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Invisible Labor Discussion on Black Women in the Workplace in Erie County

Cornell ILR Buffalo Co-Lab, sponsored by The Erie County Commission on the Status of Women and the Economic Development & Upward Mobility Coalition, hosted a panel discussion in Buffalo on the experiences of Black women in the workplace.
5 panelists and moderator sit
Invisible Labor Discussion on Black Women in the Workplace in Erie County

States' Response to Weakening of Federal Labor Protections Examined in Co-Lab Learning Session

Cornell ILR and Hayes Dolce, LLC labor law experts share trends in unionizations across the U.S. and opportunities for labor law reform in New York State.
cathy presenting slide with question asking percent of unionized workforce in 2025
States' Response to Weakening of Federal Labor Protections Examined in Co-Lab Learning Session

Community-Engaged Learning Celebrated, Buffalo Co-Lab Honored

Cornell Chronicle
ILR School’s Buffalo Co-Lab has played a vital role in western New York, working in partnership with business, union, government, education and community organizations.
ILR Buffalo Co-Lab celebration event, "Education in Action"
Community-Engaged Learning Celebrated, Buffalo Co-Lab Honored

High Road Fellowships

Summer 2026 Application will open November 22!

Engaged learning and applied research fellowships for Cornell students in Buffalo, NY.

Find out more

Research and Policy

High Road Policy

An ILR Buffalo Co-Lab Initiative

High Road Policy contributes actionable insights to contemporary policy and political discourses in and beyond the regions and communities of Upstate New York.

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Read the Blog
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Good DEEDS

Data for Equitable Economic Development and Sustainability, or Good DEEDS, is an initiative of the Cornell University School of Industrial Labor Relations (ILR) Buffalo Co-Lab. When fully operational, Good DEEDS will function as a public data repository coupled with High Road Policy, a quarterly issue memorandum and continuous blog.

Learn more about Good DEEDS

2024-25 NY at Work cover

Buffalo Co-Lab NYS Impact

We are pleased announce several reports that draws upon our ILR expertise, research-based data and policy analysis on a broad range of issues affecting NYS workers, unions, communities and employers. These reports intend to serve as an informative, accessible and relevant resource for New York's policy makers and others. We hope that you find them useful and look forward to engaging with you to advance the important work that you do related to work, employment and labor.

2019 High Roaders at Northland Workforce Training Center

Student Opportunities

We offer two paid fellowship programs in Buffalo as well as courses on our Ithaca Campus.

  • High Road Fellowships
  • Democracy Summer Fellowships
  • On-Campus courses

Learn more

Education and Training

We offer programs designed to train union leaders and those aspiring to lead in organized labor relations.

We also offer specialized training in Health and Safety for inspection and risk assessment, as well as information for practitioners to create safe work places.

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Learn more about our programs

Programs for Unions and Labor Professionals

These courses and certificates are designed to train union leaders and those aspiring to lead in organized labor relations.

Learn more about training for unions and labor professionals

Workplace Health and Safety

Scientific and Technical Expertise Applied to the Work Environment

Workplace Health and Safety
Learn more about programs in workplace health and safety

In The News

Media Mentions

$1 million gift will fund Cornell’s High Road Buffalo fellowship for five years

FingerLakes1.com
ILR’s Buffalo High Road Fellowship program has received a $1 million gift to fund paid student work in community organizations across Buffalo for the next 5 years.
$1 million gift will fund Cornell’s High Road Buffalo fellowship for five years

Trump’s fight with Canada has hurt NY farmers, automakers and tourism. Could it get worse?

syracuse.com
Art Wheaton, ILR director of labor studies, comments on how escalating tariffs between the U.S. and Canada could impact consumer prices and economic conditions in both countries.
Trump’s fight with Canada has hurt NY farmers, automakers and tourism. Could it get worse?

AI job loss forecasts loom as unions push for protections

Detroit News
“There's not as much resistance to AI as you might expect, so long as they're willing to work with people instead of replacing people,” says Art Wheaton, ILR director of labor studies, about typical union-based attitudes toward artificial intelligence in the workplace.
AI job loss forecasts loom as unions push for protections

Buffalo job growth weaker than earlier federal estimates suggested

Spectrum
Russell Weaver, director of research at ILR’s Buffalo Co-Lab, comments on concerns raised by economic indicators for the Buffalo region and on common industries in Western New York.
Buffalo job growth weaker than earlier federal estimates suggested

House Republicans ramp up labor union investigations before midterms

The Guardian
Cathy Creighton, director of ILR’s Buffalo Co-Lab, comments on the transparency and regulation of union finances.
House Republicans ramp up labor union investigations before midterms

After $1.1B GM deal, Unifor faces tougher test with Stellantis

The London Free Press
Art Wheaton, ILR director of labor studies, contextualizes the recent agreement from General Motors to invest 1.1 billion dollars in Canadian automobile manufacturing for the auto industry and the Unifor union.
After $1.1B GM deal, Unifor faces tougher test with Stellantis