FAQ

Applicants must be current UC Merced undergraduate students. Students graduating in Spring 2026 are eligible to apply. All applicants should demonstrate an interest in working on social and worker justice issues with labor unions or community organizations.  

 

No. Previous interns have studied political science, biology, psychology, public health, sociology, and more. You must articulate an interest in working on social justice initiatives with labor organizations in the application. 

 

No, interns are responsible for securing their own housing within the Central Valley.  

 

No, interns are expected to provide their own transportation to Merced for orientation week and to their host site placement. You will be asked in your application if you have access to a vehicle during the internship.  

 

All interns will attend orientation from Monday, June 15 to Thursday, June 18, 2026. They will spend the next seven weeks (40 hours per week) from June 20 through August 6, 2026, at a union, worker center, or community-based organization to support organizing campaigns and advance workers’ rights. The program will conclude with a closing ceremony on August 7, 2026, with interns  presenting their experiences, highlighting what they learned, and reflecting on program completion.  

 

All interns are required to participate in the orientation week and commit to 40 hours of work per week throughout the seven-week placement. Interns are also required to attend scheduled check-in meetings with program staff, complete all evaluations, and prepare a final presentation.  

 

No. 

Please complete the application here and upload your resume as a PDF with your First and Last Name* The application does not auto-save. (We recommend drafting answers in a separate document before you are ready to submit.) 
 

When is my application due?
For the initial review, your application is due by Friday, March 06, 2026, at 11:59 PM. 

 

Internship dates are Monday, June 15, 2026, through August 7, 2026. This includes a mandatory orientation from Monday, June 15 to Thursday, June 18, 2026. 

 

Yes, all interns will receive $22.00/hour.  

 

Interviews will take place on Zoom.  

 

Applicants receiving an interview will be contacted in March – April 2026.  

 

Successful candidates will receive an offer early May 2026.  

 

For questions, please email us at communitylabor@ucmerced.edu. You can also join our informational session for more information.  

Orientation will take place Monday, June 15 through Thursday, June 18, 2026. It will be in-person at a UC Merced facility.  

 

Host sites are typically located in the greater Central Valley, in counties such as Kern, Fresno, Merced, and Stanislaus. Community and Labor Center staff will assign you to a host based on your interests and skills, as well as the needs of the host organization. We cannot guarantee an assignment to any particular organization.  

 

The orientation will help prepare you for your summer internship. Community and Labor Center staff will regularly check in with each intern and provide opportunities for interns to get to know one another and share best practices. You will be assigned to an academic internship coordinator who is familiar with the summer internship program to ensure that you are supported, and a site supervisor who will manage your work assignments and provide field training. 

 

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Time Commitment:  

Yes, a four-day orientation is mandatory. You will receive training on the California Labor Movement and worker rights, which will be essential to the work at your host site. 

 

Labor Summer interns can work up to 40 hours per week. Interns should not exceed these hours. Interns could expect to work some evenings and weekends.  

 

Hours are set by your host site and can fluctuate week to week depending on work assignments. This internship is a full-time commitment. We recommend that students not take classes during the program. 

 

Hours are set by your host site and can fluctuate week to week depending on work assignments. Outside jobs are not encouraged for the duration of the program. 

 

You will need to receive approval from your internship coordinator. These decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. 

 

Student interns are required to commit to the full eight weeks of the program with their host organization. If you cannot stay the entire summer, we encourage you to apply in a future year when you are able to commit to the entirety of the program. 

 

Yes, Labor Summer interns will have June 19th and July 4th off as non-paid holidays. Generally, interns will have weekends off. If a host site requires you to work on the weekend, you will receive another day off during the week. 

 

While we cannot guarantee future employment with host organizations, past Labor Summer interns have been hired for permanent positions. 

 

Alumni of the Labor Summer Program have gone on to work as organizers, program managers, research analysts, and more, including the United Auto Workers (UAW), United Farm Workers of America (UFW), Valley Voices and others!