Is this internship paid?
Undergraduate and graduating senior interns will be paid $20.00 per hour.
Graduate student interns will be paid $22.00 per hour

If I am a graduating senior, will I receive an undergraduate or graduate stipend?
You will receive an undergraduate stipend.

Are stipends paid all at once?
Stipends are paid every two weeks, typically on the 15th and 30th of the month. You will have four pay periods.

Does the internship provide housing?
No, interns are responsible for providing their own housing. The Labor Summer program has a list of resources available for students to look into if you need to relocate to the Bay Area.

Does the internship provide transportation?
No, interns are expected to provide their own transportation to the worksite. Your worksite will reimburse you for any travel required within the field.

Do I have to attend the orientation?
Yes, attending the five-day orientation is mandatory. You will receive skills training and an orientation to the California labor movement, which will be essential to the work at your host site.

What do you cover in the orientation week?
The first two days of orientation cover the basics of U.S. labor history and the California labor movement. The next two days are for track-specific training. Research interns will learn strategic research skills and organizing interns will learn the fundamentals of union organizing. The final day of orientation week will include an alumni panel and a send-off.

Can I participate in both the research and the organizing track?
No, interns are only placed in one track. Your placement will typically focus on one set of skills. During the program, there may be opportunities for research interns and organizing interns to present skills from their respective tracks to each other.

Is it possible to be hired full-time by my host organization after the program?
Yes, some host sites are looking to hire interns full-time after the program if they are a good fit. Please indicate whether you would be interested in an opportunity like this in your application so we can ensure a match.

Where do Labor Summer alumni go after the program?
Many Labor Summer alumni go on to work in the labor movement full time. Some jobs that alumni are in include: union organizer at IFPTE Local 21, an organizer with a housing group in the North Bay, a program manager at Chinese for Affirmative Action, economic researcher on healthcare policy, an analyst at the California Workforce Development Board, a tenants advocate with the City of Berkeley, and a communications director with the National Union of Healthcare Workers.

I have another question!! Who can I ask for help?
Email us at ucblaborsummer@gmail.com and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

Who can apply?
Applicants must be a sophomore, junior, senior, graduating seniors, or graduate students, and must be enrolled at a college or university in the United States. Priority is given to applicants who will be available to accept a job in the labor movement post internship. All applicants should have an interest in working on social and economic justice issues with unions or community-based organizations with a worker-organizing component.

I graduate in May/June 2023, can I still apply?
Yes, you are welcome to apply if you are graduating from a program in May/June 2023.

I start school in fall 2023, can I still apply?
Yes, if you are enrolled in a program in the fall, you can apply.

Do I have to be in a certain major or field to apply?
No. Previous interns have studied social welfare, political science, history, Chicanx studies, public policy, public health, computer science, economics, and more. You must have an interest in working with labor organizations and be able to articulate why in the application.

When is my application due?
Wednesday, February 15, 2023 at 11:59pm.

How do I apply?
Click on the Apply button on the general information page, don’t forget to prepare and upload your resume.

How do I submit my resume?
You will upload your resume when you submit your application.

Can I apply to both tracks?
Yes, you can apply to both tracks. Fill out the information for both sections. Please indicate your top choice of track so that we know where to prioritize a match.

Do I get to select my project or site, or will I be assigned to a project or site?
You will be assigned to a site. During the interview process, we will share some potential host site matches to get your input. However, the Labor Summer program will ultimately assign you to a site.

If I am asked for an interview, do I need to do it in person?
No. Interviews will take place on Zoom, FaceTime, or over the phone. If you are in the Berkeley area, you are welcome to request an in-person interview, however it is not required.

When will I be notified if I will receive an interview?
We will send interview invitations by early March.

When will I be notified if I am accepted into the program?
We will make final decisions by the end of March/early April.

Where will I work?
Labor Summer 2023 is currently planning to be an in-person program. Your work location will be determined by your host sites. Host sites are typically located in the greater Bay Area, in cities such as San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Richmond, Concord, Santa Rosa, and Modesto. Interns are responsible for their own transportation to their host site during work days. Some host sites may require access to a car to visit worksites, interview workers, or attend meetings not accessible by mass transit.

When and where is the intern orientation?
Labor Summer Orientation will be Tuesday, June 20 – Friday, June 24. It will be in-person at the UC Berkeley Labor Center, which is located at 2521 Channing Way, Berkeley, CA.

How will interns be matched to their projects?
Labor Summer staff consider the needs of host sites, such as languages, location, and any specific software/research skills, and try to match interns who meet requirements and have similar interests to the host sites. We will ask you in the interview for your feedback on prospective sites as part of our process, but that is not a guarantee that you will be matched to those sites.

Can I use the project to fulfill an internship requirement for my academic program?
Yes! Please indicate on your application that you have a requirement to fulfill. Labor Summer staff is happy to fill out any paperwork that you need to receive credit and discuss any hour requirements you have. Previous interns have used Labor Summer to fulfill requirements for the UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy, the urban planning program at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, and the University of San Francisco’s Public Affairs program.

Are there remote work options?
At this time, we are planning for sites to be in-person. However, this may change depending on the campaigns on the host site. We encourage you to apply and indicate whether you would need to have a remote placement in your application.

What type of support will I receive during the internship?
You will be assigned a supervisor at your host site who will manage your work assignments and provide training within the field. You will also be assigned to a mentor, who is familiar with the Labor Summer program and has years of social justice experience. Labor Summer staff will check in with you multiple times throughout the program to ensure that everything is on track.

Are there requirements to complete the program?
Interns are required to attend the orientation week and two debrief sessions throughout the summer. Interns are also required to complete a midsummer evaluation with their supervisor and Labor Summer staff. At the end of the program, interns are expected to prepare a short presentation on their work and complete program evaluations.

What are the dates for the summer program?
The dates are: Tuesday, June 20, 2023 – Friday, August 11, 2023

Is there any flexibility in the internship dates?
No, interns are expected to start on Tuesday, June 20 and work through the summer until Friday, August 11. However, if you need a longer time commitment to meet an academic requirement, please reach out to us and we will evaluate it on a case-by-case basis if funding is available.

How many hours per week will I work?
Labor Summer interns work 40 hours per week. Interns are not permitted to work over 40 hours per week.
I have to take a summer school class. Can I still do the internship?
No. Labor Summer interns work 40 hours per week. Hours are set by your host site and can fluctuate week to week depending on work assignments. It is a full-time commitment. We do not allow students to take classes during the program.

I have a part-time job. Can I still participate in the internship?
No. Labor Summer interns work 40 hours per week. Hours are set by your host site and can fluctuate week to week depending on work assignments. We do not allow students to take classes during the program.

I have a family obligation (wedding, reunion etc.) scheduled during the summer. Can I leave for a few days?
You will need to receive approval from a Labor Summer coordinator. These decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.

What if I cannot stay the entire time?
Labor Summer interns are required to commit to the full eight weeks of the program. If you cannot stay the entire summer, this opportunity is not for you. We encourage you to apply in a future year when you can commit to the entire program.

Do we have any days off over the summer?
Yes, Labor Summer interns will have July 4 off as a holiday. 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.

What health precautions and protocols will be in place for Labor Summer?

We look forward to hosting Labor Summer in-person this year. We understand that some of you may be eager for this change, while others may be anxious. Please be assured that we value the health and safety of our interns and partner organizations. We will continue to follow the science and public health guidance from UC Berkeley and CDC. There currently is no local, state, or federal public health guidance suggesting that we should not offer an in-person internship experience. Should this change, we’re absolutely prepared to offer the internship remotely, as we have done so successfully in the past two years.

Orientation & Debrief Session Health & Safety Protocols:
If in-person, the Labor Summer Internship program will follow the UC Berkeley campuswide guidelines, including requiring proof of vaccination. We will provide and require rapid testing prior to orientation and debrief sessions. These sessions will follow physical distancing and mask protocols and we will provide masks and hand sanitizers.

Host Organizations & Tracks:
We continue to have conversations with partner organizations. Some host organizations will be in person field work while others may permit remote work. Many host sites are unions of essential workers, who have been working in-person throughout the pandemic. Organizing interns should expect to work in-person with limited opportunities for remote work. Research internships will likely be partially or fully remote.