Congrats to the Carolina Labor School Class of 2022!

Approximately 75 members from unions of working people across North Carolina - including letter carriers and auto workers, glass makers and pipefitters, steelworkers, bus operators, airport workers, and others - formed the Class of 2022 at Carolina Labor School held at UNC Wilmington last week.

Attendees learned about state and federal labor law from our current and former General Counsels, Trisha Pande and Mike Okun. Professors Diane Thomas-Holladay and Grainger Ledbetter from the University of Arkansas Little Rock gave students tips for "talking union" to potential members when building internal organizing campaigns and for handling grievances with management. University of Tennessee College of Law faculty member and former Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Penny White taught a course in negotiations, which was followed by a mock arbitration led by attorney Paul Smith, also with our General Counsel's firm. Finally expert workers' compensation attorney Valerie Johnson taught a double-session in navigating the system that provides wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured on the job.

Before and after class, students also got chances both to unwind and bind with daily icebreakers and solidarity building social events including the legendary Shrimp-A-Roo hosted by International Longshoremen's Association Local 1426 and our volleyball Game Day & Picnic.

Check out photos of the Class of 2022

Watch the Labor School Choir lead class in singing the union anthem, Solidarity Forever