By Anir Senyah
The New Citizens Press
Left: (left to right) Gayle Hamilton, an instructor at Wayne State University in the Labor Studies Center. Nathaniel Greene and Dominique Henderson are both union members from Detroit.
E. LANSING, MI — The University of Michigan Labor Studies Center held the "2005 Michigan-Midwest Summer School For Women Workers" labor school from July 28-31,2005 at Michigan State University’s Kellogg Center.
Almost 200 people registered for the school from places as far away as Washington, D.C., Miami, FL and Seattle, WA. There were about 30 males in attendance.
The "Michigan Midwest Summer School For Women Workers" labor school prides itself on enhancing the skills of women trade unionists and encouraging all people, including men to take a more active role in their union.
The Institute offers a very rare opportunity for union women to meet and share experiences with others from a variety of unions.
Autumn Dailey, is a recent graduate from the University of Michigan, she works for SEMCOSH (Southeast Michigan Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health). The primary focus is to ensure that workers have access to health and safety resources; which include workshops and technical assistance.
She is an administrative assistant to Lula Odom, who is the HAZMAT (Hazardous Materials) Program Director.
When Autumn graduated she did not know a lot about the union. She recalled that her mother Donnell Dailey and her great aunt Frances Cleaves worked for General Motors in Flint and belonged to the United Auto Workers union.
Autumn said, "I could not forget to mention my great aunt she worked tirelessly in Flint in her union and I still remember her dedication today."
Union women have met at the Michigan Summer School to learn, dream, empower and activate. For women who have worked tirelessly for the union and motivated others to become involved. They also shared stories of women who put themselves on the front line of the union struggle.
In 1985, the planning committee decided to honor women who are a living symbol of sisterhood and solidarity with the "Bread and Roses Award". The Bread and Roses award was inspired by the New England textile strikes of 1912. Many of the workers in the textile mills were women and children.
The story goes that one of the women strikers was carrying a picket sign that read (we want) "bread and roses" – food for our families as well as a loaf of bread and beautiful long stemmed roses.
The 2005 honoree was United States Senator Debbie Stabenow, who is a Democratic Senator from Michigan. She was the first woman from Michigan elected to the U.S. Senate, and along with Washington’s Maria Cantwell the first woman to defeat an incumbent senator.
In keeping with their tradition to honor a woman of courage and dedication who is endowed with strength and ability; Loretta Lovejoy, was honored with the She-Ro award.
In 1987, Karen Lovejoy Roe was the coordinator of the "Michigan-Midwest Summer School for Women Workers". Loretta Lovejoy, her mother, came to the summer school to assist her daughter with Karen’s first son Richard who she was breastfeeding.
Loretta Lovejoy, at 73 years old, has been a member of UAW 898 at the Ford Rawsonville plant in Ypsilanti. She has been working there for 43 years and continues to work there today.
Since Loretta’s her first experience in 1987, she has been going to every conference and union event that she can. There is a consensus that if anything needed to be done that Loretta can be counted on.
Karen said, "If something needs to be changed to be better and that one person can make a difference…my mother would be the first person to reach out her hand to help anyone regardless of race, color or economic status."
The 2005 Michigan Summer School for Women Workers Fundraising Committee raised about $2,000 to those who may need assistance with the cost of the summer school.
The Coordinator of the event was Maurice "Skip" Turner from the University of Michigan Labor Studies Center.
In an effort to make the summer school program run efficiently, the co-coordinators that were chosen to assist were Willie Paulsen from Michigan State University’s Clerical Technical Union and Pat Fowler from UAW Local 1248.
Since 1957 the Labor Studies Center (LSC), a component of the University of Michigan’s Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations (UM ILIR), has developed educational offerings to address the issues arising between management and labor. They offer a number of non-credit conferences that promote the participation of women and minorities in leadership roles, both in the workplace and in their communities; leadership, stewardship, and educational workshops; and programs on workers’ culture, both through workshop offerings and skits, readings, etc., by a rank-and-file performing theater troupe. The Labor Studies Center is staffed with experienced labor educators who are dedicated to adult education that empowers workers and allows them to keep pace with today’s global economy and the changing roles of unions and their members.
What sets the University of Michigan’s Labor Studies Center apart is their emphasis on training peer educators in their women and minorities’ conferences. Utilizing this process, past participants may choose to advance from participant, to instructor-in-training, to instructor, and possibly to co-coordinator of a conference. Many of our attendees have gone on to run successfully for local office, both in union and public positions, while some have advanced to positions at the national and international levels of their respective unions.
There were many workshops held during the four week conference including on entitled "Youth and Union" for 8-12 year olds and one for 13 – 18 year olds. Other workshops held were: "Basic Union Skills", "Labor Law and Contract Interpretation", "The Dynamics of Conflict: Dealing with Difficult People" and "Female and Male Relationships".
Special speaker, Amanda L. Good, Chief Executive Officer of Alternative for Girls, spoke about their Prevention Program that serves girls in southwest Detroit ages 5-18 who are at risk of dropping out of school, abusing drugs and alcohol, becoming pregnant at an early age, engaging in gang activities, and/or becoming involved in an abusive relationship.
Their Crisis Shelter/Transition To Independent Living (TIL) Program serves homeless girls and young women ages 16-20 who are not being served by the foster care or judicial systems. For most young women, the program begins with short-term shelter and counseling at their 12-bed facility. During the 30-45 day shelter stay, and continuing for 12-18 months, trained staff assist the young women through an intense and structured program. Individual guidance and group programs are offered to help clients develop independent living skills, obtain and maintain employment, re-enter school and, when appropriate, enhance parenting skills. AFG has the only long-term independent living program exclusively for teenage girls in the city of Detroit.
Nathaniel Greene, who is a union member from Detroit said, "I really enjoyed the summer school workshops, we need to support women in the workplace."
For more information about the Summer School or any other events such as the 2006 Black Men in Unions Institute or the 2006 Latina/o Workers Leadership Institute, please contact The University of Michigan Labor Studies Center at 734-764-0492 or e-mail them at LSC.info@umich.edu. For internet information log on to www.ilir.umich.edu/lsc.
