Union U
Education Minnesota recognizes that quality, union-sponsored training is critical to help you become more effective as a union member and leader. That’s why we offer a wide variety of leadership training and resources designed to enhance and strengthen your skills.
Courses are taught by union members and staff who have been specially trained to meet your training needs.
Local leaders
Log in to our Member Portal to view resources for local presidents, treasurers, membership contacts, secretaries and much more!
Core trainings
Become an advocate for members and help strengthen your local union by attending one of our core trainings, open to active Education Minnesota members only.
Our core trainings focus on building strong, effective locals. The trainings, developed in cooperation with local and intermediate organization (IO) leaders, give local leaders and members information and skills in four important areas:
- Member rights
- Negotiations
- Local organizing
- Peer review
- Health insurance basics
Course descriptions
Peer Review: Strategy for Success
Using a “train-the-trainer” approach, this course allows teams of at least two members to enable their locals to develop their own programs for teacher observation and feedback. These peer review programs can be adapted to locally designed teacher development and evaluations plans being implemented across the state.
Certified Negotiator Program (CNP) Parts I and II
This training will help you and your local negotiating team acquire the knowledge and skills to lead your local to settlement. There are two versions: one tailored to education support professionals and one tailored to teachers. Certified negotiators are an asset to every local as we seek to bargain in these challenging times. Each part of the Certified Negotiator Program is five hours. Participants should complete both parts.
Member Rights Advocacy (MRA) Parts I, II and III
One of the indicators of a strong local is a diverse team of knowledgeable, well-trained elected and appointed leaders. That includes Member Rights Advocates, who deal directly with members to address their concerns, resolve their problems and enforce our contracts.
- MRA I: This session explores the fundamentals of advocacy, valuing member concerns and managing conflict. The Advocacy Model is introduced (five hours).
- MRA II: This session covers investigating an issue, informal problem-solving techniques and organizing as alternatives to more formal avenues such as grievances or legal proceedings (five hours).
- MRA III: This session provides in-depth training on grievance processing, representing members in disciplinary meetings and issue organizing (five hours).
Local and Community Action Teams (LCAT) Parts I and II
The LCAT program helps locals with internal organizing and community engagement campaigns. The goal is to build positive, sustainable relationships among educators and those who live and work in their communities. Locals do this by creating teams that include local leadership, negotiators, members of settlement committees, and those with an interest in organizing in their schools and communities. Training sessions are offered to give teachers and ESPs foundational skills to help their local union build power and reach their goals.
Participating local teams should consist of one member of the bargaining team, one member of the local’s leadership group and two additional members who will become part of the local’s Contract Action Team. The complete 10-hour training can be done on a Friday night and Saturday.
The maximum number of participating local teams is six.
Health Insurance Basics and Beyond
Education Minnesota has developed this training as a response to the complicated topic of insurance. With rising costs and new laws in place, our members need to have a better understanding of insurance in general and how it works. Participants will gain knowledge around the various components and terminology of insurance, the laws that deal with insurance and the skills necessary to make comparisons between insurance plans, as well as how to utilize a district insurance committee to its maximum potential. Topics covered in this training include group insurance, legal rights and responsibilities, side-by-side comparisons and an effective insurance committee.
Summer Leadership Seminar
Deepen or enhance your union leadership skills at Education Minnesota’s Summer Leadership Seminar. This new event is held every other year at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota.
Summer Leadership Seminar is different from our Summer Seminar of years past, with an emphasis on relationship building and shared experiences in a cohort structure. Come as an individual — or as a team.
Participants will choose one leadership pathway for the duration of the conference. Each pathway will dive deeply into a focused content area and provide members with the opportunity to learn from and connect with fellow union members.
