Oregon AFSCME is proud to announce five new graduates of the University of Oregon's Labor Education and Research Center's (LERC) U-LEAD program. They include Diana Alldredge of Local 2831 (Lane County), Mark Gipson, Deb Hussey and Ella Lewis of Local 189 (City of Portland) and Amanda Rasmussen of Local 405 (Corrections Security/Coffee Creek).

LERC offers a core curriculum that enables workers and union members to earn a certificate in union leadership. The U-LEAD program was developed in conjunction with the LERC Labor Advisory Board and offers courses in four areas (clusters) that correspond to critical elements of union leadership as well as a cluster of other related topics. The cluster topics include:

• Contract Negotiations and Administration

• Building the Union Organization

• Individual Leadership Skills

• Framework for Labor-Management Relations

• Other Topics/Electives

Union members need 64 hours of training divided among these areas. The classes are available through LERC's leadership schools, multi-week formats, and in special union training programs and conferences. The overall goal is to enable rank-and-file union leaders to better activate their members, organize new work units, engage members in the political process, communicate well in a variety of settings and plan and carry out innovative strategies that best protect and represent their members.

LERC's U-LEAD leadership schools and other training programs are scheduled so that union leaders throughout the state can achieve a certificate in 2-4 years without having to travel great distances from their homes. More information is available on the U-LEAD page of the LERC website.