October 2022

Re:Work episodes that highlight the voices of Latina/o/x/e folks.

This month, IRLE will hold its first in-person speaker event since 2020. Please join us on October 13th between 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. for Labor Speaker Series: “Is Formalization the Answer? Is Informality the Problem?” Waste Picker Rights Policy in São Paolo and Bogotá. Drawing on 24 months of ethnographic field research, Assistant Professor of Labor Relations and Sociology Manuel Rosaldo will analyze two ambitious efforts to integrate informal waste pickers into formal waste management. The event will be held in the Luskin School of Public Affairs Faculty Lounge, Room 5391. RSVP here.

On September 29, Victor Narro was honored for his work at the 2022 Alumni Stars ceremony by Virginia Commonwealth University.

On September 29, Labor Center project manager Ana Luz Gonzalez-Vasquez spoke at the National Fund for Workforce Solutions's SHIFT Workforce event. She presented on CA's Worker Equity Initiative, an innovative project by the UCLA Labor Center and the National Skills Coalition that elevates worker voice to advance equitable workforce development ecosystems.

On September 16, CARE at Work and community partners held a Black Worker Summit, which united Black workers and stakeholders for justice and equity solutions required to improve Black futures.

Check out these awesome highlights from LOSH’s 40-hour Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) training with Women in Non Traditional Employment Roles (WINTER). This training was provided as part of WINTER’s construction pre-apprenticeship job training program which aims to train, educate and prepare women for transformative careers in the construction industry.

To learn more about LOSH’s HAZWOPER training, visit here.

To learn more about WINTER, visit here.

LBR STD 174: Labor and Employment Law, taught by Director of Learning Environment & Academic Affairs at UCLA School of Law Brenda Suttonwills, concluded at the end of Session C with an enrollment number of 36 students. "When engaging in dialogue with [the] professor outside of the classroom and on campus, I felt extremely welcome and seen. She validated my experiences as a first-gen, low-income student and was the first person to encourage me to step outside of my comfortable career plan post-graduation," said a student in an anonymous course evaluation.

Locked out for objecting to customer abuse, the strippers at North Hollywood's Star Garden organized a picket in protest. Now affiliated with Actors Equity, the Star Garden workers continue to fight for respect and safety in the workplace. Meanwhile, Strippers United, an industry-wide organization, is working to become a hub for strippers as workers in the labor movement. Join Meagan Stoney Lord, a labor studies alumna, and Jordan Palmer for a candid conversation about the Star Garden protest and sex workers' central place in both the labor and the feminist movements. Interview led by labor studies instructors Loretta M. Gaffney and Victor Narro. Additional article, video and book recommendations found in the video description section. Watch the full video here.

In an interview, Chris Zepeda-Millán describes how activism has played a central role in his life and his goals as the new labor studies chair. Read the story here.

Dream Resource Center Alumni Coordinator Cuauhtemoc Salinas Martell spoke with the Daily Bruin on growing UCLA’s network of support for undocumented individuals. Salinas Martell spoke on his vision for the alumni network and his goal to build connections within the undocumented community.  

Wired spoke with UCLA Labor Center researcher Brian Justie on the effects of Prop 22 on gig workers. Justie explains how gig companies are  able to codify working conditions for drivers that benefitted the companies rather than the workers. 

UCLA Labor Center Director Kent Wong spoke with NewsNation on the recent airline workers strike. Wong spoke on how COVID-19 affected airlines and how workers are at the receiving end of the anger and frustration by travelers. 

CalMatters spoke with UCLA Labor Center Legal and Policy Research Manager Tia Koonse on collecting unpaid wages. Koonse discusses the power disparities between workers and employers, highlighting the flaws of the wage claim system.

Newsom Signs California Bill to Ease Farm Union Voting | The New York Times, September 28, 2022 

In this piece, Kurtis Lee analyzes the new Assembly Bill 2183, a California measure that allows farmworkers to vote by mail in union elections. Through organizing strategies by farmworkers and support by President Biden, the bill was signed by Gov. Newson despite  some contention that it would be vetoed. This was a major victory for farmworkers, who have decreased in union participation over the years. Many farmworkers believe that this new measure will prevent employer intimidation, which they often experience when  voting at election sites usually in the growers’ property. Read more here.

We hope you enjoyed This Month at IRLE edited by Lesly Ayala.

Media inquiries for the UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment and its labor experts can be sent to vanessacodilla@ucla.edu.

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