Discusses the usefulness and importance of international labor standards for workers; workers' participation in the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) standard-setting activities and in the implementation of international labor standards; and the ILO's procedures of supervision. (CT)

AFL-CIO unions representing a wide range of workers in virtually every sector of the economy have teamed with employers to develop and sustain successful programs resulting in better trained, more productive workers. Joint training and education programs come in various forms and offer a wide range of services depending on the industry and worker…

This report describes job training and placement programs offered by the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) for members dislocated by plant closings and job reductions. The first part of the booklet provides general information about the Steelworkers' worker assistance programs, including program summary, program principles, the comprehensive…

There has been an expansion of the role played by organized labor in vocational training. The number of apprenticeable occupations has been increasing with the growing addition of nontraditional skill areas. Government-funded training programs provide necessary resources for program development and implementation. (CT)

The need for and development of a program in English as a Second Language (ESL) and functional English literacy for nursing home workers are outlined, and suggestions are offered for others desiring to start such a program. Anecdotal information and a needs assessment, in combination with Massachusetts state standards for nursing home workers, led…

Labor unions hold a somewhat different view of "workplace literacy" efforts than company management often does. Unions believe that workplace literacy programs should be voluntary and involve more that just "work" skills. As in union education of the past, union programs focus on education of the whole worker for life, not just for work. Unions…

A study examined the impact that the United Auto Workers' (UAW) Joint Funds programs, established in the early 1980s, have had upon the policies and practices of selected community colleges in the Midwest. Each of the three UAW Joint Funds programs (Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler) offers a wide array of special programs to active and inactive…

In its ongoing study of changes in the situation of workers and unions, the AFL-CIO Executive Council's Committee on the Evolution of Work determined that information on job training and jobs is a top priority for today's workers. The AFL-CIO Training and Education Conference was planned in an effort to respond to this need. The conference brought…

This paper, translated from French, is a transcript of a roundtable discussion on workplace literacy programs in Canada (especially in Quebec). During the roundtable, the panelists discussed various workplace literacy programs being conducted in their companies through joint partnerships of employers and unions, sometimes with government financial…

A program was conducted by the Food and Beverage Workers Union in Washington, D.C., to provide workplace literacy classes for food service workers in the city's government agencies, universities, and museums. A curriculum for workplace literacy skills was developed, sites were selected, and students were recruited. From a target audience of…

This handbook was developed to assist local education agency personnel in establishing and administering high school apprenticeship programs, especially in North Carolina. The guide is organized in seven chapters that cover the following topics: (1) what apprenticeship is; (2) how a registered apprenticeship program works; (3) why employers choose…

The objectives of the 4-year Laborers-Associated General Contractors (AGC) Business and Education Standards Project are: (1) generate world-class standards for construction craft occupations; (2) develop and promote a certification program for construction craft laborers (this objective was deleted because of negative reaction); (3) promote the…

This report includes two sections: (1) an overview of the issues involved in joint labor/management workplace education programs and (2) a description of such a program partnering two union locals, nine hospitals, and Bunker Hill Community College to implement a workplace-based career ladder program. The first section explains that unions and…

A workplace literacy partnership program model was demonstrated at four Chrysler plants in Indiana. Objectives were to improve workers' individual skills, enhance personal productivity, and increase work force job security and plant competitiveness. During the 3-month start-up phase, project staff worked with management and labor representatives…

The Ohio State University, Inland Fisher Guide Division of General Motors, and United Auto Workers Local 969 formed a collaborative partnership in 1990 to train employees whose inadequate literacy skills made them unable to respond to the requirements of "synchronous manufacturing" (or "just in time" production). One of the…