Worker Centers
Worker centers seek to represent some of the most vulnerable workers in industries where health and safety violations, wage theft, and other labor issues are common. While worker centers are not unions, they often work closely with other labor organizations, including unions and government agencies.
Many of our students have interned with worker centers in the past, including several of the organizations listed below, all of which are located in the Bay Area. If you are interested in interning with any of these organizations, we recommend starting by visiting their websites to learn about the types of projects they are involved in and reviewing their staff listings to identify who may be responsible for interns. Not all organizations have the capacity to take on interns at all times, availability can vary from semester to semester, but there is never a problem with reaching out to express interest in potential internship opportunities, either now or in the future.
In some cases, we have had multiple students intern with the same organization, students who interned for multiple semesters, or students who went on to work full-time with these organizations after graduation. In theory, worker centers may be more likely to take on interns than unions or government agencies, though this varies widely by organization.
For some organizations, specific language skills (such as Spanish or Mandarin) may be required, but in most cases, this is not necessary. When writing to these organizations, it is always helpful to say something like, “If you do not have any opportunities at present, please keep me in mind for the future,” or, “If you do not have any opportunities at present, please let me know if you are aware of other Bay Area, based worker centers or labor organizations that may have opportunities for student interns.”
Always try to attach a one-page resume that highlights relevant skills, such as language abilities, and work experience, and be sure to include your phone number, as many organizations prefer communicating by text message rather than email. We will talk about cover letters and resumes in the section below.
Several SFSU Labor Studies students have interned with YWU and had a terrific experience. They do outreach to immigrant workers and young workers to let them know about issues such as minimum wage and paid sick leave in the City & Country of San Francisco and help them if they have been the victims of “wage theft” and similar issues.
Website: https://tuwu.org
Several students have interned with the CPA (though you may need Mandarin or Cantonese language skills) and have helped with issues such as cases of wage theft among Chinese immigrant workers.
Website: https://cpasf.org
We have had students intern with the Asian Law Caucus. It deals with similar issues to the Chinese Progressive Association and while it’s mostly lawyers, that does not mean you need to have a law degree to intern there.
Website: https://www.asianlawcaucus.org
Part of the national JwJ network, the organization is involved in many campaigns affecting SF-based workers. Several of our students have interned here and some of them have gone on to work with JwJ.
Website: https://www.jwjsf.org
The Living Wage Coalition deals with a range of issues affecting low wage and immigrant workers and with issues such as mass incarceration and public sector jobs. Several of our students have interned here, including a couple last semester.
Website: https://www.livingwage-sf.org
Several of our students have interned here in the past. EBASE is one of a number of organizations that deal with both environmental justice (clean air, pollution caused by industry, etc.) and labor issues. The Blue-Green Alliance is another example.
Website: https://workingeastbay.org
These are the organizations which deal with issues affecting tech workers in the Bay Area, since at most Bay Area tech firms do not have unions representing them. Tech workers and labor is a fascinating topic for all sorts of reasons, and the Bay Area is the epicenter of action when it comes to tech worker organizing.
Website: https://techequity.us
Three well-known and respected organizations that advocate on behalf of domestic workers. California was the first state in the country to pass a “domestic workers bill of rights,” and domestic workers in California have more rights than those in most other parts of the country (and some are affiliated with labor organizations).
Website: https://www.domesticworkers.org
The Bay Area Black Worker Center was set up by a friend and former colleague, Steven Pitts. There is also a related Black Worker Center in Los Angeles. They provide training, resources and advocacy for Black workers throughout the Bay Area.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/BayAreaBWC/
An organization based throughout the Bay Area that deals with racial, economic and environmental justice issues. Not only focused on the workplace, but labor is a large part of what they do.
Website: https://bayrising.org
Pride at Work advocates for LGBTQIA workers and although based on the East Coast, it has always had a strong presence in the Bay Area. Other organizations such as the SF LGBT Center and the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center are also involved with advocating for LGBTQ workers in the Bay Area.
Website: https://www.prideatwork.org
ROC was formed by lawyer/activist Saru Jayarman and helps non-union restaurant workers’ throughout the country. Saru has spoken to SFSU Labor Studies students on a few occasions, and she has a connection with UC Berkeley School of Public Policy.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/ROCbayarea/
Organization that represents union members who are Asian American or Pacific Islander. The Bay Area is one of its strongest regions, and Professor John Logan knows people who are active in APALA in SF.
Based in the Mission, the SF Day Labor Program advocates on behalf of immigrant workers who are employed as day laborers, as they often face extreme forms of exploitation, including wage theft and harassment on the job, etc. NDLON is a national organization that advocates on behalf of day laborers.
Website: https://www.missionaction.org/hire-workers/sf-day-labor-program/
Although an environmental organization, rather than a labor one, SFSU have had students intern at Earth First, it is based in the city, and their head lawyer is a friend of mine, who also serves on a committee with me that advises SF OLSE (see below).
A coalition of seven Bay Area worker centers – including some mentioned above – who advocate on behalf of low-wage, immigrant, vulnerable workers and workers of color in the Bay Area. If you look on their website, you will also see the seven participating worker centers and can also reach out to them directly (after getting familiar with their website).
San Francisco-based economic justice organization that does a lot of work on garment worker issues in California, and other issues.
Website: https://reworkthebay.org
Labor Organizations and Local Unions
In the past, many of our students have interned with San Francisco–based unions and labor organizations. For example, UNITE HERE Local 2, which represents workers in large hotels, at San Francisco International Airport, and at Oracle Park, has been a starting point for several of our students who continue to work full-time in the labor movement many years after graduating from San Francisco State University.
Unions do not always have the capacity to take on interns, and they often prefer applicants who already have some experience working with labor or community organizations. This is true across the board; however, everyone has to start somewhere, and it becomes much easier to secure these kinds of positions once you have one or two internships or jobs that provide relevant experience.
Many former SFSU Labor Studies students currently work for the organizations listed below. For example, two work at IFPTE Local 21, which represents professional and technical public-sector workers in the city, and two work at National Union of Healthcare Workers, which represents workers at organizations such as Kaiser Permanente and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. One former student is now the head of labor compliance at the Northern California Carpenters Council, ensuring that large commercial construction sites comply with federal, state, and local labor and employment laws, and two other students have previously worked there as well.
All of these organizations are worth reaching out to if this type of experience interests you. Before contacting them, be sure to familiarize yourself with the organization through its website so you can demonstrate that you understand what they do, who they represent, and why you are interested in that specific organization. If your parents or other close relatives were union members, especially members of the union you are contacting, this is absolutely worth mentioning in your outreach, though you should not be discouraged if this is not the case. It is simply one of many possible ways to establish a connection.
Professor John Logan has professional relationships with individuals at all of the organizations mentioned here (as well as those listed in other sections). If you receive a response, you are welcome to contact him, and he may be able to follow up on your behalf. Finally, please keep in mind that there are dozens, if not hundreds, of other labor organizations based in the Bay Area. If you or your family have any connections to these organizations, it is strongly encouraged that you reach out to inquire about potential internship opportunities.
Local 2 represents workers at big, unionized hotels in SF (Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Fairmount, etc.) and in the East Bay, concession workers at the big sports stadiums, food service and retail workers at SFO, among others. Many of our students have interned and worked for Local 2 over the past several years and then gone on to work for other unions. Local 2 is also deeply involved with organizations like Young Workers United.
Website: https://www.unitehere2.org
IFPTE represents many professional public-sector workers in the Bay Area (engineers, tech workers, etc.). Two former San Francisco State University Labor Studies students, Quinton Silket and Audrey Garza, currently work for IFPTE Local 21. They are excellent resources, and even if they are not able to assist with securing an internship, they would likely be willing to offer guidance or support if possible.
Website: https://ifpte21.org
Two former SFSU Labor Studies students currently work for NUHW (Jake Doolittle and Danich Ho, who are both fantastic), which represents workers at Oakland Children’s Hospital, Kaiser and other healthcare providers.
Website: https://home.nuhw.org
The union that represents many lower-paid public sector employees in the Bay Area. In an era when public sector budgets are under huge strain, unions such as 1021 play a key role in trying to protect the jobs of their members.
Website: https://www.seiu1021.org
As the name suggests, CNA represents tens of thousands of RNs in California. It’s a dynamic and politically active union with over 100,000 members, including many members at UCSF in the city. Professor John Logan has professional relationships with individuals who work there.
Website: https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/california-nurses-association
This is the union which represents over 37,000 non-academic workers, including some of the lowest paid, at the University of California, among others. Professor John Logan has professional relationships with individuals who work there.
Website: https://afscme3299.org
This is the union which represents over 35000 CSU staff and non-academic student workers at CSU, including at SFSU. President is Catherine Hutchinson; organizing director is Aly Young. They are both terrific, so if you want a labor internship on campus, it’s worth reaching out to CSUEU.
Website: https://www.csueu.org/about
The union that represents Bay Area food grocery workers, café workers – such as those at Verve (Santa Cruz and SF) and Highwire Coffee (Oakland, Albany, and SF), Macy’s workers, etc. Has offices from South Bay to Northern California border. Professor John Logan has professional relationships with individuals who work there.
Website: https://ufcw5.org
Based in Oakland; SFSU Labor Studies grad Matthew Miller is head of Labor Compliance. Matthew has hired other SFSU Labor studies grads in the past. Professor John Logan has professional relationships with individuals who work there.
Website: https://www.norcalcarpenters.org
The organization which most unions in the city are affiliated with; head is Kim Tavaglione, who among other things, is the first woman of color to head the SFCLC. Professor John Logan has professional relationships with individuals who work there.
Website: https://www.sflaborcouncil.org
The East Bay equivalent of the SFCLC; head is Keith Brown, a former teacher, who is terrific.
Website: https://alamedalabor.org
Professor John Logan has professional relationships with individuals at all three of these organizations, and these organizations have taken our students in the past. Head of SM CLC is Julie Lind.
Website: https://www.sanmateolaborcouncil.org
This is the organization which all the building trades unions in the city are affiliated with; its head is Rudy Gonzalez, with whom Professor John Logan has professional relationships.
Website: https://sfbuildingtrades.org
This is the East Bay equivalent of the SFBCTC. Professor John Logan has professional relationships with individuals at this organization.
Website: https://www.btcalameda.org (currently undergoing revisions)
This is the state body to which most CA unions are affiliated– they have offices in LA, Oakland and Sacramento; I have done a lot of work with the state labor federation & they have hired our students. The political director, Bryan Blum, with whom Professor John Logan has professional relationships as well as with other individuals who work there.
Website: https://calaborfed.org
SEIU Local 2015 is California's largest union overall, representing over 500,000 home care, nursing facility, and assisted living workers, and the largest Local in SEIU nationwide. Professor John Logan has professional relationships with individuals who work there, and they likely have opportunities for internships, especially in organizing.
Website: https://www.seiu2015.org
Local, State, Federal Government Labor Agencies and Related Organizations
Professor John Logan is on a committee that advises the SF OLSE and several of our students have interned there in the past. It enforces over 30 labor and employment laws, including on issues like minimum wage, paid sick leave, predictable scheduling (a law which one of our former students played a key role in lobbying for) and lactation in the workplace (which one of our students, who interned at OLSE, was involved in drafting).
Website: https://www.sf.gov/departments--office-labor-standards-enforcement
Former SFSU Labor Studies student, Michelle Flores, is the Deputy Director. They have a focus on farm workers, construction workers, and retail workers. Again, language skills are useful for positions such as these.
Website: https://www.smcgov.org/ceo/office-labor-standards-and-enforcement
A smaller office, but still worth contacting them about internship opportunities if you are based in the East Bay/Berkeley.
Website: https://berkeleyca.gov/doing-business/operating-berkeley/workforce-standards-and-enforcement
This is much the same as the San Francisco, San Mateo and Berkeley offices.
Website: https://www.oaklandca.gov/Government/Departments/Workplace-Employment-Standards
Several students have interned with the Labor Commissioner’s office. Former CA Labor Commissioner was interim Sec of Labor in the Biden Administration. They deal especially with issues involving workers who are the victims of wage theft but also issues such as labor trafficking and so on. Also, they run helpful webinars explaining how to apply for jobs at the agencies, which you can sign up for.
California is one of a few states which has its own Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) office, in additional to the federal OSHA. Funding for federal OSHA has been decimated by the Trump Administration, so if any workplace safety inspectations are going to take place, it will mean state organizations like Cal/OSHA and non-profits such as Worksafe (next on the list) playing a more important role.
Worksafe is a non-profit based in Oakland that deals with workplace health and safety issues. Although it’s a relatively small organization, it’s still worth contacting organizations such as this if you have a specific interest in the issues they address. It’s crucial to make sure you know exactly what the organization does in cases such as this.
Website: https://worksafe.org
Not everyone who works at the NLRB are attorneys – case officers who interview witnesses, take depositions, etc. usually do not have law degrees. Several SFSU Labor Studies students have interned with the NLRB (though, at the time of writing, the Board is in limbo because the president sacked a Democratic member of the national board in DC – the first time this has happened – and the board now lacks a quorum and is not functioning).
Website: https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/regional-offices/region-20-san-francisco
A former SFSU Labor Studies student is a Wage & Hour inspector at the SF Region DofL and is another former student. It’s not yet clear how the Trump Administration’s cuts to the Department of Labor – and its change in priorities – will impact regional offices. Most likely, they will do nothing in terms of wage & hour investigations (issues of wage theft, etc.) and OSHA health and safety inspections, which tend to be labor’s priorities when a Democratic administration is in power. The Labor Dept, will also change the rules for H2-A visa workers, get rid of a proposed Biden DOL heat standard for outside workers, and make it easier for powerful corporations to classify their workers as independent contractors rather than employees (this is central to the debate over gig workers and their legal protections and entitlements).
Website: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/sol/about/regions/san-francisco
This organization doesn't have all their employees as lawyers, and this kind of internship is particularly valuable for students thinking about applying to law school or careers related to labor and employment law. Most of these organizations deal with law/policy to some extent, so it’s valuable experience for people wanting careers in these areas.
Website: https://legalaidatwork.org/
Based in the Mission, this organization provides legal advice to the Latine Community and to low-wage immigrant workers.
Website: https://www.lrcl.org/
Provides free legal assistance for students on wide range of issues, including workplace issues. Former SFSU Labor Studies student helps lead the center. Working/volunteering at a place like this on campus would make you more likely to get an internship with an organization that deals with labor issues off campus. It is run by a form Labor Studies student.
Model Cover Letters for Internship/Job Applications
Below are three cover letters for labor-related internships, jobs, or fellowships that Professor John Logan helped the students to write. As much as possible, try to base your letters around a similar structure. You can also use the same wording in many places (putting in your own details, of course) – this is there for you to use and is not plagiarism.
- Start of the letter: address it to someone (ideally the person who deals with internships) rather than to “whom it may concern.” Make sure you date your letter.
- First para: short, direct, declaratory sentences explaining who you are and what you want. “I am currently completing my Labor Studies degree at San Francisco State University and will graduate in May 2026.” Etc.
- Make sure each paragraph is about one main issue and has a clear topic sentence: examples are the “transferable skills” you learned in college that make you a good fit for the position (it’s critically important that you learn to write and talk about the transferable skills you’ve acquired, not just the content of your courses; your work and internship experience – especially if it’s related to the position your applying for – and what you learned and how it is relevant to the position and so on.
- Make sure you mention any special skills: language skills, tech/social media skills, etc., especially if they are relevant to the position. Even if you mention these in the resume, you should also include them in the letter– assume that someone might only read closely one or the other (if you are lucky)
- End: make sure you include a brief resume but have a short para finishing off like the three letters here. Make sure you include your contact info at the bottom (phone and/or email).
- It’s good to have at least one academic reference (preferably someone who can write in concrete terms about your academic work and other qualities) and one other– a supervisor from an internship or something similar.
- Always seek feedback. Try reading the letter out loud to a roommate or just to yourself. Does it read the way you would talk? Make sure you read it several times and aim to cut out sentences/parts of sentences that don’t really say one or are “too wordy.” If you can cut a 500-word letter to a 300-word letter without taking out any of the substantial content, it will almost certainly be a better, more direct, more concise letter.
Example 1: Nancy Varela (Nancy still works at the ILO and was Professor John Logan's first student at SFSU.)
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Tayo Fashoyin
Director, Industrial and Employment Relations Department
International Labor Organization
Dear Mr. Fashoyin,
I would like to apply for an internship position at the Industrial and Employment Relations Department at the ILO. I have just completed my MSc. in International Relations at San Francisco State University and have significant background and interest in international development and labor issues. I am able to start the internship immediately, but would be delighted to start anytime within the next 6 months.
My academic work has prepared me well for an internship at the ILO. During my studies, I have focused on Latin America and on economic development issues. While I would be delighted to work on any of the department’s projects, I am particularly interested in the work in Latin America, especially the issue of compliance with national and international labor standards. I have language skills that would assist with this work. I have lived in both Honduras and Belgium and am fluent in Spanish and Dutch, and competent in French.
I have relevant work experience in the fields of international development and labor standards and a strong interest in social justice and workers’ rights issues. For the past year, I have worked as a Program Intern at International Development Exchange, a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable solutions to poverty by providing long-term grants and access to resources to locally run organizations in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Since January 2010, I have also worked as a research assistant on a variety of projects for Professor John Logan, Director of Labor Studies at San Francisco State University. The latter position has allowed me to develop my knowledge and research skills in the area of international employment relations.
I believe that my academic background and interests, work experience, and language, research and writing skills make me well suited for an internship position in the Industrial and Employment Relations Department. The internship would provide a wonderful opportunity to develop my understanding of international employment relations.
Please find attached my c.v. Please email me if you require any additional information.
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Letter Two: Cassie Carrillo. Cassie was applying for a one-year paid internship with UNI Global Union in Geneva (which she got). She currently workers with the Washington Education Association (part of the nation’s largest teachers’ union, the National Education Association).
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Mr. Colin Medland
Head of Operations
UNI Global Union
February 14, 2014
Dear Mr. Medland,
I would like to apply for the internship position at UNI Global Union. I will graduate from San Francisco State University with Bachelor’s degrees in Labor and Employment Studies and Sociology in May 2014. I believe these fields have prepared me for a career in labor relations and social justice. Following my graduation, I would be able to start the internship immediately.
My last two years at San Francisco State have allowed me to critically examine the social and economic effects of globalization, specifically its effects on national and international labor relations. Classes such as “Labor Standards and Corporate Responsibility,” “Comparative Employment Relations,” and “Global Immigration” have given me the tools to analyze the role of the international labor movement in the global economy. My education has instilled in me a commitment to social justice; and a sustainable, equitable, global economy.
For the past two semesters, I have interned at the AFL-CIO’s Center for Strategic Research in Oakland, under the direction of Kevin Christensen, where I have conducted corporate research for the American Federation of Musicians. This position has taught me valuable research skills, which I believe would be invaluable for my work at UNI, if my application were successful.
In 2012, I worked as a research assistant for Professor John Logan, Director of Labor and Employment Studies at San Francisco State University. In that capacity, I conducted research on UNI’s global campaigns with DHL and IKEA, as well as the UAW’s current organizing campaigns at Volkswagen and Nissan. This position has given me a good understanding of the focus of UNI’s global organizing campaigns, and provided me with valuable research experience. Both research positions have helped further my knowledge and develop skills as a researcher in international and U.S. labor relations.
Prior to transferring to San Francisco State University, I interned with the American Federation of Teachers, local 1931, and helped create a Worker’s Rights Center for students on the campus of San Diego City College. I also interned with the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council on a grassroots organizing campaign to end misrepresentation and dishonesty of signature gatherers for state ballot propositions during the 2010 U.S. midterm elections. Both experiences contributed to my understanding of labor unions as political actors and how this role affects their relationship to the broader community in which they operates.
Although most of my research and work experience is directly related to the U.S. labor movement, much of my classroom education and research activities at San Francisco State have focused on global labor issues. I believe that my academic background and interests, work experience, and research and writing skills make me well suited for an internship position at UNI Global Union. The internship would provide me with a wonderful opportunity to expand my understanding of international labor relations and allow me to contribute to the goals of UNI and the international labor movement more broadly.
Please find attached my c.v. Please email me at if you require any additional information.
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Email]
Letter Three: Alex Chan. Professor John Logan got to know Alex through her labor activism in Hong Kong and get her a job with the Workers’ Rights Consortium. This is an application for a HRW fellowship, which she got.
Dear XXX,
I would like to apply for Alan R. and Barbara D. Finberg Fellowship 2019 at Human Rights Watch. I completed my B.A. in Sociology and Global Studies in 2013 and my Master of Laws in Human Rights at the University of Hong Kong in August 2018. I have extensive experience working on projects concerning Chinese migrant workers and migrant domestic workers, and I am committed to developing a career working on the promotion of human rights.
Over the past few years, I have gained significant work experience with labor and human rights-related NGOs – especially through my work with SACOM and Oxfam -- and have developed an extensive knowledge of labor and human rights violations and social justice issues in China.
After completing my B.A., I joined SACOM, a Hong Kong-based NGO focused on labor and human rights. I led SACOM’s fast fashion campaign concerning the violation of migrant workers’ rights at the Guangdong garment suppliers of Japanese clothing retail giant, Uniqlo. I conducted field work in Guangdong and Jiangsu Provinces, including interviews with factory workers, coordinated undercover investigations in factories, and organized student activists to collect information from the factories. I wrote investigative reports, press statements and other publications that publicized rights abuses in Uniqlo’s Chinese supplier factories. Together with other local activists, I organized protests at Uniqlo stores in Hong Kong and Tokyo following worker strikes at Uniqlo suppliers in 2015. Together with the Japanese NGO Human Rights Now, I organized press conferences at Labor Ministry and Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan. I was the key speaker at these press conferences and at numerous community and university talks in Japan and featured in several media reports of these events. In 2017, Uniqlo top executives invited me to discuss supply chain violations, and the company subsequently released a remedial action plan with timelines and publicized 70% of its list of global suppliers.
From December 2015 to September 2018. I was a program officer at Oxfam Hong Kong and worked on projects on improving conditions for Chinese migrant workers with occupational injuries. At Oxfam, I have developed an expertise in managing migrant labor programs, with a focus on occupational safety, health, and access to public services. Together with other colleagues, I organized several trainings and workshops to build local NGO capacity, conducted detailed mapping exercises, managed strategic funding, and provided technical support for labor NGOs. I travel regularly to China to evaluate the impact of these programs. I have also conducted legal research on labor rights in China for Oxfam policy papers advocating for better protection for migrant workers with occupational diseases and injury.
My master’s degree with the Faculty of Law has provided me with the tools to analyze case law and understand soft and hard laws on both the national and international levels. While completing this degree, I worked as a legal researcher for the Senior Legal Counsel of the Hong Kong Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC). In this capacity, I conducted research on discrimination against foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong, including research on court cases, reviews of UN reports on domestic workers, and interviews with practicing lawyers. This experience has provided me a strong grasp of the legal principles of non-discrimination, and an understanding of the harsh economic and social realities facing foreign domestic workers.
To improve my research skills, I have volunteered on several pro bono human rights projects. In 2018, I worked as associate for the United Nations Global Survey Report on Human Rights Defenders under the supervision of Professor Martin Jones of the University of York. I drafted the “human rights defenders” country reports on both China and Mongolia. This project strengthened my understanding of the enormous challenges facing human rights advocates and civil societies organizations in China and Mongolia.
My education has instilled in me a deep commitment to labor and human rights. My work experience relates primarily to China but has enabled me to apply this knowledge to other settings of state control and intrusion. Moreover, my education and research activities have focused on global human rights issues. I believe that my academic background and interests, work experience, and research and writing skills—as well as my passion for human rights issues—make me well suited for the HRW fellowship. It would provide me an invaluable opportunity to further develop my expertise and contribute to global human rights causes.
I have attached a c.v. and contact information for two references. Please contact me if you require any additional information.
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your email here]