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
Health Experts Say Schools Can Reopen in the Fall — But With Some Big Changes
Nellie Brown speaks with EdSurge on schools reopening and says that Schools will also need to wade through a morass of individual concerns around cafeteria and classroom seating, transportation and, in some cases, retrofitting bathrooms and other facilities.
As Americans Return to Work, How Will COVID Change the Workplace?
Nellie Brown speaks with Health Day News about how companies will take advantage of automation to further protect workers' health -- automatic doors, automatic lighting, automatic water fountains, automatic dispensers for sugar and creamer at the coffee stand.
NY, lifeguards wrangle over safety issues as beaches prepare to open
Newsday
Nellie Brown speaks to Newsday cautioning about the use of PPE for lifeguards on New York beaches, "as always, the equipment needs to be provided, fitting the wearer properly, and properly donned and doffed and decontaminated."
Nellie Brown speaks to Spectrum News about being realistic about what life will be like as regions reopen, "at first it's going to be awkward and difficult and we're not going to be happy and we’re going to long for the good old days."
Two White House Coronavirus Cases Raise Question of if Anyone Is Really Safe
The New York Times
Nellie Brown speaks to the New York Times about understanding the limitations of testing and what can happen in the time immediately after a test is taken.
For retailers, reopening means rethinking everything about a store
Marketplace
Nellie Brown advises that retail stores consider adding a sign saying, “Please don’t touch an item unless you truly are interested in buying it. Or if it’s a piece of clothing, you know, if you’re truly interested in looking at it.”
COVID-19 impact: Nellie Brown on workplace consequences
Cornell Chronicle
Nellie Brown speaks with the Cornell Chronicle on Covid-19 and discusses the need for sick leave for all types of workers, and predicts we’ll see an increase in collective bargaining for safer workplaces.
Distancing at Reopened Offices Will Mean Long Elevator Lines
Bloomberg Law
Nellie Brown recommends to Bloomberg News that employees returning to the office should wear masks when they’re moving from floor to floor on elevators.
Grocery stores take steps to protect cashiers and customers
Newsday
Nellie Brown advisers that retailers’ measures should also include scheduled hand-washing breaks for employees, finding ways to reduce the use of paper coupons, and encouraging customers to pay with credit/debit cards instead of cash.
WNYCOSH offers guidance for cashiers in retail establishments, specifically in relation to the outbreak, Nellie Brown who worked on the report speaks to its specifics.
How College Students Can Keep Themselves & Others Coronavirus-Free
The Worker Institute's Nellie Brown speaks with the University Network about how college students can keep themselves and others safe during the COVID-19 crisis.
Worker Institute Welcomes Fall 2019 Student Fellows
The fellowship program’s goal is to provide ILR students with a unique opportunity to contribute to important projects concerning workers and unions, expand their research skills, learn about potential career paths, and form connections with faculty.
New York State Announces First Major Offshore Wind Energy Awards
This afternoon at Fordham Law School, Governor Cuomo, with former vice-president, Al Gore, announced that Equinor and a joint venture of Orsted and Eversource Energy are the successful bidders in the State’s first-ever offshore wind solicitation conducted by the New York State Energy Research and Development Corporation.
The Worker Institute is deeply saddened by the passing of Hector Figueroa.
Hector was a tireless advocate for working families and immigrants in New York. Our thoughts are with Hector’s family and the entire 32BJ family during this sad time.
The Worker Institute is leading a delegation of 15 New York labor leaders to Denmark this week to learn about the offshore wind industry. New York state is on the verge of building its first offshore wind project, according to Worker Institute Executive Director Lara Skinner, who is leading the delegation.
The Worker Institute hosted the 43rd Annual UALE Summer School
From July 21st to July 25th, the Worker Institute hosted "With Women We All Rise," the 43rd Annual United Association for Labor Education (UALE) Summer School for women in unions and worker organizations.
These are challenging times for labor and other pro-worker movements. And, the answer to not just surviving, but thriving, is to learn from each other. That’s the aim of the National Labor Leadership Initiative.
As states legalize medical or recreational marijuana, employers, employees and unions are asking how to keep people safe in the workplace. Some of them, including the Center for Occupational & Environmental Medicine in Western New York, are turning to ILR’s Nellie Brown.
Workplaces are hotbeds of possible contagion. Nellie Brown, certified industrial hygienist, annually leads more than 100 trainings about workplace health and safety around New York state. Part of The Worker Institute at Cornell, Brown offers tips on how to minimize the potential for spreading the virus in the office:
