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.
News
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.
New Report Highlights 20+ Years of ULI’s Impact on New York’s Labor Leadership
A revealing evaluation shows how the Union Leadership Institute has empowered hundreds of leaders to strengthen the labor movement and advance equity across New York State.
ULI Spotlight: Mark Carter, President of the Peekskill Professional Firefighters Local 2343
Mark Carter is the first Black President of the Peekskill Professional Firefighters Local 2343 and the recipient of the 2025-2026 NYS AFL-CIO Union L.E.A.D. Scholarship.
Worker Institute Researcher Elected to NYAAPOR Council
Michael Lenmark, Survey Statistician at the Worker Institute, has been elected as the Associate Secretary Treasurer for the American Association for Public Opinion Research, New York.
Recently elected Secretary-Treasurer, she has made history as the first Black person to hold this leadership role in her union. She is a trailblazer as the first woman to rise through the ranks to become a worker leader in this position.
The Worker Institute and the Buffalo Co-Lab Present Research at the New York State Association of Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislators, Inc. 54th Legislative Conference
Researchers from the Worker Institute and the Buffalo Co-Lab presented research findings on the racially disproportionate impact of austerity measures on the state mental health workforce.
On January 30, Labor Leadership Initiatives hosted a virtual gathering for alumni of the National Leadership Initiative (NLLI). Participants came together to discuss how they are adapting their leadership strategies within unions and organizations to tackle the current challenges facing workers, especially as their protections remain vulnerable.
Protecting Worker Rights Under Project 2025: The Changing Landscape on Immigration Enforcement & the Need for Worker Solidarity
On January 8th, 2025, the NYC Central Labor Council (CLC), in collaboration with the Worker Institute and Labor Leadership Initiatives at Cornell ILR, hosted a strategic conversation focused on the potential impacts of the upcoming Trump administration’s policies on workers' rights as outlined in Project 2025.
ULI Spotlight: Christina Christman, President Federation of Social Workers IUE-CWA 81381, Monroe County
Christina is a Recipient of the 2024-25 NYS AFL-CIO Union L.E.A.D. Scholarship
Christina says that the ULI has helped her reflect on issues such as union-busting tactics, the importance of robust Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies, and challenges in resource allocation.
ULI Spotlight: Marvin Tavarez, Business Representative Sheet Metal Workers (SMART) Local 28
Recipient of the 2024-25 NYS AFL-CIO Union L.E.A.D. Scholarship.
The ULI program has been an enlightening experience, broadening his perspective and exposing him to diverse opinions.
WI Faculty Awarded Einhorn Center Fellowship to Publish Research on Domestic Workers
Zoë West, senior researcher for worker rights and equity at Cornell ILR’s The Worker Institute (WI), has been selected as one of the Engaged Faculty Fellows for the 2024-2025 academic year.
ULI Spotlight: Asenhat Gomez, Deputy Director of Programs at El Puente of Williamsburg, NY
Recipient of the 2024-2025 Ed Vargas Legacy Fund Scholarship.
The ULI program has provided Asenhat with a unique opportunity to connect with labor leaders outside of her organization.
The day-long Sept. 27 meeting in King-Shaw Hall at ILR drew state legislative staffers and representatives of the governor’s office and the state Department of Labor. It included presentations from ILR Outreach faculty based in New York City, Ithaca and Buffalo.
The Worker Institute’s Labor Leadership Program Graduation of the 2023-2024 Co-Hort of The New York State-AFL-CIO/Cornell University’s Union Labor Institute
On Tuesday, September 5, Cornell ILR hosted a delegation of five Australian labor leaders from the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association (SDA) at our NYC conference center. SDA is Australia’s largest private sector union, representing 210,00 workers in retail, warehousing, fast food and other related industries.
Labor Day 2023: ILR’s Worker Institute Reflects and Recommits
We at the Worker Institute are proud of our continued work to support union and worker justice leaders with research, training, and education. We seek to equip change-makers with the skills to challenge the increasing levels of income inequality and worker precarity.
For more than 300 days, Amazon workers talked with their peers to build relationships, trust and, ultimately, a union that many thought would never be possible, Amazon Labor Union leaders said at ILR during Union Days.
Strong Support Among New Yorkers for Improving Home Care Workers’ Pay
In New York and around the country, home care workers deliver critical services to older adults and people with disabilities, providing support with activities of daily living and medically oriented care under the direction of nurses and other medical professionals.
The ILR School database that documents U.S. work stoppages informs journalists, policymakers, activists, scholars and the public about labor activism and unrest.
The ILR School Climate Jobs Institute, the first U.S. academic institution focused on conducting research and developing policy for governments across the nation to support clean energy targets, is launching Jan. 25 in New York City.
