About the Center

The Labor Education Center serves as a bridge between the university, the labor movement, and the local community.  We create internships for students and offer programming on campus focused on social change for justice and organizing. Our external training is available to unions and labor councils in our region. This includes training for officers, members and stewards through a statewide Labor Extension Program. The Massachusetts labor movement has resources in UMass Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, and Lowell to meet training needs in new workplace technology, diversity and organizing (internal and external), and other training that we can tailor to your needs. An important facet of the Labor Education Center is the Workers' Education Program which offers classes in English for Speakers of Other Languages, high school equivalency preparation, among other adult learning opportunities. This program has a staff of 15 and educates over 200 students annually. The Workers' Education Program is located in the Star Store in downtown New Bedford, at 715 Purchase St.

Your solidarity has been important in our efforts in expanding the labor movement’s role in our communities and strengthening its role in our workplaces.

From our beginnings the Labor Center has been rooted in the struggle to provide educational opportunities for workers in our region. Our legacy was forged out of focus on social justice and workers’ rights. We appreciate your support of our work in community struggles. You have helped us to extend beyond what has been narrowly defined as “labor issues”.

We have cultivated a multi-disciplinary approach that connects community and workplace issues such as women’s issues in the workplace, the future of work and the global economy, occupational health and safety, organizing, as well as using art to increase awareness of the dignity of labor and labor history.

If you would like to know more about the Labor Education Center or have a specialized program that you would like us to set up to address your specific needs, please call us at (774)929-0727, or email Kim Wilson at kwilson@umassd.edu. 

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