UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment

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UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment

Supports & conducts research on employment and labor topics in a variety of academic disciplines.

09/16/2026

In our first State of the Unions webinar, Starbucks Workers United CA worker-organizer Amber Gonzalez shared this inspiring message to workers in the union fight 💪

There is still time to RSVP for Part II! Join the UCLA IRLE and UCLA Labor Center for a virtual conversation revealing why securing a first union contract can take so long. Learn more at irle.ucla.edu/webinar/ or visit the link in our bio 🔗

09/14/2026

Join veteran organizers for a timely discussion on the history and future of immigrant worker justice on October 9.

IRLE’s fall events series invites some of the most prominent leaders in the labor and immigrant rights movements to share their experiences at a pivotal moment.
Learn more at the link in our bio or at irle.ucla.edu/webinar/

🗓️ October 9, 10 - 11:30 am
📍 Virtual

09/04/2026

The UCLA IRLE’s new “State of the Unions” report provides the latest data on union membership, organizing activity, and worker direct action in California.

KEY FINDING #1– California unions grew in 2025, adding more than 100,000 workers and increasing the share of the state’s workforce represented by unions to 16.7%.

Learn more at bit.ly/SOTU-25

KEY FINDING #2– Federal labor regulation slowed significantly under Trump. Union elections in the private sector dropped by more than 22%, while the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) more than doubled its backlog of unresolved cases.

Learn more at bit.ly/SOTU-25

KEY FINDING #3– After winning a union, many workers wait extended periods for a first contract. Half of bargaining units formed in California in 2024 had not ratified a first contract by the spring of 2026.

Learn more at bit.ly/SOTU-25

KEY FINDING #4– California is a national hub of strikes and worker protests, even as direct action types shift. Workers launched fewer strikes in 2025 than in previous years, yet engaged in many other forms of protest in response to issues at work and in their communities.

Learn more at bit.ly/SOTU-25

09/02/2026

The UCLA IRLE and UCLA Labor Center invite you to join UC labor experts and organizers for an illuminating virtual panel discussion on workers’ prolonged fights to secure a first union contract.

“State of the Unions Part II: The Fight for a First Union Contract”
🕐September 23, 12 - 1:30 pm PST
📍Virtual

RSVP at irle.ucla.edu/webinar/

09/01/2026

Introducing "State of the Unions: California Labor in 2025"

The UCLA IRLE’s new report provides the latest data on union membership, organizing activity, and worker direct action in California.

Released ahead of Labor Day, the report highlights workers’ persistent and creative strategies to build power under challenging circumstances during the first year of the Trump administration.

Learn more at [bit.ly/SOTU-25](http://bit.ly/SOTU-25)

The report features contributions from Labor Centers across the University of California, including UCLA Labor Center IE Labor and Community Center at UCR UC Berkeley Labor Center Davis Center UCSB Community Labor Center UC San Diego Labor Center and UC Santa Cruz Center for Labor and Community

08/17/2026

COMING SOON – State of the Unions: California Labor in 2025

Webinar Part I: California workers fight federal threats to organizing rights

🕐September 9 - 12 - 1:30 pm PST
📍Virtual
RSVP at irle.ucla.edu/webinar/ or at the link in our bio

Join the UCLA IRLE for an in depth discussion with labor experts and organizers on how workers fought back in this critical year.

The panel unpacks the IRLE’s next “State of the Unions” report, dropping on September 1. Published annually, the State of the Unions provides the latest data on worker power and union membership in California and the nation.

This is the first in a series of webinars on the “State of the Unions.” Stay tuned for more details.

07/31/2026

📰 IRLE's Weekly Labor Reads delivers a digest of labor news to your inbox every Friday.

For federal updates, local news and IRLE expert perspectives, read the newsletter below.

Read the digest at conta.cc/44Yejfu or click the link in our bio 🔗
Subscribe at bit.ly/IRLE_LaborReads

07/24/2026

📰 IRLE's Weekly Labor Reads delivers a digest of labor news to your inbox every Friday.

For federal updates, local news and IRLE expert perspectives, read the newsletter below.

Read the digest at conta.cc/4wkce9J or click the link in our bio 🔗
Subscribe at bit.ly/IRLE_LaborReads

07/17/2026

📰 IRLE's Weekly Labor Reads delivers a digest of labor news to your inbox every Friday.

For federal updates, local news and IRLE expert perspectives, read the newsletter below.

Read the digest at conta.cc/4wEscuU or click the link in our bio 🔗
Subscribe at bit.ly/IRLE_LaborReads

07/10/2026

📰 IRLE's Weekly Labor Reads delivers a digest of labor news to your inbox every Friday.

For federal updates, local news and IRLE expert perspectives, read the newsletter below.

Read the digest at conta.cc/4aO47JU or click the link in our bio 🔗
Subscribe at bit.ly/IRLE_LaborReads

Address

10945 Le Conte Avenue, Suite 2107
Los Angeles, CA
90095

Telephone

+13107945957

Website

http://www.irle.ucla.edu/

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