'American Working Class History and Culture: The Struggle for Control' will be taught at University of Minnesota-Duluth during the spring semester, starting Jan. 22.

It will be offered on Wednesday evenings from 6 - 9:30 p.m. for 15 weeks. The instructor is Erik Peterson, director of the Northern Minnesota office for the University of Minnesota Labor Education Service.

'I have insisted that the course be taught at night so workers and union members might be able to attend,' said Peterson.

His class uses oral histories, personal experiences, labor history, novels, movies, local history, and music to study working class history and culture.

The course will be offered in two forms - as a non-credit Continuing Education course and as a regular university credit course. Tuition will be reduced by one-half for the non-credit Continuing Education version, or approximately $360 for the full 15-week course. Taking the course for regular university degree credit will cost around $700.

'As part of my efforts to involve workers in the course, I am asking local unions if they are willing to sponsor a student from their local for the course (at the CE rate of about $360),' Peterson said. 'What I will be requiring of sponsored students is a labor history project related to their local union or a brief presentation to their local union about some aspect of the course, either at a local meeting, in the local newsletter or through the Labor World.'

'Last year was a huge success and the class is now being considered as a permanent course offering at UMD,' said Peterson.

To register or get more information, email Peterson at epeters5@d.umn.edu.