New Report Highlights 20+ Years of ULI’s Impact on New York’s Labor Leadership

This past spring, the Cornell ILR Labor Leadership Initiatives released an exciting evaluation of the New York State AFL-CIO/Cornell Union Leadership Institute (ULI), revealing the program’s powerful impact over more than two decades. Since its inception, ULI has prepared hundreds of labor and worker-justice leaders to strengthen their organizations, champion workers’ rights, and drive meaningful social change.

The findings speak for themselves:

• 76% of alumni have taken on new roles and responsibilities since completing ULI.
• 65% have joined or been appointed to committees, boards, or commissions.
• 82.7% have taken concrete steps to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in their organizations.

Alumni also report lasting relationships, expanded influence, and the confidence to lead boldly in both the workplace and the broader social movement. Graduates consistently describe ULI as more than a training — it’s a learning community that endures long after the program ends, fostering collaboration across industries, sectors, and regions. Participants emerge with deeper leadership skills, a greater capacity to mentor and inspire others, and the courage to create a more equitable labor movement.

The numbers show a striking transformation:

• Engagement with the labor and social justice movements jumped from 55.7% before ULI to 89.9% after.
• Leaders reporting strong skills in team innovation, adaptability, and problem-solving rose dramatically.
• Confidence in exercising influence and building leadership capacity within organizations increased across the board.

As one graduate put it:

“We shouldn’t simply be about contracts and grievances; we need to play an active part in changing society.”

From strengthening teams to building diverse coalitions, ULI alumni are putting their skills into action — leading campaigns, negotiating fair contracts, organizing communities, and driving progressive change. The work isn’t done. The ULI network continues to grow, bringing together past, present, and future leaders to share ideas, take collective action, and shape the labor movement for the next generation.

Learn more about the Union Leadership Institute and get involved:
www.ilr.cornell.edu/worker-institute/union-leadership-institute