Labor College Staff Warned of Possible Layoffs

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)While National Labor College (NLC) staff was officially warned Monday of “possible layoffs” in the next 60 days, NLC spokesperson Lara Manzione told Union City that “We’re working very hard to finalize a new partnership to fill the financial hole created last Fall when our partnership with Princeton Review dissolved.” Manzione added that “We hope to be able to rescind the layoff notices and focus on the College’s mission to make higher education available to workers.” As rumors of the College’s possible fate flew on Monday, longtime NLC Trustee Robert Bruno flatly said that “there has been no decision made to close the Labor College,” explaining in an email to the United Association for Labor Education listserve that “things have been taking longer than expected to seal a deal.” The College provided the notice of possible layoffs to honor collective bargaining agreements it has with workers who are represented by the Newspaper Guild 32035, OPEIU Local 2, IUOE 99, IATSE 22, and Painters District Council 51. While the College’s cafeteria workers are members of UNITE HERE 23, their contract is with Aramark, so they were not affected by the notice. The National Labor College, which has its campus in Silver Spring, MD, is the nation's only accredited higher education institution devoted exclusively to educating union members, leaders and staff. The College first began as a labor studies center founded by AFL-CIO President George Meany in 1969, expanding programs and facilities over the ensuing years.