The Worker Institute brings together researchers, educators and students with practitioners in labor, business and policymaking to address issues related to confronting systemic inequality and building a fair economy, robust democracy and just society. We will share opinion, analysis, research, data, insights and training from our faculty and staff.
Events
ILR and Friends Remember and Recommit to Lois Gray’s Legacy
On April 17, friends and colleagues of the late Lois Gray gathered at ILR’s New York City office to remember the life work of the beloved and respected labor leader.
‘Pause is the Pathway to Choice’: WI Event Explores Regenerative Organizing for the Labor Movement
On Feb. 27, Cornell ILR’s Worker Institute (WI) hosted “Regenerative Organizing for the Labor Movement: Focus on Care.” The event introduced the Regenerative Organizing model, a pilot program that helped unions and worker organizations address the mounting stress and trauma workers face.
ILR School Hosts “Stories of Belonging” Immigration Project Exhibit
During the week of September 16th through September 20th, the ILR Worker Institute hosted an outdoor exhibit highlighting stories like these entitled “Stories of Belonging: Central American TPS Workers and the Defiant Struggle to Stay Home in the U.S.”
On October 25th, in Syracuse, New York, more than 8 upstate organizations gathered for an event to strategize on building long-term worker power in their region.
“Stories of Belonging” Immigration Project Featured in NYC’s Photoville Festival
Cornell ILR’s Worker Institute (WI) will feature a community-engaged research project at the 13th Annual Photoville Festival at Brooklyn Bridge Park from June 1-16, 2024.
“We Rise shifted people’s mindset from ‘I’m just a nanny’ to ‘I do some of the most important work in society, work that raises children and without which nothing else could function. My compensation should reflect my importance to your family and the world,’” said Ketchel Carey ‘23.
Launch of Ed Vargas Legacy Fund Celebrates Labor Legacy
The Ed Vargas Legacy Fund launched on Mar. 7 with over $100,000 in donations. Friends, family and colleagues gathered at Cornell ILR’s New York City headquarters to commemorate Vargas and continue his legacy.
Lively Panel Launches Worker Institute’s New Prevailing Wage Report
Prevailing wage laws protect New Yorkers from a race to the bottom, panelists said during the launch of the new report by Cornell ILR’s The Worker Institute on Sept. 12.
The Union Leadership Institute (ULI) graduation was held at the Cornell ILR NYC offices on Feb 10. Participants celebrated their accomplishments with family and friends.
Expanding Essential Unemployment Coverage in NYS Webinar
As our labor market changes, as our needs change and as new social risks arise, we need an unemployment compensation program to work in tandem with these changes
Join us: Equity in Focus: Building a Diverse, Inclusive Clean Energy Workforce
Join us on June 29, 2022 for the third webinar in a new series co-hosted by the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau and Cornell ILR Worker Institute.
In-person NYC Workshop: Gender Based Violence and Harassment: The Union’s Role in Prevention, Intervention and Cultural Change
Join us in NYC on June 15 and 21, 2022. The resurgence of the #MeToo movement, resurgence in anti-transgender legislation across the country, and the continued impacts of the pandemic have challenged unions to take on issues of gender-based violence.
The Sound Of Solidarity: Labor’s Family-friendly Music Festival Returns
Suffolk AME, the Long Island Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, and more than 20 other Labor unions from throughout New York will band together in solidarity to bring the charitable Mayday Music Festival back to Southaven County Park on Long Island this May 14th, 2022.
From Retail to Tech to Universities: Unionizing for Equity in all Workplaces
Join us on Friday, April 29th, 2022 at 2:30 p.m. for a Union Days event, "From Retail to Tech to Universities: Unionizing for Equity in all Workplaces." In-person on our Ithaca campus and virtually.
Book Launch: The Future We Need: Organizing for a Better Democracy in the Twenty-First Century
Join us on May 2nd at 11 AM EST for an in-person and virtual book launch of The Future We Need: Organizing for a Better Democracy in the Twenty-First Century, written by Erica Smiley and Sarita Gupta that will be livestreamed.
Join us on April 26th, 2022 for the second in our Equity in Focus Webinar Series. This webinar will explore the challenges of the child care industry and highlight local examples that are improving access to child care while also raising wages for child care workers.
The Moment for a Movement: Starbucks and the Slow Drip of Starting a Union
Learn the ins and outs of how to unionize a workplace and what legal methods Starbucks has used to delay the votes. In-person event, free and open to the public.
Free Webinar: Job Hazard Analysis with Considerations and Accommodations for Persons with Disabilities
Learn from and ask your questions to a certified industrial hygienist, biologist and chemist and expert on occupational health and safety. Join us on Friday, April 8th, 2022 to learn about Job Hazard Analysis with Considerations and Accommodations for Persons with Disabilities
Cunningham facilitates Offshore Wind Training for IUOE Local 30
Zach Cunningham, Extension Associate for the Worker Institute and Mariah Dignan, of Climate Jobs NY deliver a riveting presentation on Climate Jobs and Offshore Wind (OSW) to IUOE Local 30
Watch the Recording: Equity in Focus Webinar Series
On February 24th, the Worker Institute and the Women's Bureau of the US Department of Labor held the first webinar in the Equity in Focus: Job Creation for a Just Society Webinar Series.
Watch recording, "How U.S. Trade Policy Affects Workers"
On March 2nd at 2 pm EST, The ILR School hosted a discussion with United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Katherine Tai and Cornell experts discussing USTR's initiative to study the distributional effects of U.S. trade policy on workers.
Watch the recording of "A Climate Jobs Plan for Rhode Island"
On Friday, March 4, researchers from Cornell University joined with leaders of the Climate Jobs RI coalition, a group of labor, climate, and community groups in Rhode Island, and discussed a new report unveiled last month that outlined a comprehensive action plan for RI.
Free Webinar: Shiftwork, Long Hours of Work, and Fatigue
Learn from and ask your questions to a certified industrial hygienist, biologist and chemist and expert on occupational health and safety. Join us on Friday, March 11th, 2022 to learn about Shiftwork, Long Hours of Work, and Fatigue.
Join us on March 2nd at 2 pm EST when United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Katherine Tai will discuss USTR's initiative to study the distributional effects of U.S. trade policy on workers
Cornell experts and RI labor and climate leaders to discuss a climate jobs action plan for Rhode Island
On Friday, March 4 at 1 p.m, researchers from Cornell University will join leaders of the Climate Jobs RI coalition, a group of labor, climate, and community groups in Rhode Island, to discuss a report unveiled last month that outlined a comprehensive climate action plan.
What does equity in job creation in the construction industry look like in practice?
On February 24th, the Worker Institute at Cornell ILR, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau, will host its first webinar in a series Equity in Focus: Job Creation for a Just Economy.
Our first webinar will explore how equity in job creation is defined – with a focus on job growth through the current expansion of infrastructure investment. Central to any definition are questions about identifying the policy outcomes and how to measure these.
