Education and Labor in Tension: Contemporary Debates about Education in the US Labor Movement

Publication by DPDF 2009 Revitalizing Development Studies Fellow Rebecca Tarlau.

This article examines the conflicting visions within the US labor movement about the proper function and implementation of labor education programs, and how educational programs are connected to union structure. While this article is primarily based on interviews with union officials, the article also draws on union documents and participant observation in union meetings and educational workshops. The author argues that an analysis of worker education programs is an appropriate entry point for drawing out the similarities and differences that exist about the goals, structure, and political values of different unions in the contemporary US labor movement.

Published: September 2011

On the web: Education and Labor in Tension: Contemporary Debates about Education in the US Labor Movement

Citation: Tarlau, Rebecca Senn, "Education and Labor in Tension: Contemporary Debates about Education in the US Labor Movement," in Labor Studies Journal, ed. (September 2011), http://lsj.sagepub.com/content/36/3/363.abstract?rss=1, 36(2), 363-387.