Detroit--Michael Leslie, labor specialist, has joined Wayne State University's College of Urban, Labor and Metropolitan Affairs' (CULMA) Labor Studies Center. In his new role, he will administer the labor school program and teach a variety of courses in the Center.

Hal Stack, director of the Labor Studies Center, announced the appointment following an extensive search to locate a candidate with the appropriate combination of skills.

"Michael will be directing the Labor School, the Center's two-year certificate program, which prepares workers for leadership roles in their unions and their communities in an environment of cooperative learning at the university. As a former union officer and community activist, Michael brings a wealth of experience to the Center and his role directing the Labor School. He will be working to increase our outreach efforts, build our alumni organization and increase the number of Labor School graduates who continue their education at WSU," said Stack.

Leslie acquired significant administrative experience during a five-year term as vice president of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 735 managing office and maintenance staff, assisting committee persons and directing communications between elected and appointed UAW representatives and the membership.

He built partnerships with committee persons and volunteers as chair of the Cancer Watch Group, a workplace cancer study with U.S. and Canadian environmental groups. Among other related activities, Leslie was responsible for media outreach, researching chemical carcinogens, fundraising and the editing and distribution of an occupational health study to the state of Michigan, Harvard University and union members.

As the UAW coordinator of the Employee Communications Network, he directed and programmed a multi-unit television system, a monthly newspaper and supervised video technicians.

Leslie holds a bachelor's degree from Eastern Michigan University and is currently a graduate student at Wayne State University. He maintains memberships in the Detroit Filmmakers Coalition, Detroit Writers Guild, NAACP and UAW.

CULMA's Labor Studies Center offers a variety of programs on the Wayne State campus and at various locations in the metropolitan Detroit area. The Center is a comprehensive labor education program committed to strengthening the capacity of organized labor to represent the needs and interests of workers, while at the same time strengthening the university's interdisciplinary research and teaching on labor and labor relations issues.

For more information regarding the Labor School, contact Michael Leslie at (313) 577-2195; or visit the Web site: www.laborstudies.wayne.edu.

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 14 schools and colleges to more than 31,000 students in metropolitan Detroit.