Bob Bruno
Associate Professor, Institute of Labor & Industrial Relations
Co-Director, Labor Education Program (Chicago)
In Brief
- Ph.D. in Political Theory, New York University , 1994
- Dissertation "Class Relations, Culture, and the Formation of Consciousness: Steelworkers in the Post WWII Era"
- Labor Studies Certificate, Cornell University, 1994
- Master of Arts in Political Science, Bowling Green State University, 1980
- Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Ohio University, 1977
- Formerly a U.S. History high school teacher, guidance counselor, and site Director for the UAW/General Motors Educational Project at Union County College
On Labor Education Program students
"My students are all adults in the workforce, so the issues we address in the classroom are immediately relevant to their working lives. They demonstrate a keen interest in putting their learning into practice."
On believing
"I became a professor because I believe that it is the best way for me to act on behalf of working-class men and women. ILIR has a long standing and significant commitment to labor studies and the institutions that support collective bargaining."
- Research Interests
- Union political action
- Union strategic campaigns
- The role of the Union steward
- Union governance
- Quality of worklife issues
- Working class culture and class/workplace conciousness
- Media coverage of unions
Bruno’s research focuses broadly on working-class and union studies issues. He is the author of two books, Reforming the Chicago Teamsters: The Local 705 Story and Steelworker Alley: How Class Works in Youngstown. He has also published articles in such journals at Workplace Democracy, Labor Studies Journal, Labor History, Advances in Industrial and Labor Relations, Working USA, and the Journal of Labor Research. Bruno is the co-author and presenter of a labor play, Illinois Labor Works and is a recipient of an Illinois Humanities Council grant. He has taught numerous industrial relation courses to trade union members working in public, private, and professional occupations. Bruno hosts a cable show called Illinois Labor Works on a Chicago Public Access channel. He is a frequent commentator on labor relations for both regional and national media, including the popular Chicago Tonight television program as well as Nightly Business Report and CNBC Business Today. He is a member of the University Association of Labor Educators, Director of the Chicago Chapter of Labor and Employment Relations Association (LERA), and is Co-Chair of the Chicago Center for Working Class Studies.
Courses Taught
- Labor and Politics
- Labor History
- Labor and the American Cinnema
- Introduction and Advanced Steward Training
- Collective Bargaining
- The Culture of the Workplace
- Gender, Identity and Work
Professor Bruno's curriculum vitae is available online.
See Professor Bruno's areas of expertise.
To reach Professor Bruno:
Chicago Labor Education Program, Rice Building,
Suite 110, 815 W. Van Buren, Chicago, IL 60607
(312)996-2623; (312)413-2997 fax
email: bbruno@uiuc.edu