We just released a major overhaul of our online policy guide to major laws, bills, and concepts in the regulation of workplace technologies–including developments from the 2025 legislative session. laborcenter.berkeley.edu/tech-and-wor...

Exciting new developments in our Green Economy Program! We welcome two new senior researchers, Betony Jones and Josh Sonnenfeld. Plus, updates on our refinery transition work in Contra Costa and projects aimed at growing a high-road green economy in CA. laborcenter.berkeley.edu/the-labor-ce...

Unions are articulating a vision for how AI & other digital technologies should be developed and used in the workplace. We analyzed 17 of these documents by 15 organizations and identified key values being put forward. laborcenter.berkeley.edu/a-first-look...

We looked at the wages and turnover of NYC security guards. Our study found they earn a median income of $40,311—less than 40% of the city’s Area Median Income, even though the vast majority work full time and full year. www.amny.com/lifestyle/ci...

Register by Sep 16 for our 6-week online course Skills to Win. Designed to build high-participation organizations & prepare groups to win on any campaign, whether in a workplace, apartment building, neighborhood, neighborhood, school, or city. Learn more: laborcenter.berkeley.edu/workshop/ski...

TONIGHT! Sept 10, 6pm, Alameda CLC: Chicago Teachers Union Pres Stacy Davis Gates on how decades of bold organizing have led to the possibility for transformational change, powered by alignment between labor unions, community organizers & governing power. laborcenter.berkeley.edu/event/stacy-...

Wed, Sept 10, 6pm at Alameda CLC: Chicago Teachers Union Pres Stacy Davis Gates on how decades of bold organizing have led to the possibility for transformational change, powered by alignment between labor unions, community organizers & governing power. laborcenter.berkeley.edu/event/stacy-...

Come hear Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates in Oakland next week! www.facebook.com/events/20188...

Belated Labor Day article from LA Times: "Unions face mounting pressure to protect their members from the Trump administration’s immigration raids, cuts in Medicaid services and a weakened National Labor Relations Board." www.latimes.com/business/sto...

@elopezlira.bsky.social: Despite the headwinds—housing, health care affordability, technology, AI—California unions show resiliency in continuing to seek and find innovative ways to help workers. capitalandmain.com/unions-are-s...

The UC Berkeley Labor Center seeks applications for a Policy Researcher in the Low-Wage Work Team. First review date is September 11. laborcenter.berkeley.edu/job-opening-...

Register by Sep 3 for our 6-week online course Skills to Win. Designed to build high-participation organizations and prepare groups to win on any campaign, whether in a workplace, apartment building, neighborhood, neighborhood, school, or city. Learn more: laborcenter.berkeley.edu/workshop/ski...

“The future is not inevitable. There are a lot of choices that people can make along the road.” So good to see @mishal-khan.bsky.social of @ucblaborcenter.bsky.social get a spotlight from @sfexaminer.bsky.social! Check out this great interview: www.sfexaminer.com/news/technol...

This piece by @markkreidler.bsky.social in @capitalandmain.bsky.social does a great job of putting our State of the Unions report in context. A must read as we enter Labor Day weekend. capitalandmain.com/unions-are-s...

TODAY! Join us for the annual UC Berkeley Labor Center Open House! Eat snacks, hear from Labor Center researchers and partners about their work, and build community. August 28 from 4:00 - 6:00 PM at 2521 Channing Way. RSVP at tinyurl.com/F25OH-RSVP

NEW: Days after Rose Lane employees filed a union petition, the entire staff lost their jobs. @hikarimaehida.bsky.social and I reported this important story for Labor New York. Many thanks to our profs+editors, @bgrueskin.bsky.social and @juanmabenitez.bsky.social medium.com/labor-new-yo...

California SB 7 is part of unions' push to establish worker protections related to businesses’ use of artificial intelligence and similar tools, said Annette Bernhardt, director of the technology and work program at the University of California, Berkeley Labor Center.

ICYMI:

"UC Berkeley Labor Center economist Enrique Lopezlira said the benefits of those narrowly targeted tax breaks will likely be outweighed by the costs of Trump’s other economic policies." capitalandmain.com/trumps-polic....

New report w/ @uclairle.bsky.social gives a snapshot of the CA labor movement. Key findings: ➡️CA union density is holding steady despite nationwide decline ✊Workers & unions held over 200 strikes or protests in CA in 2024 Read the full report at bit.ly/SOTU-2024

Learn more about California labor’s gains and challenges in 2024 at bit.ly/SOTU-2024

New private-sector organizing in California is concentrated Three unions filed more than half of all new union (RC) petitions in CA in 2024

Workers and unions held over 200 strikes or protests in CA in 2024 ✊The labor movement is active in California, bolstered by state policies and targeted campaigns

California union density is holding steady despite nationwide decline ➡️ Over the past twenty years, union density has remained stable at around 16% while falling to 11% in the US as a whole

I *just* shared their book from @labornotes.bsky.social with someone - Chicago teachers get the GOODS for their locals

Come hear Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Gates talk about fearless organizing. This should be insightful and inspiring! laborcenter.berkeley.edu/event/stacy-...

“Unions are very active in California and have really tried to continue organizing workers, and that is showing up in the data,” Enrque Lopezlira of the UC Berkeley Labor Center said. www.latimes.com/business/sto...

Union members in the state are more likely than non-union workers to have higher wages, stronger workplace protections and greater civic engagement, Tobias Higbie of @uclairle.bsky.social said, describing it as a kind of “trickle-up economic vitality.” Read more at: www.sacbee.com/news/equity-...

New report on California unions on the cusp of big changes. Unions led 100s of strikes and protest, won vast majority of elections in 2024. Looking to future, state level policy likely to play bigger role.

📊A new report from the UCLA IRLE and UC Berkeley Labor Center (@ucblaborcenter.bsky.social) reveals data on union membership and organizing activity in California and the nation✊ KEY FINDINGS IN THREAD ⬇️ Read at bit.ly/SOTU-2024

Miranda Dietz: Work requirements for Medicaid don’t help people find or keep jobs—in fact, the opposite is true. Stable health insurance gives people the security they need to stay employed and imposing requirements ends up being counterproductive. fresnoland.org/2025/08/14/m...

🎙️ON AIR: Nearly 40% percent of Californians rely on Medi-Cal for health coverage. We're speaking with heads of health clinics in the Central Valley, Shasta County and Los Angeles about how they're coping as Medicaid cuts loom. ❓Are you worried you'll lose Medi-Cal coverage? 📻 Listen:

Nearly 40% percent of Californians rely on Medi-Cal for health coverage, and now millions are expected to fall off the rolls. NOW on Forum Miranda Dietz, interim director, UC Berkeley Labor Center Health Care Program: www.kqed.org/forum/201010...

Register by Sep 3 for our 6-week online course Skills to Win. Designed to build high-participation organizations and prepare groups to win on any campaign, whether in a workplace, apartment building, neighborhood, neighborhood, school, or city. Learn more: laborcenter.berkeley.edu/workshop/ski...

"UC Berkeley’s Labor Center launches a new data tool, an inventory of union contracts, to empower labor in negotiating AI and emerging technologies. It provides crucial insights for unions to secure worker protections and shape the future of work." lngfrm.net/uc-berkeley-...

Come work with us! We're hiring a program coordinator. laborcenter.berkeley.edu/job-opening-...

www.kqed.org/news/1205013... UC Berkeley Labor Center Deputy Executive Director Laurel Lucia said nonprofit providers like Hospice East Bay have a special duty to the community in a field that is increasingly facing corporatization by for-profit owners.

Don't miss this @forbes.com article by @shalinjyotishi.bsky.social on our brand new searchable inventory of contract provisions from over 175 union agreements that address workplace technologies, protect worker rights, and shape technology adoption, use, and oversight. www.forbes.com/sites/shalin...

Are you a union negotiator, researcher, policymaker, or journalist tracking how digital tech is used at work--and how unions are responding? Explore @ucblaborcenter.bsky.social's inventory of collective bargaining provisions related to workplace tech: laborcenter.berkeley.edu/negotiating-...

www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/inside-the... “This bill makes sure that workers are not simply informed when employers want to introduce a new technology, but have a real say in how it will be used—and the power to say no," says Mishal Khan, a senior researcher at the UC Berkeley Labor Center. "

Exciting new resources from our Tech and Work team: a searchable inventory of collective bargaining provisions related to digital workplace technologies. It includes provisions from more than 175 agreements, drawn from a review of over 500 contracts! laborcenter.berkeley.edu/negotiating-...

1 in 5 workers is an immigrant. Immigrants are a crucial part of the US economy, and Trump's radical deportation agenda will hurt us all. Trump’s increase in deportations will destroy 6 million jobs—for both immigrants AND US-born workers: www.epi.org/publication/...

EPI: "If the Trump administration follows through on its stated goal of deporting 4m people over four years: .. Nearly 6m jobs will be lost .. construction and child care sectors will be hardest hit .. CA, FL, NY, TX will have the highest number of job losses .. www.epi.org/publication/...

“How do you boast about your company doing well if workers are being left behind, and not keeping up with the pace of that growth from the company?” @BrendaMunoz www.kqed.org/news/1204759...

The Republican BBB could make it harder to enroll and maintain coverage through Covered CA and eliminates eligibility for certain lawfully present immigrants. See summary from @kffhealthnews.org: kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

missionlocal.org/2025/07/clin... This bill proposes the biggest cuts to Medicaid in the 60-year history of this program,” said Laurel Lucia, a deputy executive director at the U.C. Berkeley Labor Center.

After almost 23 years at the Labor Center — 17 as chair — @kjacobs9.bsky.social is retiring. His keen insight will be missed in the day-to-day work of the Labor Center, but he will continue to consult with Labor Center leaders and staff. laborcenter.berkeley.edu/ken-jacobs-r...

Gift article: As the state navigates the energy transition, it needs a clear and comprehensive plan to provide real support for refinery workers and communities affected by closures. @sfchronicle.com op-ed by @jhf-hammerling.bsky.social and Virginia Parks. www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/open...

Congratulations to Laurel Lucia, a 15-year Labor Center veteran, who completed her first day as deputy executive director of programs! laborcenter.berkeley.edu/laurel-lucia...