This course is a unique opportunity to learn about the past, present and future of the U.S. labor movement – and how changes in labor movement power impact economic inequality and the quality of democracy -- from Bob King, one of the most thoughtful U.S. labor leaders of his generation. King hired into the River Rouge plant (UAW Local 600) in 1970 and was elected to ever higher positions in the UAW until he became International President (2010-2014). He was Vice-President for Ford when the 2008 global financial crisis hit, pushing GM and Chrysler to the brink of bankruptcy. We’ll talk about that extraordinary period and what the UAW and the Obama administration did to save the industry. King has also championed a vision of the labor movement as a force for social justice in capitalist societies, building on a tradition of social unionism in the UAW that goes back to its origins in the 1930s. We will talk about why the labor movement needs to return to this tradition if it is to rebuild its power, and what can be done to shift the movement in that direction.

Course Requirements:

Students will be responsible for doing the assigned readings, and for writing two reading responses over the course of the term (everyone will pick their two on the first day of class). Students will also do an “outside assignment” in which they attend or participate in an event relevant to the themes explored in this course, and do a 2 page write-up on this event, explaining how it connects to the themes of the course, and what questions or learning this engagement provoked.

Class Format:

As a DC course, all aspects of this course will be fully compatible with remote online learning.

The format for my class is seminar type discussions & not lectures that requires synchronous participation. With IT support we can record the classes.

Testing for this course will be asynchronous and will consist of short answer and essay questions that will be submitted via Canvas during a designated time frame.