
Research uncovers local labor issues that may be driving increased unionization
Surveys show young workers suffer from scheduling instability, and those who are LGBTQ+ are more likely to experience wage theft and workplace injuries. Meanwhile, census data show a harmful pay gap for Latina workers.

Center for Labor and Community partners with regional union leaders on state-funded push to ensure workplace rights, safety, and benefits
UC Santa Cruz’s Center for Labor and Community will partner with the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO on a state grant to educate workers across the Central Coast in sectors like agriculture, hospitality, construction, manufacturing, and retail.

Young workers in Santa Cruz County may be poised to lead a ‘union boom’
Santa Cruz County has already been gaining national attention for groundbreaking unionization efforts led by young workers, including at local Starbucks and REI locations. Now, new survey data show why that trend is likely to continue.

Center for Labor and Community opens on UC Santa Cruz campus
Scholars studying the economic and social impacts of a variety of labor and employment issues facing workers in Santa Cruz and the Monterey Bay Area just announced the opening of a new center on campus that will provide timely and policy-relevant labor research, will educate the next generation of labor and community leaders and will advance labor, community, and occupational health initiatives.

Scholars, students, and community working together for transformation at UCSC’s All-In Conference
More than 400 university scholars, students, community organizers, foundation representatives, artists, and activists came together in late October for a one-of-a-kind event to build collaborative partnerships for community-engaged research and meaningful social change at the UC Santa Cruz conference: All-In: Co-creating Knowledge for Justice.

Student research project looks at affordable housing crisis in Santa Cruz
A UC Santa Cruz multi-media research project on the affordable housing crisis in Santa Cruz is scheduled to be presented to the public 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13 at the Museum of Art and History in Santa Cruz.

Student study tells the stories of low-wage workers in Santa Cruz County
A year-long study by UC Santa Cruz students that finds low-wage workers in Santa Cruz County earn about $10 an hour compared with the county median of $17.81 will be released at ‘Working for Dignity,’ a public event 7-9 p.m. Thursday, May 7 at the Museum of Art and History in Santa Cruz.

Restaurant worker advocate visits Santa Cruz for reading, book signing
Saru Jayaraman, author of Behind the Kitchen Door, will speak and sign copies of her book Thursday, March 21, 7-9 p.m. at the Live Oak Grange, 1900 17th Ave., Santa Cruz in an event co-sponsored by the UCSC Center for Labor Studies, Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, and Friends of the UCSC Farm and Garden.

Conference focuses attention on Labor Across the Food System
A free public conference at UC Santa Cruz February 3 and 4 will address the question of “Labor Across the Food System.” Scholars, researchers, and activists from California and beyond will gather to discuss the role of labor and social justice in reshaping the contemporary global food system.
In the media
Forbes, Union Popularity Hits 70%, But Trump’s NLRB Move Threatens Labor
By Teresa Ghilarducci, Professor of Economics at The New School in New York City
New evidence suggests younger workers are more attuned to the benefits of unionization. Fortunately, researchers at the University Santa Cruz did such a deep dive in their January 2025 “Union-Curious Young Workers in Santa Cruz County” —-the first in a planned series of reports—-which reported 44% of young workers in Santa Cruz County would join a union if given the opportunity, 37% are union-curious, and only 19% would not join a union.
Santa Cruz Sentinel, The history of Labor Day is right now
By Teresa Ghilarducci, Professor of Economics at The New School in New York City
Most nations celebrate workers on May 1, so why is American Labor Day the first Monday in September? More mysterious is that May Day’s bloody roots are in the U.S. In 1889, May Day was declared “International Workers’ Day” by the International Socialist Conference to honor American labor leaders hanged for conspiracy for the deaths in the 1886 Chicago Haymarket Riots/Massacre during a rally for a 10-hour workday.
Santa Cruz Sentinel, Unions benefit workers — and employers
By Veronica Hamilton, Graduate Student Researcher for the Center for Labor and Community, and Teresa Ghilarducci, Professor of Economics at The New School in New York City
Despite the significant risks of unionizing, including the threat of termination faced by one in five workers, the benefits of union membership, such as higher wages, better insurance, pensions, and a stronger voice in the workplace, make the effort worthwhile. This guest commentary highlights how union benefits extend beyond individual workers, elevating living standards and promoting workplace dignity across the economy.
Center updates
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Making Tech Work for Workers
Making Tech Work for Workers Last Tuesday, several Social Sciences faculty and staff members attended Making Tech Work for Workers: A Statewide Conference on Labor, AI, and Building Power in California in Sacramento. Chris Benner (Institute for Social Transformation faculty director), Steve McKay (Center for Labor and Community faculty director), Zoe Zhao (Center for Labor…
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A Just Transition for Whom?
A Just Transition for Whom? On December 5, 2024, the Center for Labor and Community hosted a conversation with Dr. J. Mijin Cha (author of A Just Transition for All: Workers and Communities for a Carbon-Free Future, MIT Press) and Labor Notes’ Labor-Climate Organizer, Keith Brower-Brown. This event brought together academics, labor organizers, and workers from across the region to think…
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Center Launch Event 2023
On December 7, 2023, the Center for Labor and Community (CLC) held a reception to commemorate the official launch of this exciting new hub for labor-related research and activism at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Over sixty participants crowded the third-floor salon of the UCSC Institute of the Arts and Sciences on a chilly…