Skills for Effective Union Leadership Effective union leadership requires a wide variety of skills. Topics covered in this class may include identifying your own leadership styles, helping committees and other small groups work more efficiently, motivating members, building consensus, facilitating meetings, and applying power ethically and effectively in the union. This course is designed to be useful for unionists at all levels of leadership. An important skill for union activists and leaders is the ability to help resolve problems among our own members. Mediation is a structured process we can learn to help diffuse conflicts in a workplace and bring about mutually acceptable solutions-before a problem escalates or results in discipline.
Mediation can also help deal with issues inside the union and build unity.
This class will focus on establishing the proper climate for mediation, helping the parties listen to each other, identifying underlying interests, and moving toward a resolution. This class is aimed at sharpening your skills and knowledge as union advocates for safety at work. We'll look at the big picture of legislative and regulatory issues and focus on effective workplace action. Topics include injury and illness trends, ergonomics, making Oregon's required safety committees effective, using your legal rights, and involving members in safety issues. This class reviews events and trends in Oregon and national politics that affect labor.