The Worker Institute brings together researchers, educators and students with practitioners in labor, business and policymaking to address issues related to confronting systemic inequality and building a fair economy, robust democracy and just society. We will share opinion, analysis, research, data, insights and training from our faculty and staff.
Labor Leading on Climate
Climate Jobs Institute to Launch in New York City
Cornell Chronicle
The ILR School Climate Jobs Institute, the first U.S. academic institution focused on conducting research and developing policy for governments across the nation to support clean energy targets, is launching Jan. 25 in New York City.
Join us: Equity in Focus: Building a Diverse, Inclusive Clean Energy Workforce
Join us on June 29, 2022 for the third webinar in a new series co-hosted by the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau and Cornell ILR Worker Institute.
Cunningham facilitates Offshore Wind Training for IUOE Local 30
Zach Cunningham, Extension Associate for the Worker Institute and Mariah Dignan, of Climate Jobs NY deliver a riveting presentation on Climate Jobs and Offshore Wind (OSW) to IUOE Local 30
Podcast: Organized Labor Sees Promise in Transition to Clean Energy
Lara Skinner, Director of Labor Leading on Climate Initiative Cornell University ILR School spoke with The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy the University of Pennsylvania on a podcast: "Organized Labor Sees Promise in Transition to Clean Energy.
Watch the recording of "A Climate Jobs Plan for Rhode Island"
On Friday, March 4, researchers from Cornell University joined with leaders of the Climate Jobs RI coalition, a group of labor, climate, and community groups in Rhode Island, and discussed a new report unveiled last month that outlined a comprehensive action plan for RI.
A New Report from The Worker Institute Outlines a Climate Jobs Agenda for Maine
A new report released today by climate and labor experts at Cornell University examines the intersecting crises and then offers a series of “climate jobs” recommendations for Maine.
Cornell experts and RI labor and climate leaders to discuss a climate jobs action plan for Rhode Island
On Friday, March 4 at 1 p.m, researchers from Cornell University will join leaders of the Climate Jobs RI coalition, a group of labor, climate, and community groups in Rhode Island, to discuss a report unveiled last month that outlined a comprehensive climate action plan.
A New Report from The Worker Institute and Climate Jobs NY Outlines a Climate Jobs Agenda for New York City Communities
— A new report released today by climate and labor experts at Cornell University in collaboration with Climate Jobs NY examines the impact of climate breakdown and the pandemic on NYC workers and frontline communities.
New Report Outlines Equitable Climate Action Plan for Rhode Island
Climate Jobs Rhode Island and Cornell University recently released a report outlining a climate jobs action plan to put Rhode Island on the path to meeting the state’s climate targets and building an equitable renewable energy economy.
Labor and environmental coalition calls for R.I. to transition to a clean energy economy
Boston Globe
A report by Cornell University researchers details crises involving climate change, the pandemic, and inequality, recommends major public projects involving wind energy, schools, and electrical grid
New Report Details how Rhode Island Can Create a Clean-Energy, Worker-Centered Economy
A new report released today by climate and labor experts at Cornell University in collaboration with the Climate Jobs Rhode Island Coalition outlines a comprehensive climate jobs action plan to put Rhode Island on the path to building an equitable and resilient clean-energy economy.
Estimating and Understanding Bridgeport Public School Emissions through a Carbon-Free Healthy Schools Tool
Researchers from the Labor Leading on Climate team in collaboration with Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs recently developed a geospatial dashboard to analyze Bridgeport Public School District environmental health issues while calculating potential emissions. This tool was made to support the Connecticut Carbon-Free Healthy School initiative.
How the US labor movement is getting to grips with the climate crisis
The Guardian
Through organizing led in part by the Climate Jobs National Resource Center and the Workers Institute at Cornell University, this strategy has been adopted in other states around the US, such as New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Illinois and Texas.
Labor Secretary Walsh, AFL-CIO Pres. Shuler, Union and Climate Leaders to Participate in Climate Jobs Summit
On Tuesday, September 21, the second virtual annual Climate Jobs Summit will convene leaders from the labor and climate movements, policymakers, scientists, academics, and activists to discuss America’s historic opportunity to build a worker-centered clean energy economy.
Skinner to be Honored at the 2021 Movement Builders Awards
Lara Skinner, Labor Leading on Climate Director, is an honoree of the 2021 Movement Builders Awards for her tireless advocacy for a just transition to a renewable energy economy.
Zach Cunningham and local partners deliver training for Local 338 (RWDSU)
Cunningham of the Worker Institute, in conjunction with Climate Jobs NY, delivers virtual training for the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union Local 338.
‘Everyone Wants a Good Job’: The Texas Unions Fighting for a Green New Deal
At the Texas AFL-CIO annual convention, unions voted in favor of a green jobs plan. The proposal was written by the Texas Climate Jobs Project, “a project of the state labor federation and ILR's Worker Institute in consultation with 27 unions statewide.”
The Climate Jobs Summit on September 21, 2021, will bring together newly established state Climate Jobs coalitions, labor leaders, union climate activists, environmental and environmental justice advocates, clean-energy developers, policymakers, educators, scientists, and all who want to build the clean-energy economy of tomorrow with good union jobs.
Why Texas fossil fuel unions signed onto a climate plan
Grist
Skinner, Labor Leading on Climate Director, says “there’s been a real focus on the carbon impact of proposals and not enough emphasis on what type of jobs are these activities going to create, what are the quality of these jobs, are they actually going to help reverse inequality.”
Zach Cunningham, from the Cornell ILR School’s Worker Institute, proposes focusing on making the transition to renewable-energy sources one that provides good-paying jobs, rather than a narrative of “good jobs versus the environment.”
According to Zach Cunningham, education and training extension associate at the Worker Institute, the transition to renewable-energy sources can provide good-paying jobs “if workers and unions fight for them to be good jobs.”
Energy transition could create 1.1 million jobs in Texas, report says
Lara Skinner, Director of Cornell’s Labor Leading on Climate Initiative, provided insight into the number of jobs that could be created in various aspects of growing the renewable energy and climate tech industries in Texas.
Texas Unions Launch Major Effort to Combat Climate Change, Tackle Inequality in US Energy Capital
A new report by climate and labor experts at Cornell University, Northeastern University, and Occidental College, in consultation with 27 Texas labor unions, accompanied the launch and outlays out a comprehensive climate jobs action plan to put Texas on the path to building an equitable clean-energy economy.
Combatting Climate Change, Reversing Inequality: A Climate Jobs Program for Texas
The Worker Institute’s Labor Leading on Climate launches report that examines the crises of inequality and climate change in Texas and makes a series of “climate jobs” recommendations that can help Texas simultaneously combat climate change, create high-quality jobs, and build more equitable and resilient communities.
Cornell's Labor Leading on Climate team examines the American Jobs Plan and explains why the built-in labor standards are critical to the proposal’s success.
Four policy recommendations for New York State to beat back inequality and climate change
Cornell’s Labor Leading on Climate research team makes recommendations for NYS policy intervention. It will not be easy to tackle climate change -- but New Yorkers don’t shy away from a fight. Reducing inequality and creating meaningful high-impact Climate Jobs through strategic planning and having strong labor standards.
