LEAP Teach In

Harvard Labor and Employment Action Project hosts a labor teach in in conjunction with the nationwide #LaborSpring! In the wake of the global pandemic, many U.S. working people are organizing for a multiracial participatory democracy in which they have more power on the job and in their communities. Their efforts build, in part, on a newfound public appreciation for labor unions that developed out of a celebration of essential workers and subsequent dismay for their poor working conditions. Public support for unionism is at a historic high – – 71% approve of unions, the highest level since 1965. Today’s labor movement is more diverse than ever – – the majority of union members are women and people of color. A multi-racial group of young people are leading a new wave of organizing at Starbucks, Google, Amazon, and other corporations. In fact, Gen Z is the most pro-union generation alive, and GenZers are more supportive of unions than were Boomers, GenXers or Millennials at the same age.
In Spring 2023, a nationwide series of local teach-ins and events, of which this is one, are lifting up ongoing current campaigns, delve into pivotal historical moments for workers, highlight racial and gender equity in the worker justice movement, and examine the crucial importance of this moment in labor’s history.