The Sojourner Labour Education Lab (SLEL) is an interdisciplinary initative that provides curated coaching, advisory services, alternative dispute resolution, resources, tools, communication strategies, learning and development offerings to union members, elected union leaders, union stewards, union staff and labour leaders.
The SLEL initiative is a response to calls for action from union staff, senior staff, and elected leaders seeking progressive, publicly available labour education resources, advisory services and offerings to fill existing support, resource, learning and development gaps.
SLEL’s interactive and tailored educational offerings include micro-courses, train-the-trainer sessions, advocacy toolkits, learning simulations, digital guides, learning journals, personalized action plans, self-reflection exercises, case scenarios, tools, one-on-one advisory, resources, templates, and activities.
SLEL integrates intersectional, trauma-aware, anti-racism and anti-oppression approaches.
SLE’s advisory services and content are developed using an interdisciplinary approach, which includes evidence-based research from labour studies, sociology, people and culture (human resources), law, anti-racism, case law and socio-legal theories.
SLEL was founded by Tomee E. Sojourner-Campbell, M.A., as part of her commitment to work with unions, including their staff and members, to integrate social justice, and intersectional workers’ rights practices into their day-to-day organizational structure and operations.
Union Steward Development Coaching
The SLEL’s Union Steward Development coaching supports stewards in deepening their knowledge of interpersonal communication, strengthening their analytical and decision-making skills, and developing insights into diverse social identities to deliver culturally responsive services to members.
Coaching sessions are tailored to the steward’s individual goals.
SLEL’s Union Steward Development Coaching uses an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on fields such as labour studies, psychology, communication across social identities, equity, occupational health and safety, workers’ rights, and resilience training.
SLEL’s Elected Union Leadership Coaching
SLEL’s Elected Union Leadership Coaching offers curated tools, leadership assessments, and resources to support elected union leaders in strengthening their decision-making skills when working through policy and governance-related matters, and strengthening their interpersonal communication skills to deliver culturally responsive leadership to members, allies, and the broader labour movement.
Coaching sessions are curated to support elected union leaders in setting and achieving their goals.
Educational Offerings
What’s Next?: Lessons Learned and Recommendations from Anti-Racism Professional Development Sessions (Union Staff and Senior Leaders Edition)
Lawyering Using an Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression Lens- An Introduction (Labour-side Lawyers Edition)
SLEL Public Awareness
Social Media Campaigns
In this social media post, Sojourner Labour Education Lab is raising awareness about the interconnections between intersectional solidarity, collective action, workers’ rights, and building sustainable unions for all workers, including workers from Black, Indigenous, Racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, and Historically Marginalized communities.
#collectiveaction #acrosssocialidentities #nothingforuswithoutus
#representation #equity #antiracism #antioppression #labour #movement #unionstrong #workersrights #healthandsafety #collectivebargaining