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. 

Worker Institute Public Engagement and Communications

The Worker Institute (WI) 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. The WI website plays an important role in the WI’s public engagement by presenting information, analysis, and updates about WI activities – through articles about WI research, published reports, conferences and convenings, and labor education and training. Student researchers will learn about the WI activities in all these areas and will write articles about them for the WI website. Student researchers will also write articles about the labor-focused events at ILR, including the Labor Roundtable and Union Days events. In addition to doing research for writing their articles, student researchers will conduct interviews with labor leaders and faculty members. – with ILR Professor and WI Academic Director Risa Lieberwitz (2 students)