ILRGL 4885

In The Shadow of the Tower: Building A Dynamic Local Union At Cornell

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2025-2026 Catalog.

Against great odds, 1,000 low-paid custodians, cooks, bus drivers, animal attendants, and groundskeepers succeeded in organizing a local union at Cornell. This course examines the experience of building a dynamic local union by using the creation and development of Local 2300 UAW at Cornell University as a case study. The history is shared from the grassroots perspective of the service and maintenance staff, and rank and file leadership who organized, bargained, went on strike, and built powerful community coalitions. Students will explore and discuss the primary stages of local union development. We will examine the dilemmas and strategic choices facing worker activists as they progress from unorganized powerlessness and poverty to having collective agency and impact. Additional case studies of innovative union organizing and bargaining campaigns will be introduced for purposes of comparison with aspects of the Cornell UAW history.

Distribution Requirements (ICE-IL)

Exploratory Studies (CU-CEL)

Last 4 terms offered (None)

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