featuring
Maria Elena Durazo
Vice-Chair, Democratic National Committee, General Vice President for Immigration, Civil Rights, and Diversity, UNITE HERE
Robin D. G. Kelley
Professor and Gary B. Nash Endowed Chair in U.S. History, UCLA
Abel Valenzuela
Director, UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment
Now more than ever, in this divided political era, higher education institutions like UCLA have an important role to play in upholding workers’ rights. Universities are where rigorous data-driven research happens on pressing economic, workplace, and political issues. They are where students develop research and critical thinking skills and engage directly in the cities where they live.
For over 70 years, the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment has conducted timely and impactful research on labor markets and how work impacts workers and their families. As home to the UCLA Labor Center, the Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program (LOSH), and Human Resources Roundtable (HARRT), IRLE has been at the forefront of shifting the conversation about work in Los Angeles and nationwide.