The Michael J. Lawrence Labor In The Schools (MJLLITS) Program grew out of the South Bend Area Labor Education Committee Outreach Demonstration Project. It is an attempt to reach students at various stages of the learning process. It provides speakers for the classroom teacher versed in: the history of workers and their organizations, the centuries long struggle for justice by all working people, the reasons for the existence of labor organizations and the necessity for continued legislative protection of workplace rights for all. The Division of Labor Studies at Indiana University South Bend provides support for the program, it is funded entirely by donations from organizations and individuals interested in getting this message into the classroom.

Mr. Michael Lawrence was the first person to function as coordinator of the program. Mike brought a lifetime of experience in the labor movement to the job, as well as a vision for the future for students and student/workers. Himself a child of the Great Depression, Mike was concerned that this generation of students did not know they had rights on the job, why the had them, and why laws protecting them on the job were necessary. He quickly developed the data base needed to communicate with teachers and the all important funders of the program. Mike then set about establishing the Speaker's Bureau, and beginning the process of interesting teachers in the program. He did his work well. Before retiring in late 1994, Mike had completed the intital tasks, and was welcome in schools, public and private, all over the northern part of Indiana.

The (MJLLITS) Program is still going strong under the leadership of Rosemarie Bradford. In cooperation with members of the Speaker's Bureau we have been invited to several area high schools this academic year. These schools and the classrooms visted range from country schools in Marshall County, Indiana to schools in larger communities like Mishawaka High Schools and Michigan City High School. The program provides a collective bargaining scenario every year to an economics class in Jimtown High School in Elkhart County, which spends 16 weeks teaching seniors the importance of thorough research and creative negotiations to acheive a desired end for all concerned. The service area of the program has recently expanded, and work is being done in new school districts to insure students in those districts will have an opportunity to here our speakers and interact with them in their classrooms. The South Bend Area Labor Education Advisory Committee has been renamed Michiana Area Education Advisory Committee (MALEAC), and two new committees established to reflect this geographic growth in responsibility by the South Bend office of the Division of Labor Studies. The (MJLLITS) Program has worked to keep pace with developments.

The (MJLLITS) Program at IUSB can be a model for those wishing to start a similar program in their local area. We feel the program is vital for students, and for the future of the labor movement. Many students and student/workers do not know why laws exist to prevent exploitation of child labor. These laws are under attack today, and the attack is well financed and being pushed in many areas of the country. The program is an excellent vehicle for delivering the truth about these laws, and many other things things vital to the freedom on the job of all working people.

For contact info.

Mail to: Rosemarie Bradford Acting Coordinator, Labor in the Schools Program
Phone: 574-520-4213