Ruth Needleman
Professor of Labor Studies

Ruth Needleman is professor of labor studies at IU, soon to be retired “emeritus” and soon to be professor of working-class studies at Calumet College of St. Joseph. She has been doing worker education and training for 30 years in the Calumet Region. She has taught grievance handling, contract interpretation, organizing, leadership development, arbitration, labor history, labor & the eocnomy, globalization, labor law and FMLA, among other topics. She has a great book on Black Freedom Fighters in Steel: the Struggle for Democratic Unionism, about the building of the USW in the Calumet region. She has published many articles on worker education, race, class and gender, labor history and leadership development. She is an associate USW member, the founder and spirit of Swingshift College, and a dedicated fighter for workers’ rights. She has won every teaching award offered at IU, as well as awards for service from IU, NAACP, APRI, and the Women’s History Museum, and, in addition, awards for her research. She has a passion for teaching and learning, and instills that passion and commitment in everyone who takes her classes! She is a strong union advocate and a commited activist for social justice.