UMass. Labor Extension Program

"The Boss Can't Do That, Can He?"

A Workers Rights Curriculum

 

What's new:

We are in the process of updating the whole curriculum, in response to the publication of a new revised version of the book upon which the curriculum is based (Your Rights on the Job, 5th edition, by Robert Schwartz, available from The Labor Guild of Boston).

Revised versions of the curriculum will be posted on a new page as they become ready.

As of April 24, 2009, the following have been revised and posted, in English only:

  • The "General Pages": Cover, Table of Contents, Authors & Acknowledgements page, and Facilitator's Introduction.
  • Modules 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6
  • "In Brief" (formerly "Nutshells") sections for all modules.
Workers Rights Trainingof Trainers
Michelle Plaisimond from Cambridge Eviction Free Zone tries out an exercise from the module on Overtime.

"The Boss Can't Do That, Can He" is a 10-module curriculum for teaching Workers Rights, based on Massachusetts law.

The facilitator's notes, the flipcharts and the handouts for the modules are posted below and may be downloaded. Many of the modules have been revised since the initial version. Revisions are noted. Updated modules and materia ls will be posted as they are developed.

Pages to download

Materials in Spanish

Most of the participants materials (i.e., handouts and participants outlines) for this curriculum are now available in Spanish. The rest will be posted when it becomes ready.

For Spanish materials , click here.

 

Workers Rights for ESOL students

The Workers Rights Curriculum assumes some literacy in English. We encourage ESOL and ABE teachers to adapt our materials as necessary for use with limited English proficiency learners. We would also appreciate getting copies of materials that have been adapted for ESOL or ABE use, so that we can publish them here on this website.

For an ESOL curriculum that was adapted from our Health and Safety module, click here.

(Thank you to Jenny Utech, from Mass. Worker Education Roundtable, who developed this curriculum).

Please Send us Your Feedback

If you have used the Workers Rights Curriculum, or any part of it, with your organization, please take a moment to complete our feedback form, so that we can continue to improve our materials.


Contents
Facilitator's Introduction
MODULE 1: Introduction to Workers Basic Legal Protections on the Job – 75 - 90 minutes
MODULE 2: Beginning Employment: Your Pay and Your Paycheck – 90 minutes
MODULE 3: Rights of Workers Under Eighteen – 45 minutes
MODULE 4: Overtime – 60 minutes
MODULE 5: Protection from Discrimination – 90 minutes
MODULE 6: Health and Safety Protection and Workers' Compensation – 90 minutes
MODULE 7: Family and Medical Leave – 45 minutes
MODULE 8: Unemployment Insurance – 45 minutes
MODULE 9: Unions and the Right to Organize – 120 minutes
MODULE 10: Temporary and Day Laborers – 130-145 minutes

Appendices:

• Feedback form
• Warm-up for multi-module session
• Government agencies
• Partial list of advocacy organizations
• Chart: Legal Rights of Undocumented Workers
• Safe and unsafe agencies for immigrant workers
• Pictures of workplace situations
• "In a Nutshell" sections from Schwartz, Your Rights on the Job (all chapters)

.

Appendices

.

Back to Top

.

.

.

Materials in Spanish

.

We plan to make all the participants' materials (i.e., the Participants' Outlines, Flipcharts and the Handouts) available in Spanish soon. At this time, we do not plan to translate the materials that are seen only by the facilitator.

.

We will post the Spanish versions as they become available, so keep checking back here.

Módulo 1: Introducción a los Derechos Básicos del Trabajador en el Sitio de Trabajo

.

 

.

Módulo 2: Empezando el Empleo: Tu Paga y Tu Cheque

Módulo 3: Derechos de Trabajadores Menores de Edad

 

Módulo 4: Horas Extras (revised 10/4/06)

 

Módulo 5: Protección contra la Discriminación

 

 

 

Módulo 6: Protecciones de la salud y seguridad y compensaciones para los trabajadores   (new 11/15/05)        

 

 

 

Módulo 7: Ley de Licencia Médica o por Asuntos Familiares (FMLA) (new 11/15/05)

 

 

 

Módulo 8: Seguro de desempleo (new 11/15/05)

 

 

Appendices

.

.

.

.

Back to Top