ELR - Employment and Labor Relations
ELR 1110 Work and Democracy: An Introduction Cr. 3
Satisfies General Education Requirement: Civic Literacy
The course explores the role that labor and the labor movement have played in shaping democracy in the United States over the past two centuries and the limits of democracy in the workplace. It covers key political achievements of labor and workers' organizations and the contemporary challenges they face today. Key themes include labor and citizenship, industrial democracy, the role of the state in mediating labor relations, gender, race, sexuality and labor, the labor movement as a social movement, and power and politics in the workplace. Offered Every Term.
ELR 2400 Survey of the Music Business and Labor Cr. 3
Satisfies General Education Requirement: Social Inquiry
Overview of music business, intellectual property basics, and music business careers. Survey of the economic structure and social institutions of the music industry. Examination of problems in cultural careers. Offered Winter.
Equivalent: MUA 2400
ELR 2500 Introduction to Labor Studies Cr. 4
Introduction to labor and employment relations: the essential nature, evolution and purpose of the twenty-first century workplace. Offered Every Term.
ELR 3220 Labor in Media and Popular Culture Cr. 3
The course explores labor behind and in popular culture in the United States. We will use themes of race, gender, technology, and class to explore popular culture, cultural workers, and their relationship to labor organizations in the 20th and 21st centuries. Our topics include music, video games, television and films, animation, streaming and influencer culture, the fast food industry, fashion, sports, and more. Offered Yearly.
Equivalent: HIS 3220
ELR 3350 Black Women and Labor from the 'Nadir' to Black Power Cr. 3
This is an interdisciplinary course that examines Black women as a special class of workers between 1920-1970. It does so through theories of triple oppression, triple exploitation, and double/multiple jeopardy. Scholars argued that Black women were exploited as women, as workers, and as Black people. As such, they were situated in the bottom of the labor hierarchy, often being: wholly excluded from industries, included into industrial labor through the very worst jobs, excluded from or subordinated in labor unions; and the “last hired, first fired.” Likewise, they often endured the worst labor conditions and job precarity. Given the character of their labor, they were assumed to be “unorganizable” and excluded from or marginalized in labor struggles. Yet, Black women challenged these material conditions to improve their economic and political realities and that of their families, communities, and comrades. Offered Every Other Fall.
ELR 3400 The Car in American Life and Labor Cr. 4
This course focuses on the history and current role of the automobile in the American economy and society. It teaches students to think about labor and workplace dynamics and develop a historical perspective on current labor questions. The course seeks to expand students’ understanding of what work is, where it happens, and the spectrum of workplace issues by examining automotive manufacturing, advertising, sales, trucking and taxi driving, design, urban planning, and the gig economy. Finally, this course asks how labor issues intersect with other important dynamics of American life. By connecting life and work in a consumer capitalist economy with energy and environmental history, students will gain a fuller understanding of how consumption and climate change are labor issues, too. Offered Every Other Year.
Equivalent: HIS 3400
ELR 3434 Labor in Latin America Cr. 3
The aim of this course is to introduce students to the history of labor and the working-class throughout Latin America from pre-Hispanic times to the present. The class begins by looking at indigenous labor in the pre-Colombian context. This section will include readings on communal labor with emphasis on peasant classes. The second section moves to the Conquest of Latin America. Students will learn how colonialism influenced and drastically changed how people participated in the workforce. There will be readings on slave and indigenous labor. The third section deals with the independence and nation-building periods of the 19th and 20th centuries. Here students will examine how the working-class and peasants negotiated aspects of national identity in several case studies. This will involve exploring labor activism and other labor movements in Chile, Argentina, Peru, Brazil, and Mexico.Finally, the class will end with the neoliberal period and its impact on workers. Offered Every Other Year.
ELR 3650 The Philosophy of Work Cr. 3
This course examines philosophy of work and the relationship between political economy and the ethics of work. It explores the definition and meaning of work in different historical and cultural contexts and then focuses on practical philosophy and applied ethics with respect to work, occupational choice, and social responsibility. It also considers the tensions between work and individual rights and work and social justice. Offered Yearly.
Equivalent: PHI 3650
ELR 4100 Labor Through the Arts Cr. 3
This course is an analytical and critical exploration of Employment, Labor, and Working as they appear through the Arts in film, fiction, poems, theater, music, creative non-fiction, and more. This course will examine the diverse images of employer and employees’ relationships and historical aspects of the labor movement and work in America as it appears in popular art. We will look to analyze and discuss openly by contrasting perspectives between workers, business owners and corporations which have shaped, and continue to shape, the workplace in our culture. Offered Yearly.
ELR 4200 All About Class Cr. 3
Social class fundamentally shapes our lives and American society, yet we don't talk about it (or rarely talk about it). This class gives us a chance to understand and explore what it is, how it operates, and why it maters so much. We will cover definitions, concepts, and statistics related to social class. Perhaps more importantly, we will learn about the narratives that weave these pieces into ideologies that can inspire protest and rebellion, give us ambition, or push us into apathy. Offered Every Other Winter.
Equivalent: SOC 4208
ELR 4400 Labor and Health Cr. 3
This course provides students with an overview on the intersection of labor and public health, with a particular focus on how policy and collective bargaining agreements determine the health of workers. First, students will be taught an overview of study designs that will later allow them to assess how work impacts health. The class will then review examples of this for different labor sectors and then end the semester by analyzing how policies and contracts can be changed to improve worker health. Offered Every Other Fall.
ELR 4500 Applied Labor Studies Cr. 3
Practical training in various labor relations specialties, such as collective bargaining or labor law. Consult coordinator on specific topic. Offered Every Term.
Repeatable for 12 Credits
ELR 4600 Internship in Employment and Labor Relations Cr. 1-3
Employment and Labor Relations majors are encouraged to complete an internship at a local public agency, labor union, non-profit, business, or community organization. The internships are individually arranged, in consultation with the director/instructor, the academic advisor, and the organization or agency. Students should align their internship experience with their major focus and/or concentration in the program and their career objectives, including work in the areas of labor and health, culture, communications, non-profit sector, and/or human resources. Assignments include 100-120 internship hours during 14-week semester, keeping a journal, and writing a reflective essay. Offered Every Term.
Repeatable for 5 Credits
ELR 4700 Senior Seminar Cr. 3
Satisfies General Education Requirement: Writing Intensive Competency
Research, reflection, discussion and analysis of labor relations practice. Offered Yearly.
Prerequisites: ELR 2500
Repeatable for 6 Credits
ELR 4990 Directed Study Cr. 1-6
Supervised reading and research in labor studies. Offered Every Term.
Repeatable for 6 Credits
ELR 5100 Advocacy Journalism and Labor Cr. 3
This class will investigate labor journalism from its origins to its modern state, with a focus on how to write for the labor press. Offered Every Other Winter.
ELR 5200 Dispute Resolution in Labor and Employment Cr. 3
This course will provide an exploration of dispute resolution in labor and employment. We will include examining the causes of many disputes, the communication and negotiation skills necessary to resolve them, and the use of a third-party neutrals such as mediators and arbitrators. The use of the grievance procedure will be examined as the primary means of dispute resolution in organized work forces, and the skills necessary to successful resolve differences. The law of dispute resolution, from the NLRB’s authority to resolve unfair labor practice charges, to the EEOC’s charge process and the judicial enforcement of agreements to arbitrate and enforce awards will be covered. Offered Every Other Winter.
ELR 7000 Introduction to Labor and Employment Relations Cr. 3
Introduction to the broad and changing field of labor and employment relations. Topics from the nature of work and role of labor in society to current labor and employment laws. Offered Fall.
Restriction(s): Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
ELR 7010 Health Care, Retirement, and Employee Benefit Plans Cr. 3
Comprehensive understanding of employee benefits issues and practices. Offered Fall.
Restriction(s): Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
ELR 7400 Labor Relations Law in North America Cr. 3
Federal and provincial regulation of union organizing, collective bargaining and union contract administration in the private sector. Content, administration and judicial interpretation of labor relations legislation in the United States, Mexico, and the Canadian province of Ontario. Offered Yearly.
Restriction(s): Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
ELR 7420 Labor and American Politics Cr. 3
The role of organized labor in American politics. Historical background; race, gender, and immigration as they shape labor politics; current issues for the labor movement and labor’s political agenda; organized labor’s future as a force in politics and governance. Offered Every Other Year.
Restriction(s): Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Equivalent: PS 6070
ELR 7430 Public Sector Labor Relations Cr. 3
History, present functions, problems and current controversies surrounding public sector unions. Offered Every Other Year.
Restriction(s): Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Equivalent: PS 6340
ELR 7450 Employment Relations Law in North America Cr. 3
Federal and state legislation affecting employee-employer relations: discrimination, pension, occupational safety and health, fair labor standards. Implementation of these policies, effect on worker-manager relations: Canada, Mexico, United States. Required core course. Offered Spring/Summer.
Restriction(s): Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
ELR 7550 Selected Topics in Employment and Labor Relations Cr. 3
Various topics to be offered on a limited basis to meet needs of students with special interests not covered by regular course offerings. Offered Intermittently.
Restriction(s): Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Repeatable for 9 Credits
ELR 7600 Internship in Employment and Labor Relations Cr. 1-3
Active involvement in employment and labor relations duties for an employer, union, government agency, or employment and labor relations professional; apprenticeship to a labor arbitrator; or other appropriate opportunity for industrial relations experience. At least eight hours per week; may be paid or unpaid. Offered Every Term.
Restriction(s): Enrollment limited to students in the MA in Employ & Labor Relations program; enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Repeatable for 3 Credits
ELR 7670 Leadership Excellence Through Workplace Inclusion Cr. 3
This course equips students with the skills and knowledge to navigate today’s diverse workplaces and employee relations. Integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles with practical management strategies, students will develop the tools to excel as leaders in any organizational setting. By the end of the course, students will be prepared to foster inclusive workplaces where all employees can thrive. Offered Yearly.
Equivalent: MGT 7670
ELR 7700 Current and Future Trends in Collective Bargaining Cr. 3
Collective bargaining, current and future directions; emphasis on joint union-management approach to developing programs improving the quality of work life through workers' involvement in the decision-making process; examination of practical procedures to initiate and implement such programs. Offered Fall.
Restriction(s): Enrollment limited to students in the MA in Employ & Labor Relations program; enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
ELR 7990 Directed Study Cr. 1-4
Intensive study of significant industrial relations topic against background of more general course work. Preparation of term paper required. Offered Every Term.
Restriction(s): Enrollment limited to students in the MA in Employ & Labor Relations program; enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Repeatable for 4 Credits
ELR 7999 Master's Essay Direction Cr. 3
Plan B alternative to a three-credit elective course. Opportunity for intensive research and writing experience on relevant subject matter. Offered Every Term.
Restriction(s): Enrollment limited to students with a class of Candidate Masters; enrollment limited to students in the MA in Employ & Labor Relations program; enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
ELR 8000 International Employment Labor Relations and Human Resources Cr. 3
Provides an understanding of the role of international ELR and divided into three areas of study: the economic, political, and social contexts of international ELR; strategic and functional ELR policies and practices cross-nationally; and cross-national comparisons on dimensions of efficiency, equity, and voice. Covers issues related to host, home and third country nationals; recruitment, selection, training, development and compensation in international contexts, expatriation and repatriation, and employment and labor relations. Studies of the HR context of selected countries are also included. Offered Intermittently.
Prerequisite: ELR 7000 with a minimum grade of C
Restriction(s): Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
ELR 8500 Strategic Analysis of North American Labor and Human Resources Issues Cr. 3
Analysis on micro (game theory) and macro (planning) levels; integration of skills; student teams work as consultants for client organization on strategic labor or human resource problem. Offered Yearly.
Restriction(s): Enrollment limited to students in the MA in Employ & Labor Relations program; enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.