Students from five area high schools will participate in a workshop at DePaul University to gain a better understanding of how labor unions work and what it takes to effectively represent workers under the union umbrella. The seminar, sponsored by DePaul’s Labor Education Center, will be held at 9 a.m., April 26, at 243 S. Wabash Ave., 9th Floor.

More than 16 million employees in the United States were represented by labor unions in 2001, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Their occupations spanned the gamut, from teachers, technicians, bus drivers, law enforcement officers and firefighters to construction, manufacturing, retail, restaurant and government employees. At a time when the economy and technology dictate changes in current jobs and the creation of new occupations, the workshop will give students perspective on the role of organized labor.

“As our economy becomes more global, it is increasingly important for young people to understand the role labor plays in society,” said Emily Rosenberg, who directs the labor education center. “We hope that by exposing high school students to what unions are and how they work we may inspire future leaders who can effectively communicate and negotiate the needs of an organized labor force.”

More than 100 students representing Chicago Public Schools that include Lane Technical, Chicago Vocational School and Whitney Young, and suburban schools, including Addison Trail, Lockport and Stagg, will participate in the workshop. While at DePaul, they will separate into teams and assume either the union or management position in a collective bargaining exercise that will highlight a healthcare scenario. An experienced union negotiator will coach each team, and the students will actually negotiate a collective bargaining contract and decide whether their members should settle or strike.

Following the hands-on exercise at DePaul, the students will meet again at 9:15 a.m. on May 3 to visit one of Chicago’s most famous union sites— the Pullman neighborhood. Author and labor historian Bill Adelman will discuss the famous Pullman strike of 1894 and lead students on a walking tour of the “model city” of Pullman. Students will visit other historical locations, such as the Florence Hotel, the houses of the Pullman workers and supervisors, and the Pullman Church.

The Labor Education Center was established in the late 1940s to train Chicago area union leaders. In 1993, it moved to DePaul’s School for New Learning, where it currently offers a range of courses, activities and scholarships to individuals engaged in the representation of union members.

The center offers a three-year labor leadership course that teaches such skills as writing, public speaking, labor law, parliamentary procedure, collective bargaining, arbitration and union organizing. The program also offers a series of seminars and eight-week classes that cover areas such as computer skills, health, safety and tours of historical labor sites such as Pullman.