Workshop series on democracy defense offered

WA LERC is hosting a set of trainings for union and community organizers focused on noncompliance and defending civil liberties 

SEATTLE, WA (June 12, 2025) — The Washington Labor Education and Research Center is holding a set of free workshops on Noncooperation and Workers’ Defense of Democracy and Civil Liberties, including an evening 2 hour workshop, and a full day train the trainer workshop. Sessions will focus on organized workers’ noncompliance across diverse geographic and historical contexts, as well as tactics and strategies used by workers in the defense of their rights.

Workshops will be led by Arianna Schindle, an educator and organizer whose projects focus on building the capacities of communities and social movements. She currently teaches at the Worker Institute at the Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations under the Worker Rights and Equity Team.

From the event description:

“Over the past century, organized labor has played a central role in defending democratic rights and civil liberties in countries around the globe. Studies of pro-democracy movements against authoritarian regimes find that approximately 83% of movements with national trade union participation succeed, versus only 29% of movements without. During the US Civil Rights movement, several labor unions including the Teamsters, the United Packinghouse Workers of America (UPWA), the United Autoworkers supported campaigns run y the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) by organizing union members to participate in direct-action protests, strikes, boycotts, and other acts of civil disobedience and noncooperation under the banner of “jobs and freedom.”

The Community Organizers’ Workshop, an introduction to noncooperation theory and teachings, will be held Thursday, June 26 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. A Pedagogy Workshop for Educators/Trainers, a train-the-trainer session for educators planning to conduct their own workshops, will take place Friday, June 27 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Organizers with experience in workers’ rights organizations, community organizations, and unions are welcome to apply. Spaces are limited so applicants will be selected with consideration to a balance of fields, sectors, and organizational experience.

For more information and to apply, visit the WA LERC website.