Join the UCLA Labor Center's Nonviolence Education Project on December 10th for an in-person panel featuring student activists and immigrant rights leaders. 🗓 December 10 from 5:30 to 8:00pm

On Tuesday, labor advocates and community members joined UCLA Labor Center director Saba Waheed in a conversation with former US Secretary of Labor Julie Su. 🔥 This timely discussion marks the first public talk held at the newly renovated James Lawson Worker Justice Center.

Wage theft is rampant in the meatpacking industry. New research findings from the UCLA Labor Center shed light on the experiences of meatpacking and food processing workers in LA county. 📊 Full report: bit.ly/LAMPFP

Don't miss out! Register now to join UCLA Labor Center Director Saba Waheed @sabawa.bsky.social for a conversation with former U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su. 💬 📍Where: 675 S Park View St, Los Angeles, CA 90057 ⏰ When: November 18 from 4-6pm 🔗 bit.ly/JSULAB

There has been an alarming increase in child labor within the meatpacking industry. ⚠️ Learn more about this industry’s vulnerable workforce in a new report from the UCLA Labor Center: bit.ly/LAMPFP

📢 New report from the UCLA Labor Center: “Harm to Table: Vulnerability and Exploitation in Los Angeles County Meatpacking and Food Processing” examines the conditions of the industry and offers practical recommendations to support workers. Read the findings: bit.ly/LAMPFP 🔗

On Oct. 14, the Los Angeles Unified School District unanimously approved the workplace readiness resolution. The resolution introduces a framework to educate high school students about their workplace rights, addressing a critical knowledge gap to support young workers.

We invite you to join us in-person on Friday, November 14th for a convening to discuss our newest publication, BEYOND SANCTUARY, and its relevance to the moment at hand. RSVP>> beyondsanctuary.eventbrite.com

NEXT WEEK: This virtual panel will explore the findings of the upcoming UCLA Labor Center and El Centro report, Harm to Table: Vulnerability and Exploitation in Los Angeles County Meatpacking and Food Processing. ⚠️ RSVP now: bit.ly/4hbWf6O 🔗

We invite you all to read the Labor Center's official obituary for Kent Wong, published on our website. 🔗 bit.ly/kentwongobit...

The UCLA Labor Center is deeply saddened to share that Kent Wong, our former director for more than 30 years, has passed away. His legacy lives on with every staff member and student at the UCLA Labor Center. labor.ucla.edu/statement-on...

Our Director Saba Waheed @sabawa.bsky.social and Senior Research Analyst Brian Justie were chosen as recipients of the 2025 AI RFP grant. 🔍 Thank you to @equitablegrowth.bsky.social for providing the UCLA Labor Center with an opportunity to study this emerging field and further support workers.

September 22 is Rev. James Lawson Jr. Day in Los Angeles County, honoring Lawson's lifelong devotion to civil justice and his leadership in movements to advance human rights.

Last week, our UCLA Labor Center staff attended a Labor Day march, tabling and acting as peacekeepers in solidarity with other labor organizations and the broader community. 🧑‍🏭 👷‍♀️ We remain committed to showing up for one another and spreading our mission of uplifting workers. ✊

At the California Workforce Association’s Meeting of the Minds Conference, Dr. Ana Luz Gonzalez-Vasquez helped showcase the Economic Liberation Project—an immigrant-centered entrepreneurship model designed to counter the exclusion of mixed-status workers from federally funded programs. 👏

The UCLA IRLE's "State of the Unions" 2024 report is making headlines. Access the full text at bit.ly/SOTU-2024. www.latimes.com/business/sto...

Last week, our UCLA Labor Center staff joined community members across LA in welcoming students back to school with @utlanow.bsky.social, as a reminder that all students deserve a safe education. We were proud to stand in solidarity to create a welcoming and safe space in our local community. ❤️

Wrapping up the conference with the Academic Labor Centers & Strategic Research panel! Moderator Saba Waheed (@uclalabor.bsky.social) is joined by Rachel Erstad ( @uwbridgescenter.bsky.social‬), Sara Myklebust (Georgetown University), and Satomi Rash-Zeigler (@ucsdlaborcenter.bsky.social).

Last week, the #UCLA Labor Center and our partners collaborated to bring labor education to #LAUSD teachers. #Teachers from across the district engaged in a collective bargaining simulation, learning critical information about the labor movement that they will be taking back to their classrooms. 📚💯

UALE is hosting a series of webinars focused on advancing power to address relevant issues in the labor movement. Register at bit.ly/ualesummerwebinars 📍💻

On Wednesday, we joined our partners at the LA County Department of Economic Opportunity and Dalberg in announcing the launch of the County’s $17.8 million  High Road Training Partnership (HRTP) Fund, launching new worker-centered, industry-informed training programs across LA County. 👏

We're honored to share with you all our Dream Summer 2025 logo, designed by alumni artist Eunsoo Jeong. We welcome our 2025 cohort of fellows, who will continue to blossom and show their power. 🌼

Today, the MacArthur park community was targeted by immigration agents. As these agents descended, however, so did the advocates from across LA who have been working diligently to build rapid response networks, embodying the phrase: We keep us safe. www.latimes.com/california/s...

Whether you’re new to activism & organizing or just looking to improve your skills in this era of resistance, this will be a space to build courage, clarity, and community with the guidance of leaders like Kent Wong. 📢 Register today at: action.thelafed.org/a/non-violen... 🔗

New podcast from our Labor Studies students: the realities of life as a student worker today--juggling work and school to pay the bills and get through college on time. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/r...

As immigrant communities across the state face escalating threats, its crucial for immigrant workers to know their rights. Protect yourself and others by staying informed. 📣 Thread Below ⬇️

Last week, we collaborated with KIWA and @aapidata.bsky.social to host a community talk that brought together over 60 workers and community members to engage with the findings of our ongoing research into supermarket work in Koreatown. 💬 Keep an eye out for our report release this fall! 🔥

UCLA IRLE experts met the moment this week, providing valuable context to news outlets on labor and immigrant rights in L.A. Read this article featuring Victor Narro, project director @uclalabor.bsky.social and Chris Zepeda-Millán, UCLA Labor Studies Chair: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Created by student workers, for student workers, this new project from LSRP sheds light on the everyday struggles of student workers balancing jobs, coursework, and their futures. Explore the website and three part podcast here: bit.ly/lsrp2024web 🎙️💻

We remain committed to protecting immigrant and worker rights, regardless of the barriers in our path. For a full list of immigration resources, go to: bit.ly/immigrant-re...

Featuring UCLA Labor Center Director @sabawa.bsky.social, check it out! 🔥

To learn more about the scope of California’s cannabis industry and the experiences of its workers, read our first-of-its-kind report. 🌱 bit.ly/uclacannabis...

This worker testimony from our new research report, High Stakes: The State of the California Cannabis Workforce, details the exploitation faced by some cannabis workers. 🗯 Read more about worker experiences at: bit.ly/uclacannabis...

Our new report is a collaboration between the Cannabis Worker Collab and the UCLA Labor Center that features a comprehensive, novel insight into the California cannabis industry. 📊 Read at: bit.ly/uclacannabis... 🔗

The UCLA Labor Center has collaborated with the Latina Futures 2050 Lab and UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center to release a research brief that centers young adult Latinas to illuminate employment trends and propose recommendations that address their distinct needs. 📊🔗 Read at: bit.ly/OYALWREPORT

Don't miss out on listening to this insightful conversation! Narro and Higbie unpack how the evolving social, political and demographic landscape of Los Angeles has shaped organizing in recent decades and share practical tips for aspiring organizers. 🔥

Dr. Ana Luz Gonzalez-Vasquez and Magaly Lopez from our POWER team presented at the California Workforce Association’s WORKCON 2025 conference. Our team was joined by representatives from @oralelb.bsky.social, CLEAN Carwash Worker Center, @idepsca.bsky.social, and @bspbuildingskills.bsky.social.

The UCLA Labor Center was honored to join the thousands of workers and allies coming together for May Day, with our director Saba Waheed @sabawa.bsky.social giving a powerful speech. Yesterday's motto will continue to ring true as a call to action. One struggle, one fight -- Workers unite!

“Historically, Black workers have used federal positions … as pathways to homeownership, higher education for their children and retirement savings — opportunities that were not widely available to previous generations,” said Andrea Slater, Director of CARE at Work. buff.ly/WgQqQN4

A report by the UCLA Labor Center is currently featured in the David J Sencer CDC Museum's Health is a Human Right exhibition. The right to a safe workplace is crucial for achieving health equity for all. 📣

National Survey! Attention representatives of formal university-affiliated labor studies or labor research programs/centers that work with unions or worker centers on applied and community-engaged projects. You are invited to participate in this nationwide survey: bit.ly/SURVEYLC

Join us for this year’s May Day March & Rally! 📣 Stand in solidarity for worker and immigrant rights on May 1st 💪 🚌 Want to ride with us? We’ve reserved a 50-passenger bus for Labor Studies 101—and we’ve got a few extra seats for our Labor Studies students and allies!

A few weeks ago, our Young Worker Initiative was at Jefferson High School to teach workplace readiness to students. 💯 Joining us was Assemblymember Liz Ortega, the sponsor of AB800. Our team and guests got to see firsthand how students engage with the material and just how relevant it is to them. 🔥

“Co-hosted by the UCLA Labor Center, the event featured workforce equity experts who led discussions on finding actionable solutions for driving job growth and economic mobility across California, particularly in underserved communities.” buff.ly/Nbuw4tf #InTheNews

Yesterday, Senior Research Analyst Brian Justie presented at the Senate Governmental Organization Committee hearing about SB366. 🔍 📊 SB366 would require the Department of General Services to contract with the UCLA Labor Center to conduct a study evaluating AI's impact on workers across the state.

UCLA Labor Center Director Saba Waheed @sabawa.bsky.social will join other workforce leaders for a panel discussion at the #NSCSkillsSummit in Washington D.C. this May. 💡

#IRLEInTheNews Last week, the UCLA Labor Center co-hosted a workforce equity summit in Los Angeles: lasentinel.net/smallwood-cu... For more labor news, sign up for our weekly digest at bit.ly/IRLE_LaborReads @uclalabor.bsky.social

On March 21, the UCLA Labor Center partnered with Senator Lola Smallwood Cuevas to host the Workforce Equity Summit. The summit brought together leaders to explore strategies for equitable job growth in emerging sectors–green infrastructure, cannabis, and artificial intelligence. 🔥

“Farmworker advocates have also called for changes, saying the program is ripe for exploitation — because a worker’s permission to be in the country is tied to the employer — and should be bolstered with additional protections.” buff.ly/NQdF2s5 #InTheNews