The MSU School of Labor and Industrial Relations and the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations are teaming up today for a two-day conference on worker rights.

The first session begins at 8 a.m. today in the Heritage Room of the Kellogg Center.

A total of six sessions will be led by faculty members throughout the weekend from American and British universities as well as former members of the National Labor Relations Board. Topics to be discussed at the sessions include employee rights to unionize, collective bargaining and its implications, labor relation policies and practices, worker rights on an international level, and rights for temporary and immigrant workers.

John Beck, associate director of the MSU School of Labor and Industrial Relations, said in a written statement, “There are high costs and consequences associated with the fact that workers can’t organize and bargain collectively as freely in the United States as they can in other nations. This conference will explore these issues.”