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Events

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Regenerative Organizing

Regenerative organizing builds long-term power by restoring our capacity, relationships, and imagination—rather than depleting them. This cohort is designed for leaders who want to deepen their member leadership, strengthen organizing capacity, and address the stress and trauma embedded in the work.
Group of women with raised hands to hold an item above their heads together. "Regenerative Organizing"
Regenerative Organizing

ILR Hosts 2025 UALE Northeast Summer School for Women+ in Unions and Worker Organizations

This summer, the reach of labor education in Ithaca expanded as more than 150 workers united as a network of leaders grounded in history and ready to drive meaningful change in their own communities.
Group shot of UALE Summer School participants
ILR Hosts 2025 UALE Northeast Summer School for Women+ in Unions and Worker Organizations

Worker Voices Matter in Deciding the Future of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA)

Given the ongoing debate on the impact of trade tariffs on US job creation, the Worker Institute, with a generous grant from CAROW, sponsored a transnational labor roundtable conference that brought together forty labor and academic stakeholders from the United States, Mexico, and Canada...
Group shot from USMCA roundtable event in Mexico City
Worker Voices Matter in Deciding the Future of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA)

News

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Book Talk, Film Screening, Keynote to Highlight Union Days

Cornell Chronicle
With a multipart theme of labor unions, immigration rights and racial justice, the ILR School’s annual Union Days event series will offer the Cornell community an opportunity throughout April to meet labor leaders and gain understanding of current labor issues.
Union Days 2026
Book Talk, Film Screening, Keynote to Highlight Union Days

“Labor in New York in 2026” Presented in Albany

Experts from the ILR School met with Senator Jessica Ramos and Assemblymember Harry B. Bronson, New York State Chairs of the Committee on Labor, to discuss the current state of labor in New York.
Esta Bigler presents to Senator Jessica Ramos and Assemblymember Harry B. Bronson in Albany.
“Labor in New York in 2026” Presented in Albany

Bargaining in Times of Crisis

Labor has always stood up for all workers in times of crisis. At this moment in our country’s history, our labor movement faces an unprecedented assault on its very foundation; the ability to represent and organize workers, defend workers’ rights, citizens and non-citizens, in a free and independent society.
Classroom with students and teachers facilitating at the front
Bargaining in Times of Crisis

Reports

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Fashion’s Data Doubles: How AI is Reshaping Modeling Work

Generative AI technologies are shifting conditions of work across different creative fields. In a new research brief, the Worker Institute and Data & Society share findings from their research exploring how new applications of generative AI are affecting fashion models.
Photo by Briana Elledge and Jaka Vinsek
Fashion’s Data Doubles: How AI is Reshaping Modeling Work

Unpaid Caregiving and Its Impact on New Yorkers' Paid Employment

The findings affirm that caregiving—both unpaid caregiving and access to paid care support—remains a pressing concern for the substantial number of New Yorkers who are providing care for children and/or adults.
A home healthcare worker takes a man's blood pressure.
Unpaid Caregiving and Its Impact on New Yorkers' Paid Employment

The Role and Value of Social and Labor Protections

This policy snapshot summarizes findings from questions pertaining to respondents’ wages and benefits and their perception of social and labor protections.
A calculator, cash and budget journal on a table.
The Role and Value of Social and Labor Protections

Equity at Work

See all stories about equity at work

Data Snapshots on Care Work, Online Platform Work, and Sexual Harassment in New York State

The Worker Institute recently published three data snapshots of findings to questions asked about the care economy, the experience of sexual harassment in the workplace, and work for online platforms. Read on for a preview of key findings with links to the three data snapshots.
A nurse tends to a wheelchair bound patient in her home
Data Snapshots on Care Work, Online Platform Work, and Sexual Harassment in New York State

Understanding The Increase in Domestic Violence During the Coronavirus Pandemic as a Union Issue

KC Wagner discusses Domestic violence as a growing concern for unions during the COVID-19 crisis.
abstract texture to illustrate hope and sadness
Understanding The Increase in Domestic Violence During the Coronavirus Pandemic as a Union Issue

Advance Findings from Report on Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Quid pro quo workplace sexual harassment is widespread across New York state.
Missing alt
Advance Findings from Report on Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Labor Leadership Initiatives

More on Labor Leadership Initiatives

ULI Spotlight: Andy Cassagnol Executive Vice President SEIU1199

Andy Cassagnol,Andy Cassagnol, Executive Vice President of SEIU 1199 in New Jersey, traces his leadership to early experiences witnessing how union representation shaped his family’s stability and protected healthcare workers’ rights.
Andy Cassagnol
ULI Spotlight: Andy Cassagnol Executive Vice President SEIU1199

ULI Spotlight: LaShonda Bradberry, Cheektowaga Central Teachers Association, NYSUT

LaShonda Bradberry is a high school educator and union leader whose passion for political education was shaped by early exposure to civil rights activism and union organizing. Today, she works to strengthen political engagement and expand leadership opportunities for educators of color across New York.
ULI Spotlight L.Bradberry
ULI Spotlight: LaShonda Bradberry, Cheektowaga Central Teachers Association, NYSUT

Empowering Workers, Building Leaders

On October 9, 2025, thirty participants celebrated their graduation from the first Housekeeping Technician and Leadership Development Workshop Series, a collaborative training effort between Labor Leadership Initiatives at Cornell’s ILR School and the Worker Justice Project (WJP).
WJP Graduation. Cleaning technicians 2
Empowering Workers, Building Leaders