Cole Rockarts on Fired Up About Unions at Skylight Books

Skylight Books on Vermont Avenue hosts a conversation about work, bosses and organizing on Thursday, November 5. Labour educator and writer Cole Rockarts presents Fired Up About Unions, their first book, in conversation with writer and activist Sandy Hudson. If you are scanning for things happening in Los Angeles that cost nothing and give you something to think about, this one fits.

When: Thursday, November 5, 2026, 7 to 8 PM Where: Skylight Books, 1818 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027 Price: Free admission, seating first-come, first-served

What the book covers

Fired Up About Unions is pitched as a practical beginner's guide to what unions are, how they work and why they matter. The book starts from a familiar place: a bad job, a worse boss and the feeling of being disposable. Whether the work is bagging groceries, writing code, delivering food or cleaning hotel rooms, the argument is that workers have more power together than alone.

It also looks at how young people are driving a new wave of union campaigns, from coffee shops and classrooms to warehouses and hospitals. The focus is on better pay, safer conditions and job security in an economy that often feels unstable, and on unions that are more democratic and more inclusive.

Who is speaking

Cole Rockarts has worked in public and private sector unions in Canada and the US since 2016, and has written about unions, politics and working people for RankandFile.ca, Briarpatch and SpringMag. They live in Los Angeles.

Sandy Hudson is a writer, activist and multidisciplinary creative. She founded Black Lives Matter-Canada and co-founded the Black Legal Action Centre, a specialty legal aid clinic. Expect a conversation rather than a lecture, with room for questions about organizing where you work.

Planning your visit

Admission is free and seats are first-come, first-served, so arriving early on a weeknight is the safest plan. Skylight Books is an independent bookstore on the Los Feliz end of Vermont Avenue, and the shelves are part of the draw: you can browse before the talk starts. The Vermont/Sunset Metro B Line station is a short bus ride away, and street parking nearby fills up in the evening, so leave a little extra time.

It is also a handy anchor for a night out. Check our list of upcoming events Los Angeles readers are planning around, then stack a dinner nearby with the reading. For more book-and-culture picks, browse the arts and culture section.

Confirm the details on the Discover Los Angeles listing before you go, in case the bookstore updates seating or timing.