Spring 2027 Evening Union Skills Course: Labor History of the Pacific Northwest

Description

In this course we’ll dive into the labor history of the Pacific Northwest and learn how it’s shaped the region today. We’ll learn about the struggles of indigenous and immigrant workers as the capitalist economy took hold in the 1800s, track the explosive rise of the labor and political movements that rocked the region, and follow the evolution of the modern labor institutions and legal regimes to the current day. Throughout the class, we’ll pay particular attention to the global nature of the economy, and how that economy is organized along lines of race and gender. The sessions are organized chronologically and provide a comprehensive account of the political and economic history of labor in our region.

This 6-week class, designed for working people, will feature interactive lectures and activities, light readings and videos, and spirited in-class discussions. Join us to study this important history and learn lessons for the future of the movement!

This class is offered as a partnership by the WA Labor Education and Research Center and the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies at the University of Washington.

Sessions will occur once a week in the evening on Tuesdays from 6pm to 8pm, in-person at Georgetown campus of South Seattle College and online via Zoom. We encourage folks to register with their fellow union members!

• Session 1: The Colonial Origins of Racial Capitalism in the Pacific Northwest (1865-1900), Tuesday, April 20, 6-8pm
• Session 2: The Rise and Fall of Labor: From the IWW to the Seattle General Strike (1900-1930), Tuesday, April 27, 6-8pm
• Session 3: How Rank and File Workers Rewrote the Rules of the Workplace (1930-1950), Tuesday, May 4, 6-8pm
• Session 4: “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late:” Worker Power in the Midcentury Pacific Northwest  (1950-1977), Tuesday, May 11, 6-8pm
• Session 5: Unidas in the Fields: Farm Worker Organizing in Washington State, Tuesday, May 18, 6-8pm
• Session 6: “This is How We Do It:” A New Labor Movement at the Turn of the Millenium, Tuesday, May 25, 6-8pm

Registration costs $30 for all six classes.

Dinner will be provided for in-person attendees at South Seattle College Georgetown Campus.