Education

PhD, American History, University of Chicago, 1993

MA, International Relations, University of Chicago, 1989

BA, Sociology, University of California at Berkeley, 1987

Awards

2017: Best Book of the Year award, United Association for Labor Education, “A Fight for the Soul of Public Education: The Story of the Chicago Teachers Strike”

2013: Special individual recognition and United Association for Labor Education 2013 Award to LEP for Outstanding Contribution to the Field

2011: Teaching Academy Fellow, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

2010: Best Book of the Year award, Working Class Studies Association, “Staley: The Fight for a New American Labor Movement”

2010: Best Book of the Year award, United Association for Labor Education, “Staley: The Fight for a New American Labor Movement”

2010: Best Book of the Year award, Illinois State Historical Association, “Staley: The Fight for a New American Labor Movement”

2009: Teaching Academy Fellow, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

2003: Labor and Employment Research Association’s “Excellence in Education” National Teaching Award

2003: Indiana University Trustee’s “Excellence in Teaching” Award

Research Interests

Professor Ashby’s research interests focus on the U.S. labor movement. He researches and teaches about union corporate campaigns, contract campaigns, work-to-rule, strikes, strike strategy, labor-community coalitions, political involvement, and non-violent civil disobedience. As well, his research focuses on teachers and teachers’ unions.

Courses

Introduction to Labor Studies

Labor and Social Movements

Globalization and Workers

Extension courses for unionists, including: U.S. labor history, contract campaigns and internal organizing, steward training, union leadership, unions 101, and the state of U.S. workers and unions