Delegates to the 2023 NewsGuild-CWA Sector Conference unanimously passed a resolution accepting an offer from the Nelson family to start a collective bargaining scholarship in Bruce’s memory. His family committed a $10,000 donation, and several locals and district councils have made donations or pledged to do so. Bruce trained hundreds of members, at sector meetings, district meetings and alongside workers at the bargaining table.
Consistent with Bruce’s deeply held belief that collective bargaining is an art or a craft which ideally should be learned through instruction, the scholarship will fund training through the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR), utilizing its labor training programs.
In-person courses in Buffalo, N.Y., run October 7-10, 2025. The online courses begin Sept. 8 and run through December 21, 2025.
The deadlines to apply is September 12, 2025.
Applicants will get a response at least one week after submitting an application. Recipients will be selected by retired TNG Director of Collective Bargaining Melissa Nelson, TNG’s General Counsel Barbara Camens and the three elected members of the NewsGuild-CWA’s Contracts Committee: Jon Schleuss, president; Marian Needham, executive vice president and Andrew Carillo, Region 6 vice president.
The scholarship will be used to subsidize collective bargaining training for NewsGuild-CWA elected officers, paid staff, stewards, bargaining committee members, and other NewsGuild activists in roles that support a local’s bargaining efforts. Training may be provided directly to individuals or, in some cases, may be set up as group training for locals or groups of locals. NewsGuild-CWA Locals can also apply to have an instructor train members and staff in-person at a central location.
Local and national NewsGuild officers and staff can nominate scholarship candidates. Individuals can apply directly with the endorsement of their local union. The participant’s local will be asked to pay the tuition fee and the national union will reimburse the local when the participant completes the course and submits a copy of the ILR training completion certificate. The scholarship grants cover tuition only; locals or individual participants will be responsible for any other related expenses.
Scholarship applications should be submitted at least two weeks prior to the start of the class. Recipients will be selected by retired TNG Director of Collective Bargaining Melissa Nelson, TNG’s General Counsel Barbara Camens and the three elected members of the NewsGuild-CWA’s Contracts Committee: Jon Schleuss, president; Marian Needham, executive vice president and Andrew Carillo, Region 6 vice president.
In-person Labor Leadership Skills Bootcamp (October 7-10)
Online Labor Leadership Skills (September – December)
Steward Training: Problem-Solving in the Workplace
This workshop emphasizes the rights of stewards/committee persons in resolving disputes in the workplace. The right to information, the duty of fair representation, and member’s right to representation will be covered. This one day workshop is part of the four-day Labor Leadership Skills Bootcamp.
Negotiation Skills
This introductory-level workshop is designed to develop the skills of union negotiators who do not have extensive experience in advancing a collective bargaining strategy and in conducting face-to-face negotiations at the bargaining table. This one day workshop is part of the four-day Labor Leadership Skills Bootcamp.
Costing Out a Contract
This is a practical, how-to-workshop to give union negotiators and bargaining committee members the skills they need to prepare for contract negotiations, including illustrating how to calculate the projected costs of an agreement. This one day workshop is part of the four-day Labor Leadership Skills Bootcamp.
Effective Communication
For anyone who wants to improve oral presentation skills in a supportive environment. Overcome reluctance to speak in public, gain tools to organize your thoughts for a more effective/powerful presentation. This one day workshop is part of the four-day Labor Leadership Skills Bootcamp.
For more information, contact Jon Schleuss at jschleuss@cwa-union.org