ILR Worker Institute Research Fellowship Program

At its heart, the Worker Institute views its work as a contribution to reversing the growing inequality, now at historic levels, which undermines the economic and social sustainability of a vibrant democratic society.  The Institute provides the nation’s most comprehensive education, training, research, and organizational support for union leaders and worker advocates.  Worker Institute research fellows, sometimes in small teams, will have the opportunity to work directly with Ithaca-based faculty and ILR labor extension faculty based in NYC.

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 interact with faculty, labor leaders and other fellows.

The main selection criteria include a strong academic record and a demonstrated interest in one of the Worker Institute’s research areas. 

Racialized Labor Markets, the Work-Citizenship Nexus, and Platform Work: Comparing Job
Quality and Worker Organizing in the United States and South Africa

This study is a collaboration between Prof Wolf and Prof Anwar at the University of Edinburgh. I am looking for an RA for this mixed methods project which involves a social media administered survey of gig workers and follow up interviews. The survey seeks to understand workers’
employment conditions and racialized experiences of app work in NYC and Johannesburg. I
would be particularly interested in an RA with strong quantitative statistical skills to aid in the
statistical analysis of the survey. But, I would also be open a student who could aid with the
conducting and coding qualitative follow up interviews with survey respondents. Students who
can speak either Bangali, Spanish, Hindi, or French would be a plus but not required. In addition
to helping with survey and interview analysis the RA would be expected to attend project team
meetings. - with Andrew Wolf