School for Workers is the original university-based labor education program in the United States. Starting in 1925 as one of the first operational components of the Wisconsin Idea, the school has a long tradition of evolving alongside the current needs of working people, labor organizations, and community partners. Today, the tradition continues, as School for Workers carries our mission forward throughout Wisconsin and beyond.
Registration is now open!
2024 spring institutes
The School for Workers spring 2024 institutes have something for everyone, with residential and online learning opportunities. Each institute is a high-quality, noncredit course taught by university faculty. View all of our upcoming classes here.
Labor Forward
March 20, 2024 @ noon
Recently, two local Starbucks stores filed for union elections, joining 19 other stores across the country in the largest one-day filing in the company’s history. The workers have an uphill battle, with Starbucks and its attorneys facing over 700 unfair labor practice charges. Professor Michael Childers will speak with local Madison Starbucks worker and Workers United rep to highlight their important work, celebrate their progress, and learn from their unique experiences.
The forum is free. Pre-registration is required to receive the webinar link.
On-demand institutes
Registration is always open!
On-demand institutes are comprehensive, non-credit courses developed by university faculty at the affordable tuition rate of $99 per course. The course is divided into units with various readings, short videos, and supportive documents to explore a set topic. Participants can access the course 24/7, for up to six months after registration, to explore and complete the course material.
Courses now available:
- 20th Century Labor History
- Essentials for Union Stewards
- Fundamentals of the Family Medical Leave Act
School for Workers news
Our news
Registration is extended for Building Strength and Involvement institute
Register now Do you wish you had more members actively involved in the work of the union? Membership involvement is the key to union strength, whether in contract negotiations or in solving workplace issues and …
March 11, 2024Announcing special event Humanities NOW: Public Universities, Legislatures, and Academic Freedom
Wednesday, April 10, 2024 @ 5:30 p.m. | Elvehjem Building, Room L140 | Free and open to all
February 28, 2024Black History Month | Remembering Hilton Hanna
Hilton E. Hanna arrived in Madison in 1934 and over the next several decades, he became a key figure in the city’s civil rights and labor movements.
February 23, 2024- More School for Workers news
In the news
Trapped on Wisconsin farms: The hidden plight of trafficked workers
More than 10,000 undocumented immigrant workers perform an estimated 70% of the labor on Wisconsin dairy farms, according to an April 2023 survey by the School for Workers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Despite increasingly …
March 14, 2024Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin workers vote to unionize
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin Workers voted to unionize on Feb. 8, according to the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Healthcare Professionals website. “When healthcare professionals are organizing, what they’re doing is creating a democratic structure within …
February 28, 2024- More articles and interviews
National Labor College Legacy Institute
School for Workers is proud to be recognized as a National Labor College (NLC) Legacy Institute. As a Legacy Institute, the Board of Trustees of NLC recommends School for Workers to all members of the labor movement as an institute where they can access high-quality labor education offerings.