Educational Resources
DSA Labor values political education because the labor movement stands stronger when it better understands the struggles that came before it.
DSA Labor 101
DSA Labor 101 is a workshop curriculum developed by the DSLC Education Subcommittee. It provides information and encourages discussion among DSA members about the centrality of the working class in socialist thought, the state of the current labor movement, and just what it is that unions do.
It is aimed primarily at those DSA members who are not well acquainted with unions, but labor activists are very welcome to join. Labor 101 workshops are also best facilitated by someone with labor experience.
The materials for Labor 101 listed here include an outline to guide facilitators of the workshop, along with five one-page (either single or double-sided) handouts:
- Defining the Working Class
- Why We Still Talk About the Working Class
- Snapshot: Unions in the U.S. Today
- Why Unions Matter
- Suggestions for Labor Support
These handouts are valuable on their own and can be used by DSA members independent of a Labor 101 workshop.
View the DSA Labor 101 Curriculum
If your chapter organizes a Labor 101 workshop, make sure to let us know by emailing [email protected] and tagging us on Twitter @DSA_Labor!
Have comments or questions or want help implementing a Labor 101 workshop in your DSA chapter? Contact the DSLC Education Subcommittee members and Labor 101 developers Jane Slaughter at [email protected] or Toni Gilpin at [email protected]
Labor Reading List
For reading material on labor history, both general and specific, see this four-page list with some great suggestions. Labor historian and DSLC Education Subcommittee member Toni Gilpin compiled this list and distributed it at the 2018 Labor Notes conference.
Labor Organizing Zines
The DSA San Francisco Labor Organizing Committee produced these zines to help you start organizing for safety and dignity on the job.
Four zines are included, with different versions of each to print, read, or share on social media. They also include Google Slide files for adding your chapter’s contact info. Please be a comrade and preserve the attribution to DSA-SF and their graphic designers if you make any changes.