CALL FOR UC MERCED COMMUNITY AND LABOR CENTER AFFILIATES 2023-24
Mission Statement
The UC Merced Community and Labor Center conducts research and education on issues of community, labor and employment. As a public institution, the center partners with San Joaquin Valley organizations serving low-wage workers and residents. The center builds civic capacity and informs policy development in the San Joaquin Valley and beyond.
The center has four major areas of expertise: rural work, workplace health and safety, climate and jobs, and immigrant rights and the safety net.
Who can be a Community and Labor Center affiliate?
Any UC Merced faculty, academic staff, and non-academic staff can apply to become a Community and Labor Center affiliate. As part of the process of affiliation, we meet one-on-one to first learn about one's interests and how they align with the center's mission.
What do Community and Labor Center affiliates do?
Community and Labor Center affiliates engage in applied labor research, public education & public service.
What support and resources do Community and Labor Center affiliates receive
The Community and Labor Center has provided support to affiliates by connecting them with community-based organizations, labor unions, philanthropic foundations, and public agencies; developing successful funding proposals; enhancing project implementation with trained research staff support; publishing policy briefs; disseminating findings through mainstream media; and meeting with policymakers.
What are example activities of the UC Merced Community and Labor Center?
The center's activities have included monthly policy briefs that have informed major state policies; the largest-ever academic survey on the health and well-being of agricultural workers; public education on workers' rights with tens of thousands of low-wage workers; a just-transition themed strategic regional workforce plan in one of the largest oil-producing counties in the nation; community needs assessment surveys; and an annual summer internship program for undergraduate students.
What commitment is needed to be a Community and Labor Center affiliate?
As a public institution, we are committed to serving the public. As a community and labor center, we “move at the speed of trust.” We have constant, thoughtful, ongoing conversations about how to better serve the public that supports us.
How do I become a Community and Labor Center affiliate?
Please send an email to our faculty director, Edward Flores (eflores52@ucmerced.edu), expressing interest in affiliation. Soon after, you will be contacted by one or more faculty members to meet and have a discussion about interests.
