Labor history class coming to Metropolitan Region MANHATTAN — Metropolitan Region members will have the chance this fall to learn more about the colorful and dynamic history of the labor movement. The City University of New York’s (CUNY) Murphy Institute for Labor Studies will hold a U.S. labor history course in September at the CSEA Metropolitan Region office at 125 Maiden Lane in Manhattan. Classes will be held on Tuesday evenings from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Students will learn about important moments in labor history such as the Ludlow Massacre and the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. They’ll also be immersed in the lives and work of legendary labor leaders like A. Philip Randolph and Walter Reuther. “We in CSEA’s Metropolitan Region are really excited about this,” said CSEA Metropolitan Region Deputy Director of Contract Administration Joel Schwartz. “It’s often been said that you don’t know where you’re going unless you know where you’ve been. For aspiring labor leaders, this class will help build that foundation.” The course will examine working class life and the evolution of the U.S. labor movement within the larger framework of U.S. history, with specific regard to class formation, industrial development and the major developments of the organized labor movement. Students will also explore the relationships of workers to unions, formal and informal economies, race and gender, technology, the American state; and cultural, political and social movements. Special emphasis will be placed on the issues that gave birth to the labor movement, the development of working class consciousness and the milestones in the labor movement’s progress during the last century. Students will be awarded four college credits upon completion of the course which can be applied toward a certificate, or toward a bachelor’s or master’s degree in labor studies. State workers can pay for the class with a voucher from the New York State/CSEA Partnership for Education and Training. Members interested in signing up for the course should contact the Partnership at 518-486-7814 or 1-800- 253-4332. — David Galarza Students will have in-depth lessons about topics that shaped the U.S. labor movement, including the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire that killed hundreds of young immigrant workers. The investigation into the fire resulted in numerous labor and workplace safety reforms. The scene of the Manhattan fire is shown above. CSEA members raise money to help ailing co-worker ALBANY — Albany County Department of Social Services employees have stepped up in a big way to help a co-worker in need. Workers recently participated in two fund-raisers for a longtime employee in need of life-saving transplant surgery. “She is a very private person and kept a lot to herself,” said Bonnie Maxwell, a Department of Social Services eligibility examiner and Albany County Department of Social Services Unit activist. When Maxwell learned that her co-worker and friend would have to live in another state in long-term medical housing to be close to the hospital should the needed organ become available, she sprang into action. “We felt because of all she’s been through, we would try to assist her as much as possible,” Albany County Department of Social Services Unit President Vicky Miller, left, and Bonnie Maxwell are among the Albany County Department of Social Services workers who have rallied to help a co-worker in need. Maxwell said. Maxwell and other co-workers organized a bake sale and raffle that raised nearly $2,000, but Maxwell wanted to do more for the co-worker. The workers decided to hold a gift basket fund-raiser. Workers collected and assembled baskets around many themes, including gardening, baking and car care. Donations and participation were boosted even more by raffles of several big-ticket items, including a 32-inch television and an iPad mini. “(The iPad) was the most popular item,” said Albany County Department of Social Services Unit President Vicky Miller, who also helped organize the fundraisers. The drawings were held at a local barbecue venue. “When you went to the event, you saw all the people and felt the love,” said Miller. “That’s what we do every day; help people, so to see people come together to help one of our own was a testament to the work we do.” The workers raised nearly $7,000 from the second event alone, and Maxwell has no plans to stop. “We will continue to raise money as long as there is a need,” she said. — Therese Assalian June 2014 The Work Force 13
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