UALE 2027 Conference: Call for Proposals
June 1-4, 2027
Toronto, Ontario
New date and location!
“Solidarity, Solidaridad, Solidarité!”
The United Association for Labor Education is an organization of labor educators which promises progress, growth, and hope for the labor movement. Together we work to promote education as an essential tool in the process of union transformation, to make labor education accessible to all working people, to develop new leadership, and to strengthen the field of labor education in order to meet the ever-changing needs of unions and workers. UALE welcomes your proposals for our 2027 conference, which will be held at the University of Toronto Conference Center from June 1-4, 2027.
Building the Labor Movement Through Education & Solidarity
Pursuing justice for the working class–including economic, racial, social, environmental and reproductive justice –remains central to the work of labor educators, unions, and worker organizations. Across the globe, workers and their organizations are navigating a rapidly changing political, economic, and social landscape. Growing inequality, precarious employment, technological change, political polarization, and challenges to labor rights and democratic institutions present significant obstacles to advancing worker interests. In response to these challenges, workers and their organizations are mounting new movements, building alliances, experimenting with creative organizing strategies, and finding innovative ways to exercise collective power. These efforts offer important lessons about both the possibilities and challenges of advancing worker rights and social justice. Resisting predatory capitalism and capitalist aggression, battling bigotry in our communities and our workplaces, contingent labor systems, automation, addressing structural inequality, and fighting strident political opposition, workers have cultivated new movements and avenues for mobilizing to challenge and often emerge victorious against these powerful forces.
Join us in Toronto to exchange ideas, share research and innovative teaching practices, and reflect on organizing experiences from the frontlines of these struggles. We encourage
proposals from union and worker center educators; worker activists; and academics including faculty, staff, graduate students, and adjunct faculty. We especially encourage submissions from people of marginalized genders; Black, Indigenous, and People of Color; 2SLGBTQIA+ people; people with disabilities.
Proposals
All accepted concurrent sessions last 120 minutes, regardless of the format. We welcome proposals that include:
- Paper panel (~3 people);
Paper sessions can include research papers, case studies, or other kinds of reports related to labor education and research. These sessions offer presentations from authors who have written about a generally related topic. Each author will have equal time to present their work, after which the session chair will lead a discussion. Proposers should attempt to submit a full panel proposal.
- Curriculum demonstration or teaching techniques workshop;
Curriculum demonstration sessions engage participants in an interactive manner that facilitates group participation in some form, and utilizes labor education techniques. Proposals which include popular education components are especially encouraged. The curriculum demonstration is usually followed by a discussion of the techniques which were demonstrated, and the ways in which labor educators might use them in real-world situations.
- Roundtable discussions (up to 6 people);
Roundtable discussions include multiple presenters who share their work on a similar topic. Each panelist will have equal time to present their work, followed by a Q&A/discussion session. Panel discussions emphasize discussion among presenters and the audience, rather than the contents of a specific research project. Proposers of roundtable discussions should propose a session moderator in the proposal.
- Performance art;
Performance art sessions showcase labor education or research through art. Format is relatively open.
- Film showing (with discussion).
Film screenings include the screening of a film, in its entirety or in portions, concerning an issue of labor or other organizing. Film showing sessions should also include time for an audience discussion of the work. If approved, your film may be screened with other films in the same session.
All proposed sessions must designate a chair or moderator separate from the panelists or participants.
While we will consider individual paper submissions, we strongly encourage you to organize and submit an entire proposed panel rather than a single paper. To assist in finding additional panelists or facilitators, we recommend submitting a query to the UALE listserv (uale@groups.io, sign up at https://groups.io/g/uale/join) or indicating in your submission that you would be open to connecting with a co-facilitator.
Submissions should ideally be submitted via this google form. Please include your preferred format, the language (English, French, or Spanish), your name, your institution (if applicable), your contact email address and phone number, and the names and affiliations of all panel members or co-presenters. If you would like to be considered for the popular education track, you should indicate that in the submission as well. If you are unable to use the google form linked above, you may email the information in .pdf or .doc format to ualeconference2027@gmail.com.
Submissions will be accepted starting November 4, 2026. We will stop accepting applications on January 22, 2027 and plan to announce acceptance by mid-February.
If you have any questions, please email ualeconference2027@gmail.com.