Labor

Francis Perkins would not agree to become FDR's secretary of labor until he met nine bold demands.  

The nation's largest private employer just raised its wages. This short activity has students consider the significance of Walmart's move and what motivated it.  

Labor Day isn't just a holiday, it's a teachable moment. In this lesson, students learn about the history of Labor Day and some of the labor movement’s past accomplishments, then consider unions' current challenges and the growing "alt-labor" movement.

Two student readings give an overview of conditions facing U.S. farmworkers, past efforts at farmworker organizing, and the current successes of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. Questions for discussion follow each reading.

Eleanor Bader shares a lesson that helped her students connect immigrant history to today's activism.  

Students learn about the demographics and experiences of fast food workers and their efforts to raise wages through strikes over the past year, and consider what consequences major wage increases might have on consumers and economy. 

A wave of protests by Walmart workers highlights the low wages and anti-union climate facing workers at Walmart - and many other companies. In two readings, students explore the debate over Walmart’s business model and labor practices and find out about recent protests at Walmart stores across the...

See our three recent classroom lessons aimed at helping students grapple with both the personal and political sides of high-stakes testing:

A one-day strike by fast food workers in New York City is a teachable moment for students on the fast food industry and worker organizing. This lesson includes a brainstorm, small-group readings and discussion, and an opinion continuum activity to get students thinking about these issues.

Students learn about what unions and strikes are, then read and discuss different perspectives on the 7-day strike by Chicago Teachers Union strike, which ended on September 19, 2012.