UC Berkeley Labor Center

06/22/2026

Uber driver Duane Mitchell explains the public cost of the rideshare industry, and why everyone should support unionizing efforts: https://capitalandmain.com/california-rideshare-drivers-joins-massachusetts-counterparts-in-unionizing

For Mitchell, the bottom line is that his pay is so low that he owes no state or federal taxes and the public has to make up the difference.

“Whose tax dollars are paying for snow removal and road repairs, or staffing of emergency services like police, fire and EMTs? Not me. I get $3,500 a year in food stamps, and I get another $1,000 a year in heating fuel assistance. In my opinion, every single citizen of Massachusetts should be in favor of what we’re doing,” he said.

Uber and Lyft drivers in both states say low pay, rising gas prices and a lack of transparency in how they're compensated have fueled organizing efforts.

06/18/2026

Labor Summer 2026 interns wrap up their week-long orientation and are excited to get to work.

06/18/2026

Federal Medicaid cuts coupled with budget deficits in California means close to 3 million Californians will lose health care over the next two years. “The need for health insurance and healthcare is not going anywhere,” Miranda Dietz said.

A California union wants to tax billionaires to fund healthcare. The initiative has drawn fierce opposition from Newsom and Silicon Valley moguls.

06/18/2026

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-06-16/californias-lithium-valley-students-are-training-for-jobs-that-dont-yet-exist

Imperial Valley College, which says it is temporarily scaling back its lithium programs because of job market uncertainty, offers a case study in the pitfalls of trying to prepare students for emerging fields.

It’s an “incredibly common” challenge, said Betony Jones, a senior researcher in the UC Berkeley Labor Center’s green economy program and a former Biden administration official. Other fields that have faced similar uncertainty because of political and economic factors include solar and advanced manufacturing, which generally require postsecondary credentials.

In the Imperial Valley, colleges created training programs in response to a promised lithium industry. Students are still waiting for jobs to arrive.

06/17/2026

Hear from UC Berkeley Labor Center senior trainer Beatriz Herrera on how Labor Summer helps build out the labor movement pipeline ... and why she loves working on the Labor Summer program.

06/17/2026

Day three of the 2026 Labor Summer internship program. Students are getting ready to head out to their host sites next week!

06/17/2026

Day three of the 2026 Labor Summer internship program. Students are getting ready to head out to their host sites next week! East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy, SEIU Local 521, SEIU United Service Workers West, Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco, Inc., Trabajadores Unidos Workers United, North Bay Labor Council, North Bay Jobs With Justice, Regional Tenant Organizing Network, UNITE HERE Local 2

06/16/2026

Our student interns are at orientation this week, mapping their personal journeys to Labor Summer. East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy, SEIU Local 521 , SEIU United Service Workers West, Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco, Inc., Trabajadores Unidos Workers United, North Bay Labor Council, North Bay Jobs With Justice, Regional Tenant Organizing Network, UNITE HERE Local 2

06/16/2026

Our student interns are at orientation this week, mapping their personal journeys to Labor Summer.

06/16/2026

Labor Summer 2026 kicks off this week! Hear from the North Bay Labor Council, one of this year’s host sites, about why they’re excited to work with our student interns. Stay tuned for more from the interns themselves this week and throughout the summer.

Our other host sites are East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy, SEIU Local 521, SEIU United Service Workers West, Regional Tenant Organizing Network, Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco, Inc., North Bay Jobs With Justice, and UNITE HERE Local 2!