Welcome to the 2026–2027 Cohort of the Union Leadership Institute (ULI)

On July 14, Labor Leadership Initiatives at ILR welcomed the 2026–2027 New York State AFL-CIO/Cornell University Union Leadership Institute (ULI) cohort. This year's cohort represents unions and worker-justice organizations from more than 15 sectors and industries across New York State.

The program started with a retreat at Cornell University's Ithaca campus, where participants met to begin building the relationships and shared foundation that will carry the cohort through the next nine months. The program will continue throughout the 2026–2027 academic year at host unions and organizations in Albany, New York City, and Cutchogue, New York. Along the way, the group will convene to strengthen their leadership skills, deepen their strategic capacity, and build community with fellow leaders. The program will give participants the opportunity to build on the strengths that have shaped them as leaders while expanding the skills needed to help their organizations remain effective and resilient in a challenging environment for working people.

Established in 2001, the New York State AFL-CIO/Cornell Union Leadership Institute (ULI) aims to equip labor and worker-justice leaders to effectively and strategically advance workers' rights. Going beyond traditional leadership training, ULI utilizes a transformational model to foster inclusion and solidarity among participating leaders. This unique, statewide certificate program facilitates the exchange of ideas, acquisition of new tools, and movement-building opportunities among leaders in the New York labor and worker justice movements across multiple unions and sectors.