More than 15 years ago, the AFL-CIO introduced a mass economics education program that was received with great enthusiasm by labor leaders, activists and rank-and-file members who craved a deeper understanding of the political nature of the U.S. economy. Since that time, we’ve seen the largest redistribution of wealth in our nation’s history and a Great Recession that paralyzed communities, families and workers. Still, many believe the economy is a force of nature and not created by people in power. Common Sense Economics is a tool for getting people involved in campaigns in their communities and states to make the economy work for all of us, and not just for big corporations. To accomplish this, we break down the myth that the economy cannot be changed. Diverse audiences for Common Sense Economics include union and community activists.

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Welcome to Common Sense Economics
More than 15 years ago, the AFL-CIO introduced a mass economics education program that
was received with great enthusiasm by labor leaders, activists and rank-and-file members who
craved a deeper understanding of the political nature of the U.S. economy. Since that time,
we’ve seen the largest redistribution of wealth in our nation’s history and a Great Recession
that paralyzed communities, families and workers. Still, many believe the economy is a force of
nature and not created by people in power.
Common Sense Economics is a tool for getting people involved in campaigns in their
communities and states to make the economy work for all of us, and not just for big
corporations. To accomplish this, we break down the myth that the economy cannot be
changed. Diverse audiences for Common Sense Economics include union and community
activists.
After completion of these workshops, participants will understand that:
1. The economic impact we are all experiencing is a result of deliberate policy choices;
2. The current economic system is the outcome of decades of neoliberal policies; and
3. By acting together (voting, volunteering, organizing and activism) we can change the
rules to create an economy that works for everyone.
They will demonstrate this through articulating a message about the rules of the economy to
others; collectively advocating for policy changes; and engaging with campaigns and becoming
active campaign volunteers.
Common Sense Economics is intended to be shared, modified and flexible. The CSE
101 workshop guide covers what is wrong with our economy, the impact of neoliberal policies
and how we can change the rules to make the economy work for all of us. Supplemental
workshop guides cover key topics using an economic lens. Each workshop guide ranges from
1.5–2 hours in length but can be modified easily. The guides include:
1. CSE 101
2. Globalization
3. Immigration
4. Women
5. Young Workers
Common Sense Economics is not a lecture-driven course with a test at the end. The curriculum
is designed to create conversations about participants’ lived experiences and the relationship
between those experiences and the economic rules that shape our lives. A good training

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Welcome to Common Sense Economics
will demystify what is happening with our economy and help participants see their plight as
common to working people everywhere. Participants will be able to name some of the neoliberal
policies that are hurting working people. Above all, the workshops will leave participants
motivated and committed to act together and organize to create an economy that works for
everyone.
Each workshop guide has three main components:
1. Lived Experience Discussion
For this curriculum to work, it needs to be about people’s lives and real experiences. Start every
session with a discussion of how the economy has impacted the lives of the people in the room.
The main point is that people’s individual struggles are shared by and connected to others.
These are not individual problems, but signs of an overall economy that is not working for
working people.
2. Economic Overview
Once participants discuss their personal experiences, trainers provide additional information
about economic issues and the impact of neoliberal policies on working people. Trainers deliver
this information through interactive exercises, group discussions and PowerPoint presentations.
3. Action Campaigns
The final section of each workshop involves participants practicing how they would connect
their personal experiences to what they learned in the session so that they can talk to their
family, friends, co-workers and neighbors about the economy and other issues addressed in
the workshop. These conversations must be connected to specific legislative, political or issue
campaigns going on in their communities. Participants will practice recruitment conversations to
be ready to take action and mobilize others after the training.

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Commonly Asked Questions
Q: What is Common Sense Economics?
A: Common Sense Economics (CSE) empowers working people by providing education on
critical economic issues and how these issues impact our daily lives. CSE is being used to train
activists, talk to voters and educate allies to achieve a progressive raising wages agenda. CSE
is a labor innovation that activates and empowers workers to think beyond their individual lives
and workplaces, so they can make change in the world they live in.
Q: Who is the audience?
A: The Common Sense Economics curriculum is intended to be delivered to rank-and-file union
members, worker centers, community groups and others in the progressive community. It can
be a great tool for bringing people together.
Q: What are some options for how to use the different workshop guides?
A: Use the workshop guides at local union meetings, central labor council meetings, conventions,
educational programs and community events. It’s also possible to adapt and use components
of different workshop guides together. For example, if a trainer was planning a workshop at a
civil rights conference, the CSE 101 guide and the women’s and/or immigration guides could be
combined for a two- to three-hour workshop.
Q: Can we modify the curriculum?
A: We encourage trainers to be as comfortable as possible when presenting this curriculum and
to adapt it as needed to fit the audience. If that means wording changes or the use of your own
examples, please do so. However, keep in mind the objectives of each of the guides and remain
true to them. Be sure to include the action component.
Welcome to Common Sense Economics
Do you have questions?
Contact: cse@aflcio.org

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Expectations of Trainers
Your role as a trainer is absolutely crucial to the success of Common Sense Economics.
You are the person who will deliver this material to the participants.
Here are some guidelines and expectations.
Be an ambassador for Common Sense Economics. You will represent Common Sense
Economics in the field. Please build enthusiasm and energy for this project. Let people know we
are aiming for 1 million participants, and the goal is for everyone to move into action to change
the rules of the economy in this country. This is about creating change together, and building an
economy that works for everyone.
Be prepared. We expect you will prepare well for each presentation.
• Know the material so you are comfortable with it.
• Give careful consideration to the logistics, so you have all the materials and handouts you
need.
• Coordinate with the host organization to make sure there is an Action Campaign attached to
every training session.
Be participant-centered. You could deliver a brilliant economic analysis, but if you didn’t
connect with participants’ lives, it would be unlikely to move them to action. As you lead
the training, observe the experiences of the participants. Adjust as needed to make this a
meaningful workshop for participants.
• Are they engaging with the material from their own life experiences?
• Are they engaging with and listening to each other?
• What will they take away?
• Will they follow through and move into action?
Adapt to the local situation. These materials are meant to be flexible so they will be
meaningful to a wide variety of participants and organizations. It falls on you as a trainer to help
make this happen.
• Think about who will be in the room, how they are being affected by the economy and what
will be meaningful to them.
• Think about the mix of people who will be in the room. How will they relate to each other, and
to you?

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• What is going on right now in the lives of these people—politically, economically,
organizationally? What do you need to be aware of, and possibly include in the session, in
order to get their full attention today?
Be action-oriented. The overall goal of Common Sense Economics is to connect to people’s
lived experiences, help them understand what has gone wrong with the economy and move
them into action to create change.
• Connect with the Action Campaign presenter in advance to ensure they have a clear
presentation with action steps for participants and a handout with information on how to
engage in the campaign. Use the Action Campaign Worksheet in the Actions Campaign
tab of Manual 1 to prepare the presenter.
• Use the materials in the Action Campaigns section, or the resource sections of the different
guides, to connect with an action campaign if the host organization does not provide one.
Think creatively about opportunities for delivering CSE. In order to build up the base
of activists fighting for a fair economy, we want to reach 1 million people with this curriculum.
We expect trainers to help develop opportunities for presenting this material. Can you offer
workshops at your local community center, place of worship, union hall or family gathering?
Send in your data and evaluations promptly. The AFL-CIO will monitor our climb to 1
million people touched by CSE. We also want to know how people feel about the workshops,
so don’t forget to send in the evaluations.
• The Staying Connected chapter in Manual 1 provides more information about the collection
and reporting of participant and workshop information.
• The Evaluation form is in the Resources section of this manual.
Expectations of Trainers

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How to Use This Manual
Please familiarize yourself with all the parts of the manuals.
Trainer Scripts and Notes
This manual contains the Trainer Scripts, Notes and Resources for the supplemental workshop
guides: Globalization, Immigration, Women and Young Workers. Manual 1 contains the Trainer
Scripts, Notes and Resources for the for the CSE 101 workshop guide.
The session tabs include full scripts for delivering most of the material. You could, if you wanted
to, read the scripts with only a few variations. However, we don’t really expect that is what you
will do. Please use the scripts and materials as a jumping-off point.
Some people like to conduct a session with everything written out; if this is your style, please
take our script and make it your own before you deliver it. There may be some phrases that
don’t come naturally to you. Feel free to adapt them but keep the meaning the same.
Other people speak from bullet points. Review the scripts and turn them into your own set of
points to be followed.
Above all, don’t try to pick up the script and deliver it without going through it carefully and
thinking through how it will work for you! Imagine what questions you will get and what the
discussion is likely to be. Experienced trainers know that following a training guide someone
else wrote may lead you to lose your train of thought at unexpected moments. Someone asks
a question, and suddenly the materials you reviewed with a glance no longer seem so obvious.
In addition to the scripts, on the left-side page of each guide there are Trainer Notes, which are
tips about particular points we thought might need attention.
Insert your own stories and examples—ideally, ones that will be in the experience of the group
to which you are presenting.
Note that we did give special consideration to the session openings, to the wording of questions
and to the summaries. Take our materials seriously, but also rely on your experience as a trainer
and your knowledge of the group you are working with.

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HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL
Data Collection
The Staying Connected tab in Manual 1 will give you the information you need to collect names
and contact information from participants so the AFL-CIO can capture this data and build the
base of activists. Please review this carefully, and plan to be thorough in your collection of data
and prompt in transmitting it. Information on how to access CSE electronic resources also is
included in this tab.
Action Campaigns
Nothing is more crucial to the success of Common Sense Economics than connecting
participants with action campaigns. To move participants into action after a CSE session, you
need a solid Action Campaign to connect them with. This includes a strong presentation of the
campaign and several possible action steps participants can take.
The Action Campaigns section in Manual 1 will help you think through what is involved in a
good action campaign. We have differentiated between “problems” and “issues” to help you
find solid actions. A “problem” is a broad area of concern, like voter suppression. An “issue”
is a potential solution a group is fighting for, like stopping the requiring of photo IDs for voting.
Our goal is to connect people as much as possible with specific issue campaigns, where there
is a demand and a decision maker who is being targeted. Additional campaign examples are
provided in the Resources section of each guide.
The Action Campaign Worksheet will help you work with the action presenter to make sure you
have a solid presentation.
The issue descriptions will help connect you to action campaigns if the host organization does
not already have a campaign it wants to feature.
Trainer Training
The Training Fundamentals tab in Manual 1 contains a variety of advice for leading a training
session. Flip through it to familiarize yourself with the topics. Read sections you think will be
helpful to you. Note what is there so you can come back later for other topics.
We know this material will be presented by trainers with a range of experience levels. We have
tried to include in this section some advice that will help you reflect on what makes for a good
training, and how you as a trainer can create a good experience for all participants.