10 percent of the U.S. workforce, has the potential to pave the way for family-friendly policies across the country. Legislators in at least 27 other states—including Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Texas—have introduced family leave bills.

“Although this is a momentous day for workers in California, all of us will benefit when this new law proves itself sound, responsible and good for both workers and businesses,” says Debra Ness, president-elect of the National Partnership for Women & Families. A new report by the Institute of Industrial Relations at the University of California at Los Angeles shows that companies in California that offer more generous family leave benefits experienced less employee turnover.

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health say the United States lags behind dozens of other countries in policies that support working families. While more than 160 nations offer guaranteed paid leave to women in connection with childbirth, the United States does not, says The Work, Family and Equity Index: Where Does the United States Stand Globally? Forty-five countries ensure fathers either receive paid paternity leave or have a right to this leave, while U.S. policy does not guarantee either.

These facts show “just how far behind the United States is when it comes to the most basic work and family issues, like paid family leave,” says AFL-CIO President John Sweeney. “Working families are deeply concerned about how to balance work and home, and this thorough study should raise alarm bells about how far our nation needs to come to meet their needs.”

For more information, visit http://www.aflcio.org/issuespolitics/worknfamily/ns06302004.cfm?RenderForPrint=1

~~~~> Poll: Teachers Say Unions Are Crucial Defenders of Their Right

Teachers see unions as crucial defenders of their professional rights, according to a new poll.

More than eight out of 10 teachers say that without their union, they would be vulnerable to school politics or administrators who abuse power, according to a survey by Public Agenda, a nonpartisan, nonprofit public opinion research organization.

Stand by Me: What Teachers Really Think About Unions, Merit Pay and Other Professional Matters, a poll of 1,300 teachers, finds they “often feel vulnerable to a wide range of dangers,” including favoritism and cost-cutting measures. “Their union is their ally, one they can count on,” the report concludes.

In addition to providing a voice on the job for workplace fairness, teachers also appreciate unions’ roles in boosting wages. More than 80 percent of teachers surveyed say “Without collective bargaining, the working conditions and salaries of teachers would be much worse.”

Heading the Right Direction on Reform

The Public Agenda poll, released June 3, also shows that teachers support the education reforms AFT leaders and activists seek in local school boards, state legislatures and Congress.

“Accountability, performance pay, high standards for teachers and students and incentives to get the best teachers in hard-to-staff and low-performing schools are efforts that all score high marks from respondents to this poll,” says AFT President Sandra Feldman.

http://www.aflcio.org/issuespolitics/education/ns06272003.cfm?RenderForPrint=1

Get Connected: Web Site Links

~~~~> Locate your State Department of Education
http://www.nces.ed.gov/ccd/ccseas.html

~~~~> Nation-Wide School Locator
http://www.nces.ed.gov/globallocator

End of Issue

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~~~~> Tutoring Assistance for Kids

Send your questions or comments to: info@ibtstw.org ©2005 The International Brotherhood of Teamsters / Minnesota Teamsters Service Bureau

Send your questions or comments to: info@ibtstw.org
©2005 The International Brotherhood of Teamsters / Minnesota Teamsters Service Bureau