Professional Education

From the perspective of both the union and management, participants will practice how to develop a clear and effective theory of the case, create a proposed issue statement, identify and examine witnesses and present evidence.

Cross examination is one of the most important but often poorly used parts of an advocate’s case.  Participants learn and practice the skills required to prepare and execute an effective cross, while identifying commonly made errors.  Participants practice cross-examination and receive coaching and feedback from experienced advocates and arbitrators.

Stay current on the ever-changing EEO, employment, and HR related laws. Learn best practices for identifying, preventing, and managing employee issues that may create legal or policy risks. Work through real-life situations to apply in the workplace. Leave with a clearer understanding of the impact and importance of employment laws.

Organizational design shapes how organizations perform and compete. In today’s business environment, leaders need efficient and flexible organizations built to deliver results and evolve as strategy shifts. HR and organizational professionals need a clear, actionable approach to design that aligns with strategy, scales with change, and enables lasting impact.

Today’s organizational leaders are one part manager, one part HR professional. This certificate program will teach you how to elevate into a true leader instead of simply a manager. Find out what your leadership style is and how to develop the interpersonal skills needed to take charge. Knowing that will allow you to not only create a high-performing team, but manage it to its fullest potential as well. Learn how to manage your time, make clear, decisive decisions for the betterment of your organization, and how to communicate those decisions to upper management.

Compensation and benefits play an essential role in attracting and retaining the key talent you need in your organization.

This certificate program is designed to help current and aspiring human resource managers and staff understand employment laws and regulations in order to deal effectively with labor-related legal issues in the workplace. The courses address key employment law requirements in the United States and also provide guidance on the implementation of employment policies and practices in countries with different legal systems.

This certificate program is designed for management and union representatives new to labor relations who need to learn the basics. The program focuses on two key aspects of labor relations: negotiating an agreement (collective bargaining) and operating within an agreement (contract administration).

Today’s best companies realize that HR isn’t simply about operations and benefits administration. Rather, it has the power to transform an organization by delivering competitive advantage through its most critical asset: people. Developed by faculty experts from one of the world’s top HR schools, this unique certificate program is designed to equip human resources leaders at all levels to add strategic value and insights to an organization, develop meaningful consulting relationships with company stakeholders, and align HR initiatives with business strategy.

The role of today’s HR manager demands broad responsibilities that include organizational leadership and strategic thinking. As the profession evolves, HR departments are being called upon to make bigger-picture decisions and to execute well-defined HR strategies that align with larger organizational strategies.

An organization is only as good as its culture—and building that culture frequently begins with the HR department. Diversity, equity, and inclusion have evolved from a focus on compliance to a strategic-level cultural effort with a demonstrated positive impact on a company’s performance and business results. Today such a culture is much more than a legal or moral requirement; it’s also a competitive advantage.

An organization is only as good as its culture—and building that culture is not only a role for HR, it’s every manager’s and employee’s responsibility. As today’s headlines prove, an inclusive work environment is not just a nice-to-have, it can make or break a company. You can help make your organization a more supportive and engaging place to work by understanding the perceptual, institutional, and psychological processes that impact the ways people interact with each other.

Gain skills to strategically address employee relations issues. Learn techniques for conducting effective conversations, making ER decisions and managing performance issues. Practice coaching, counseling, progressive discipline strategies, working styles and communication skills, including effective ways to phrase language. Leave with extensive tools and guides to apply at work.

In today’s competitive business landscape, executive compensation is integral to attracting, retaining, and motivating senior leadership. This foundational certificate program offers a comprehensive introduction to executive compensation, providing you with the essential concepts and tools needed to evaluate, manage, and design pay structures that align leadership performance with organizational objectives. The program explores the critical relationships among leadership compensation, organizational performance, and corporate governance.

Learn techniques, tools, processes and skills for facilitating conflict using a collaborative problem solving approach for resolving one-on-one conflicts. Topics and tools focus on problem solving, listening and messaging skills, conflict styles, neutral issue statements, de-escalating emotions, developing options, facilitating and gaining commitment.

For anyone who wants to improve oral presentation skills and overcome reluctance to speak in public and gain tools for more effective presentations. This online workshop is part of the four-course Labor Leadership Skills Certificate Program and participants do not have to be online at a specific time.

HR has always been about people, and this remains true today. However, given the rapid digital transformation in today’s organizations, the need for data-driven decision making has become essential. There is both a shortage of analytical talent within HR and an increasing demand for these types of skills. In this certificate program, you will learn to analyze, and visualize HR data to inform decisions and recommendations.

The talent acquisition landscape is evolving faster than ever, shaped by shifting labor markets, rising candidate expectations, and the rapid emergence of AI-powered tools. Success in this environment requires more than instinct or experience; it demands a strong foundation in evidence-based practices, structured decision making, and strategic thinking that extends beyond the hire date.

During complicated times, employee relations issues skyrocket. Managing these issues, with a process in place to mitigate further internal problems in a professional manner, can be challenging. Poor handling of internal investigations can result in legal and monetary damages, reputational harm to an organization, and a negative impact on employee morale.

In today’s business environment, hybrid work models are commonplace and can serve to attract and retain employees. Successful models require a strong group culture to keep organizations running smoothly and productively. For many organizations, hybrid models represent a significant shift in how work gets done. As such, managers and leaders need to rethink what it means to lead in this new environment.

Learn and practice the complete step-by-step internal investigation process. Receive extensive content related to conducting interviews, investigation techniques, determining credibility, managing bias, reaching conclusions, and implementing outcomes. Interact with expert investigators to learn best practices and acquire new skills.

A full and fair investigation of alleged employee misconduct is a critical component of due process. It is therefore essential that you use the available tools and techniques when conducting an investigation.

A unionizing workplace profoundly impacts managing behavior and performance. Navigate “just cause,” the role of union representation, disciplinary grievances and arbitrations. Simulate the critical breakdowns during workplace conflict and discover steps to a solution.

This interactive course teaches how to analyze grievances and conduct grievance meetings with an eye towards fact-finding and resolution. Learn the basics of how arbitration works with the goal of being a more effective representative during the hearing.

Learn methods for analyzing key information, writing fair, neutral and effective reports, and maintaining documentation. Practice avoiding advocacy language, addressing comparators/credibility and writing sound conclusions. Considerations include ethical issues and attorney/client privileges. Receive a report template that will uphold findings and withstand heightened scrutiny.

Effective conflict management is an essential skill for every leader and aspiring leader. When harnessed productively, conflict can be a force to build both company culture and competitive advantage.

Labor History can be understood from the perspectives of both union history and the social, cultural, and political life of workers. Here we explore not only union organizing, collective bargaining, and labor legislation, but also what workers thought, how they work and lived, and their impact on the larger society.

This course will examine the foundation and the tools to mount an effective organizing campaign based on theory, principles, and determination.

In this two-day workshop, participants will delve into the intersection of precarious immigration status and employment, as well as current immigration policies and ongoing debates. We will analyze the evolving landscape of the labor market and consider the labor movement's and labor unions' role in creating equitable environments for its members while supporting workers from diverse backgrounds across various sectors. Additionally, we will draw insights from successful organizing models that integrate traditional unions with worker-justice organizations.

Learn how U.S. Labor Law impacts employer, union and employee authority, rights and responsibilities at the bargaining table and in day-to-day operations in the private and public sector in this interactive practice-based workshop.

In today’s data-driven world, you can’t afford to be the only one at the table who lacks analytical knowledge. This certificate program is designed for professionals who need to elevate their ability to communicate about data with colleagues — without becoming math mavens or Excel experts.

Learn how Collective Bargaining Agreements are written, interpreted and enforced in this interactive, practice-based workshop.

The course covers Social Security disability benefits and work incentives, and how those benefits interact with Medicaid, Medicare, and other government benefits programs. The course also discusses the best practices of a benefits planner.

The course covers Social Security disability benefits and work incentives, and how those benefits interact with Medicaid, Medicare, and other government benefits programs. The course also discusses the best practices of a benefits planner.

Through role-plays and simulations, gain insight into your own negotiation biases, weaknesses and strengths, and build negotiation confidence and competency. Participants learn how to plan a negotiation strategy and practice communication skills necessary to showcase underlying needs and interests. Positional and interest-based negotiation skills are explored.

Learn a step-by-step process on preparing for bargaining including aligning organizational, labor and bargaining strategies and developing management and union goals, and preparing for the bargaining table. An in-class project includes preparing and delivering a presentation to management to obtain bargaining mandate.

This tools-building workshop emphasizes the rights of stewards/committee persons in resolving disputes in the workplace. Participants will learn how to protect the grievance process, the equality principle, and how to simplify grievance writing. This online workshop is part of the four-course Labor Leadership Skills Certificate Program.

Take on the role of lead negotiator in collective bargaining from start to finish. This course focuses on the practical aspects of developing and managing a team, the dynamics and flow of bargaining stages, the difference between competitive and collaborative approaches, and how to come to an agreement. Culminating in a day-and-a-half mock collective bargaining simulation, this course provides valuable practice and feedback from seasoned negotiators.

This introductory-level workshop is designed to develop the skills of union negotiators who do not have extensive experience in advancing a collective bargaining strategy. This online workshop is part of the four-course Labor Leadership Skills Certificate Program, participants do not have to be online at a specific time.

This online for-credit course helps union activists build practical skills needed in collective bargaining today through role-plays and mock bargaining with students across the country. Organizations benefit from union members learning bargaining skills in a safe environment instead of at bargaining tables which can impact the entire workplace.

This course explores how a competitive, self-interested view of society has led to a system of laws, rules, and institutions that reliably produces massive levels of inequality and reinforces an “us versus them” mentality between members of different social groups.

This course gives collective bargainers the knowledge to think strategically and creatively about compensation, benefits and work rules and the skills necessary to cost out changes in the fast paced environment of a collective bargaining negotiation.

The ability to craft clear and enforceable contract and grievance-settlement language is paramount to ensure the intent and terms of the agreement are understood by all parties and the negotiated deal is upheld.

This is a practical, how-to-workshop to give union negotiators and bargaining committee members the skills they need to prepare for contract negotiations. This online workshop is part of the four-course Labor Leadership Skills Certificate and participants do not have to be online at a specific time.

Obtain your Basic Labor Leadership Skills Certificate with this intensive virtual boot camp that provides the specific skills essential to success in your organization. Four full exhilarating days of interactive and immersive classroom training topics including stewards, basic negotiations, costing out a contract, and effective communication.

This workshop emphasizes the rights of stewards/committee persons in resolving disputes in the workplace. The right to information, the duty of fair representation, and member’s right to representation will be covered. This one day workshop is part of the four-day Labor Leadership Skills Bootcamp.

This introductory-level workshop is designed to develop the skills of union negotiators who do not have extensive experience in advancing a collective bargaining strategy and in conducting face-to-face negotiations at the bargaining table. This one day workshop is part of the four-day Labor Leadership Skills Bootcamp.

This is a practical, how-to-workshop to give union negotiators and bargaining committee members the skills they need to prepare for contract negotiations, including illustrating how to calculate the projected costs of an agreement. This one day workshop is part of the four-day Labor Leadership Skills Bootcamp.

For anyone who wants to improve oral presentation skills in a supportive environment. Overcome reluctance to speak in public, gain tools to organize your thoughts for a more effective/powerful presentation. This one day workshop is part of the four-day Labor Leadership Skills Bootcamp.

Learn to counsel Veterans with disabilities about returning to work.

Learn to counsel youth with disabilities to use work incentives as a tool for establishing careers.

Through a series of interactive simulations, participants learn about the conflicting motivations to compete and cooperate in negotiations. The goal is to change the way you think about and approach negotiations, and practice a variety of approaches to understand how their effectiveness varies by situation.

Learn key strategic and tactical choices in negotiating with irrational, narcissistic people. Drawing on techniques used by hostage negotiators, participants practice behavioral and communication techniques designed to redirect resistance. Techniques can be used in dealing with difficult people in everyday work like as well as in formal negotiations.

Part of the Online Labor Studies Program this course examines the history of unions in the US through the use of film. Students will explore the various social issues raised by each film. Each week we will watch a film, analyze it, and discuss our reactions.

The contract lies at the center of day-to-day union practice. How can union leaders and rank and file members ensure that the contract is honored and not circumvented? Students in this online for-credit course will learn how to resolve problems that are contract-based by effectively utilizing grievance procedures.