UCLA IRLE

Holding the line: State solutions to the U.S. worker rights crisis Federal worker protections are under attack Longstanding U.S. worker rights and protections are under acute threat. These include attempts to roll back standards that set a national floor for minimum ...

📰 IRLE's Weekend Labor Reads delivers a digest of labor news to your inbox each week.

Our top spot highlights @epi.org 's new series of reports outlining how states can protect worker rights: www.epi.org/holding-the-...

More labor news of the week here: conta.cc/3H0L03z

Commentary: Chris Newman is at the center of the immigration fight — again Newman was co-counsel on a lawsuit that won a temporary restraining order against the indiscriminate immigration raids that have afflicted Southern California since June. He also represents the family...

This week, Chris Newman, UCLA IRLE faculty and NDLON legal director, was profiled by @gustavoarellano.bsky.social in the L.A. Times: www.latimes.com/california/s...

Read more labor news in our weekly digest: conta.cc/3IIf0Sd

Trump's Labor Department proposes more than 60 rule changes in a push to deregulate workplaces The U.S. Department of Labor is aiming to rewrite or repeal more than 60 “obsolete” workplace regulations adopted under previous presidential administrations.

📰 IRLE's Weekend Labor Reads delivers a digest of labor news to your inbox each week.

Our top story explains the Trump Administration's cuts to worker protections: apnews.com/article/labo...

More labor news here: conta.cc/3IIf0Sd

ICE Set to Vastly Expand Its Reach With New Funds

Chris Newman, UCLA Labor Studies faculty and legal director at NDLON, spoke to The New York Times about the massive funding boost handed to ICE:

"There’s an incredible sense of dread, frankly."

Read more labor news of the week here: conta.cc/4f0JJpJ

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/12/u...

Can the courts stop Trump's mass immigration arrests around L.A.? Here is what we know There have been many legal challenges to President Trump's California immigration sweeps, but one in particular could dramatically alter the policy.

📰 IRLE's Weekend Labor Reads delivers a digest of labor news to your inbox each week.

Today we bring you an explainer on what might come next in the legal battle to stop L.A. immigration raids: www.latimes.com/california/s...

More labor news here: conta.cc/4f0JJpJ

About 200 arrested in chaotic immigration raid at cannabis farm, one worker reportedly dies in fall Protesters blocked the roads in and out of one of the farms, and at one point federal agents drove their vehicles through the fields.

A breaking story in the newsletter this week has been updated: The Los Angeles Times reports that about 200 people were arrested and some severely injured during the raids, including one worker who died from his injuries according to the UFW.

Read here: www.latimes.com/california/s...

Masked, Armed and Forceful: Finding Patterns in Los Angeles Immigration Raids - bellingcat Bellingcat collected videos and images from recent immigration raids in Los Angeles, analysing trends and apparent tactics used by law enforcement.

📰 IRLE's Weekend Labor Reads delivers a digest of labor news to your inbox each week.

Today we bring you new investigative reporting from CalMatters, Bellingcat and Evident Media on the recent immigration raids: www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/07...

More labor news here: conta.cc/3GiHrFG

ICE raids lead to another crisis for immigrant workers and families: How to pay rent Two-thirds of undocumented households were already burdened by L.A. housing costs. With breadwinners locked up and workplaces closed, paying rent is only getting harder.

📰 IRLE's Weekend Labor Reads delivers a digest of labor news to your inbox each week.

Today we bring you more coverage of how immigration raids are impacting working families, including our top story from LAist: laist.com/news/housing...

Full newsletter here: conta.cc/4nlkPVt

UCLA IRLE’s spring quarterly newsletter is out now 📣

Catch up on the latest news from our units. Read recently published reports, stories, staff mentions in the news and more 🗞️

Read the full newsletter here: bit.ly/IRLEQuarterly

Sign up to receive our newsletter: bit.ly/IRLEsign_up

At Home Depot, Ice raids terrorize the workers who helped build LA: ‘They just come and grab you’ Undocumented laborers have long gathered in the chain’s parking lots hoping to get hired, but now there is a ‘terrible fear’

📰 IRLE's Weekend Labor Reads delivers a digest of labor news to your inbox each week.

Today we bring you important coverage on how immigration raids are impacting the community, including our top story from the Guardian: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Full newsletter here: conta.cc/4e66msi

“They cannot steal your joy”: Celebration, community and resilience at UCLA Labor Studies 2025 commencement ceremony President of California Labor Federation Lorena Gonzalez delivered an inspiring address to the new graduates

Congratulations, UCLA Labor Studies class of 2025! 🎉👏

We were honored to welcome Lorena Gonzalez, President of the California Labor Federation (@californialabor.bsky.social ), to deliver the commencement address.

Read more about the ceremony here: irle.ucla.edu/2025/06/18/l...

IRLE's Hollywood Diversity Report 2025,Part 2: STREAMING is now available!📣

Get informed on the state of diversity in Hollywood as seen through the top performing streaming original films of 2024🎥🍿

Read here: irle.ucla.edu/research/emr...

@thigbie.bsky.social

Many unions were once wary of immigrants. Now they march alongside them. Changing demographics and common interests have led unions to take a more prominent role in immigrant workforces and communities.

"Given that so many working people are either immigrants, the children of immigrants or live in mixed status families or communities, it is in the interest of both the immigrant rights movement and the labor movement to collaborate."
- Toby Higbie, IRLE Director
www.marketplace.org/story/2025/0...

Los Angeles, city of immigrant protests: why it’s no surprise LA rose up against Trump For decades, LA has been at the center of the civil rights and immigrants’ rights movements – and Trump’s raids appear to be mobilizing a new generation

UCLA IRLE experts met the moment this week, providing valuable context to news outlets on labor and immigrant rights in L.A.

Read this article featuring Victor Narro, project director @uclalabor.bsky.social and Chris Zepeda-Millán, UCLA Labor Studies Chair: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

How Labor Unions Came to Define the L.A. Immigration Protests

📰 IRLE's Labor Reads delivers a digest of labor news to your inbox each week.

Today we bring you a special issue on the recent ICE raids and strong displays of solidarity in L.A., starting with our top story from the NYT: www.nytimes.com/2025/06/11/b...

Full newsletter here: conta.cc/3ZsZIq1

Labor groups, officials push for a minimum wage of at least $25 an hour in L.A. County Labor advocates and some elected officials are calling on Los Angeles County to adopt a minimum wage of at least $25 an hour.

📰 IRLE's Weekend Labor Reads delivers a digest of labor news to your inbox each week.

Our top story covers a new campaign to raise the minimum wage in L.A. County to $25/hour: www.latimes.com/business/sto...

Read this week's newsletter here: conta.cc/4mOjiHj

Subscribe at bit.ly/IRLE_LaborReads

Long Strike Yields Big Gains for Kaiser Mental Health Workers The 196-day strike of Kaiser Southern California mental healthcare workers is over. The 2,400 therapists, psychiatric nurses, social workers and psychologists won significant gains not just for themse...

📰 IRLE's Weekend Labor Reads delivers a digest of labor news to your inbox each week.

Our top story reflects on Kaiser mental heathcare workers' 196 day strike and victory: www.labornotes.org/blogs/2025/0...

Read this week's newsletter here: conta.cc/4dDUUnH

Subscribe at bit.ly/IRLE_LaborReads

Housekeepers demonstration downtown and civil disobedience, 2004. Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE) collection, UCLA Library Special Collections.

Superstore Ordinance campaign. Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE) collection, UCLA Library Special Collections.

No on KK Fake Living Wage Law, 2000. Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE) collection, UCLA Library Special Collections.

Democratic National Convention Loew's Campaign, 1999. Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE) collection, UCLA Library Special Collections.

UCLA Library has recently digitized photographs and other materials from the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE) ‪in partnership with the UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment @uclairle.bsky.social.

Learn more about the collection: ucla.in/4do5vTm

Americans favor labor unions over big business now more than ever This piece was also published on Medium. For decades, Americans were evenly divided in their relative support of labor unions and big business, but that’s no longer the case. Now, Americans are more l...

📰IRLE's Weekend Labor Reads delivers a digest of labor news to your inbox each week.

Our top story brings fascinating new data on union approval: www.epi.org/blog/america...

Read this week's newsletter here: conta.cc/43uCEbJ

Subscribe at bit.ly/IRLE_LaborReads

Our May Day conversation with @victornarro1.bsky.social and @thigbie.bsky.social is featured in a new episode of Re:Work from the UCLA Labor Center (@uclalabor.bsky.social)

Learn expert tips on organizing and sustaining a career in the movement ➡️ reworkradio.labor.ucla.edu/2025/05/15/r...

Federal employee unions fight for survival as Trump tries to eviscerate them In 1978, Congress gave federal workers the right to organize and bargain collectively, finding it in the public interest. Now Trump wants to end those labor rights for most of the federal workforce.

📰IRLE's Weekend Labor Reads delivers a digest of labor news to your inbox each week.

Our top story this week covers the Trump Administration's attacks on federal unions: www.npr.org/2025/05/11/n...

Read this week's newsletter here: conta.cc/4jY2nA4

Subscribe at bit.ly/IRLE_LaborReads

Trump cuts demolish agency focused on toxic chemicals and workplace hazards The Trump administration has decimated an agency responsible for carrying out much of the research and prevention efforts to curb exposure to dangerous substances and situations in the workplace.

📰IRLE's Weekend Labor Reads delivers a digest of labor news to your inbox each week.

Our top story this week covers the effective dismantling NIOSH: www.npr.org/sections/sho...

Read this week's newsletter here: conta.cc/3RXFtwC

Subscribe at bit.ly/IRLE_LaborReads

Worker-to-Worker Organizing: Revitalizing the Labor Movement Moderated by UCLA Labor Studies professor Kristoffer (Kit) Smemo, this installment of the series featured keynote speaker Eric Blanc, assistant professor of labor studies at Rutgers University, who di...

Eric Blanc (@ericblanc.bsky.social) joined UCLA Labor Studies to discuss his new book “We are the Union” in a dynamic keynote panel.

To learn more about union power in 2025, building worker leadership and scaling organizing efforts, watch below:

irle.ucla.edu/2025/05/06/w...

Join me at UCLA on Wed, May 7th at 1pm PT in Bunche Hall Rm 6272 to delve into my latest book, Freedom Train. Let's explore the origins of interracial labor solidarity together! Register at bit.ly/LS-deleon. Many thanks to Kevan Harris, Kit Smemo, @uclairle.bsky.social and @ucpress.bsky.social

May Day demonstrations in US and around the globe protest Trump agenda Hundreds of thousands of people rallied in U.S. cities and around the globe for International Workers’ Day or May Day, with the focus this year on President Donald Trump’s agenda.

📰 IRLE's Weekend Labor Reads delivers a digest of labor news to your inbox each week

Our top story covers May Day actions around the world: apnews.com/article/may-...

Read more labor news in our digest here: conta.cc/4d5WvCu
And subscribe at bit.ly/IRLE_LaborReads

May Day in Los Angeles A conversation with a Tobias Higbie and Victor Narro on organizing and sustaining social movements

In honor of May Day, Victor Narro, project director at UCLA Labor Center, joined Toby Higbie, UCLA IRLE Director, for a conversation on the significance of May Day in Los Angeles.

Watch here: irle.ucla.edu/2025/04/30/m...

@thigbie.bsky.social

Collateral Damage: How Trump Is Hollowing Out the Black Middle Class The president has gone nuclear against federal union jobs — historically African Americans’ ladder to economic equality.

“Historically, Black workers have used federal positions … as pathways to homeownership, higher education for their children and retirement savings — opportunities that were not widely available to previous generations,” said Andrea Slater, Director of CARE at Work. buff.ly/WgQqQN4

There is still time to apply to the 2025 UCLA Strategic Labor Research Conference🗓️

We have a great lineup of workshops and panels this year, ft. experts including Alí Bustamante (@dralibustamante.bsky.social) and Aditi Sen

Learn more at bit.ly/SLRC2025

What is May Day? History, meaning and significance The origins of May Day, May Day v.s. Labor Day, How May Day is celebrated in Los Angeles

May Day is this Thursday!📣

Learn more about the holiday's origin story, how it is observed and why is it significant for workers around the world in a new article on the UCLA IRLE website.

Read here: irle.ucla.edu/2025/04/28/m...