UCLA Labor Center

What UCLA Labor Center does

The UCLA Labor Center is a non-profit research, education, and policy unit housed within UCLA's Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, founded in 1964 and operating from a MacArthur Park building renamed the UCLA James Lawson Jr. Worker Justice Center in December 2021. The center delivers participatory research, training, fellowships, and advocacy across nine program areas including Re:Work Research, CARE at Work (racial equity), POWER in Workforce Development, the Dream Resource Center, the Young Worker Initiative, Global Solidarity, Asian American Racial Justice, the Nonviolence Education Project, and the Re:Work Radio podcast. Its work centers economic equity, racial and immigrant justice, and worker power, with primary beneficiaries being workers, unions, immigrant communities, students, and policymakers in California and internationally.

The center's underlying methodology is participatory and popular education — combining community-based research with narrative storytelling rather than building any technology platform. Its 'core technology' is qualitative and quantitative research executed alongside impacted communities, producing an extensive publication library covering wage theft, racial equity, the California cannabis workforce, Koreatown supermarkets, meatpacking, USMCA labor compliance, and binational labor conditions. Distribution occurs through academic publications, policy briefs, the center website, the Re:Work podcast, email newsletters, and active social channels.

The business model is non-commercial: services, publications, and resources are provided free of charge to workers, students, and community partners. Operating revenue is sourced from university allocations within the UC system, foundation grants (notably a $2.6 million three-year grant from the James Irvine Foundation in September 2023 and a $500,000 grant from The California Endowment in March 2024), smaller partner grants (Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, Latina Futures 2050 Lab), and individual donations ranging from $25 to $10,000. The center employs 63 staff across research, program delivery, and development functions.

Name

UCLA Labor Center

Legal name

UCLA Labor Center

Website

https://labor.ucla.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The UCLA Labor Center is a UCLA-based non-profit research and education organization founded in 1964 that conducts participatory research, training, and policy advocacy on worker justice for workers, unions, immigrant communities, students, and policymakers primarily in California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Labor Research and Policy

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Labor Unions and Similar Labor Organizations (81393)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Labor, Worker Rights & Employment Policy Advocacy (BPAGAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Experiential Learning & Internships/Co-ops (EDALABAG), Workforce & Job-Seeker Services (Community-Based) (EDAAAFAM), Work-Based Learning Programs (Internships, Apprenticeships, Community-Based Instruction) (EDAKANAF)

Keywords

• Labor research
• Worker advocacy
• Workforce development
• Labor policy analysis
• Community education

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The UCLA Labor Center conducts cutting-edge research, education, and policy work on labor and worker justice, producing reports, policy briefs, and books; it runs workforce development programs, youth leadership initiatives, fellowships, and community training; and it produces media such as the Re:Work Radio podcast. Offerings are organized into named programs (Re:Work Research, CARE at Work, POWER, Asian American Racial Justice, Global Solidarity, Dream Resource Center, Nonviolence Education Project, Young Worker Initiative) and are delivered to workers, students, unions, government agencies, and policymakers.

Product overview

The UCLA Labor Center is a university research and policy organization (not a technology product company) that offers a portfolio of research, education, and advocacy programs focused on worker justice. Its core offerings include research programs (Re:Work Research, CARE at Work, Asian American Racial Justice), international solidarity initiatives (Global Solidarity), workforce development (POWER), youth engagement (Young Worker Initiative, Dream Resource Center), media (Re:Work Podcast), and educational publications (research briefs, books). These programs work together to advance economic equity, racial and immigrant justice, and worker power through participatory research, community training, narrative storytelling, and policy advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Re:Work Radio: A podcast produced by the UCLA Labor Center featuring stories about workers, labor movements, and economic justice.
• Dream Resource Center
• CARE at Work
• UCLA James Lawson Jr. Worker Justice Center

Products and services

• Re:Work Research Research initiative that examines labor conditions and worker experiences across industries, producing reports on topics such as supermarket workers, meatpacking, and the cannabis workforce.
• CARE at Work (Center for the Advancement of Racial Equity) Program engaging Black workers and economic justice advocates to develop innovative solutions addressing the needs of Black working class people through research, education, and organizing.
• POWER in Workforce Development Workforce development initiative focused on creating good jobs for communities and strengthening worker rights.
• Asian American Racial Justice Program addressing racial justice issues affecting Asian American communities through research, education, and policy work.
• Global Solidarity Program creating international strategic alliances between labor leaders, advocates, and academics to improve labor standards across borders, particularly between the U.S. and Mexico under USMCA.
• Dream Resource Center Resource center supporting immigrant students and youth, including undocumented students, through advocacy, education, and leadership development including the Health Ambassador Fellowship and Labor Summer program.
• Nonviolence Education Project Educational initiative teaching nonviolence principles and social movement strategies, including courses taught alongside Rev. James Lawson.
• Re:Work Podcast Podcast produced by the UCLA Labor Center featuring stories of workers and labor organizing globally, including the Autoqueen Trilogy documentary series.
• Young Worker Initiative Program engaging young workers and students in learning about worker rights and labor organizing through curriculum, training, and educational initiatives.
• Nonviolence and Social Movements (Book) Book edited by Rev. James Lawson and Kent Wong exploring the teachings and legacy of nonviolence in civil rights and labor movements.
• Freedom Fellowship Paid internship opportunity for students interested in labor organizing or nonprofit work, part of CARE at Work's school-to-movement pathway.
• Health Ambassador Fellowship Fellowship program training individuals to inform immigrant communities about health programs and educate undocumented immigrants about their rights to access health services.
• Our Voices, Our Health: Immigrant Wellness Tour Statewide initiative bringing holistic health services, resources, and community building to immigrant communities across California.

Quantifiable outcome

• From March to December 2020, 84% of the Black labor force in California filed for unemployment during COVID-19 pandemic

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• COFECA (Confederación Centroamericana y del Caribe)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2026Collaboration on the Northern Triangle Migration Solidarity Initiative: 'The Right to Stay Home' to examine structural drivers of migration and advance transnational strategies rooted in dignity, economic justice, and community self-determination.
• Universidad de El Salvador (UES)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2026Academic partnership focusing on the role of public universities in addressing migration and structural conditions driving migration from Central America.
• Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBinational research collaboration through the Permanent Seminar of Labor Studies (SPET) to advance labor studies and worker rights research.
• Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro (UAQ) Labor CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to create labor centers in Mexican universities and support research on USMCA labor compliance and worker protections.
• Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM) Labor Politics and Practices ObservatorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on labor conditions including EV production, deported call center workers, and logistics industry challenges.
• AFL-CIO Solidarity CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the 2024 trinational summit on worker solidarity and USMCA labor response, bringing together labor leaders from U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
• ISCOS (Istituto Sindacale per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNGO partnership for the Northern Triangle Migration Solidarity Initiative, working with rural and indigenous communities on local development, labor rights, and climate change.
• Empowering Communities Through Education (ECTE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Autoqueen Trilogy podcast, producing content about women auto rickshaw drivers in Chennai, India. ECTE leads grassroots worker-centered initiatives using education, research, and storytelling to support economic justice.
• Veera Pengal Munnetra Sangam (VPMS)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll-women trade organization established in Chennai, India, supporting women auto drivers through organizing, leadership development, and advocacy.
• UCLA Labor Studies and Institute for Research on Labor and Employment (IRLE)coreOthersThe UCLA Labor Center is housed within IRLE, collaborating on nonviolence courses and labor studies programs for over 20 years.
• Rev. James Lawson Jr.coreOthersRenowned civil rights activist who co-taught nonviolence courses at UCLA for over 20 years and helped launch the Nashville sit-in campaign. The UCLA Labor Center's building was named in his honor in 2021.
• California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Indigenous farmworker outreach, providing legal services on wage theft, unsafe working conditions, and intimidation cases.
• Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo de las Comunidades Indígenas Oaxaqueñas (CBDIO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership focused on community engagement strategies for Indigenous populations in Salinas and Fresno, emphasizing community-led approaches.
• Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project (MICOP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Indigenous farmworker organizing, providing interpretation services and advocacy for Mixtec, Zapotec, and Triqui communities.
• Latina Futures 2050 LabsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the Raíces de Solidaridad tour uniting Indigenous farmworker organizations from San Quintín, Mexico and Central California.
• UCLA Chicano Studies Research CentersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the Raíces de Solidaridad tour for Indigenous farmworker solidarity across borders.
• UCLA Hammer MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for conversations between Rev. James Lawson and Kent Wong on nonviolence and social movements.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Labor Network for Sustainability: Labor Network for Sustainability is a smaller national organization uniting labor and environmental justice movements, comparable to UCLA Labor Center in its cross-movement coalition approach and focus on worker justice.

Direct peers

• Jobs With Justice: Jobs With Justice is a national worker rights coalition combining research, advocacy, and direct organizing for worker justice, with comparable structure pairing research outputs with community-based labor campaigns.
• UC Berkeley Labor Center: The UC Berkeley Labor Center is a sibling University of California research center conducting applied research on labor standards, low-wage work, and workforce policy, directly comparable to UCLA Labor Center's mandate within the same UC system.
• Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR): CEPR is a non-partisan think tank producing economic research on labor, inequality, and social policy, with comparable academic-style research outputs and policy advocacy focused on working people.
• Economic Policy Institute (EPI): EPI is a national non-profit think tank producing research on wages, inequality, and worker protections, with publications and policy advocacy comparable to UCLA Labor Center's research briefs and policy briefs.
• National Employment Law Project (NELP): NELP is a national worker rights advocacy organization that combines research, policy analysis, and advocacy on wage theft, labor standards, and worker protections, directly comparable to UCLA Labor Center's research and policy work.

Regional players

• Interfaith Worker Justice: Interfaith Worker Justice is a national worker center network combining training, advocacy, and community organizing for low-wage workers, comparable to UCLA Labor Center's community-based training and worker justice mission.
• Working Partnerships USA: Working Partnerships USA is a San Jose-based worker advocacy organization that combines research, policy campaigns, and community organizing on housing and labor issues, comparable to UCLA Labor Center's California-based research and organizing model.

Broad incumbents

• MIT Sloan Workplace Center: MIT's Workplace Center is an academic research center studying the future of work, worker voice, and labor standards, comparable to UCLA Labor Center as a university-anchored research hub focused on labor and workforce issues.
• Cornell University ILR School: Cornell's ILR School is a larger, established academic institution focused on labor research, education, and workforce policy, offering overlapping research and training programs that compete for the same foundation and policy audiences as UCLA Labor Center.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ucla-center-for-labor-research-and-education
• Instagraminstagram.com/uclalabor
• TikToktiktok.com/@uclalabor

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UCLA Labor Center