Labor Studies Center Research

The Center's current research focuses on the three areas below:

 

Building Regional Power

In a small but growing number of cities the labor movement is on the move. By building coalitions, mobilizing aggressive political action, and developing and enacting progressive economic policies the union movement in cities as diverse as Los Angeles, Denver, and Cleveland is laying the groundwork for helping to lead the future of their regions. The Labor Studies Center coordinates a network of researchers who document this story and help local leaders develop local strategies for building power.

 

Living Wage Campaigns

Since 1994 over 125 communities across the country, including 16 in Michigan, have passed Living Wage ordinances that require companies receiving public funds to pay wages above poverty. Through several partnerships the Center has conducted studies on the impact of Detroit’s law and produced a comprehensive guide for activists for organizing living wage campaigns.

 

International Research Network on Autowork in the Americas

The International Research Network on Autowork in the Americas (IRNAA) is a collaborative effort by labor-sympathetic researchers in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The project’s primary concern is the quality of life at work in an industry undergoing rapid transformation. IRNAA is coordinated by Steve Babson of Wayne State University’s Labor Studies Center, Huberto Juárez of the Autonomous University of Puebla’s Economics Department, and Wayne Lewchuk of McMaster University’s Labour Studies Center. IRNAA’s current research is focused on Tier 1 suppliers in North America, with a particular emphasis on Mexico.