September 1997

 

Center to Study Women in Labor Movement

The Labor Resource Center, through a collaborative partnership with the Women's Institute for Leadership Development (a statewide organization based in Boston), has received funding through the Heinz Family Foundation for research on economic security issues for Massachusetts women.

Through an initial $5,000 grant, the Center will continue Phase I of the research this fall. Included in the phase is a review of the literature and identification of research gaps. The Center plans to submit a second, larger grant proposal to conduct needed research identified in Phase I.

Cheryl Gooding, the Center's research coordinator, is the principal investigator. Randy Albelda of the Economics Department is also working on the project as an associate of the Center.

The Labor Resource Center also played a key role in developing and attracting funding for a new statewide program, in partnership with the Women's Institute for Leadership Development. The project, called "Women Organizing Women," will expand work by the Women's Institute for Leadership Development to include strategies to help women union members in the following areas:

¥ organizing to utilize their unions as a strong voice for women workers;

¥ building alliances between women in unions and women in community organizations;

¥ strengthening efforts to organize women into unions.

The project recently received grants totaling $35,000 from the Fund 2000 and the Ms. Foundation. The Center will conduct research related to the project and produce several briefing papers in the fall or winter. Gooding will conduct research with Susan Eaton of the Radcliffe Public Policy Institute. Easton will also join the center as an associate. Patricia Reeve is the new director of the Labor Resource Center.