New York Union Semester Fall 2014

By Sarah Hughes

Union Semester is underway again! 15 students have joined us from 5 states, 2 countries, and 4 New York City boroughs for an intensive semester-long immersion in the world of worker justice.

Orientation Week began August 25th with students getting to know each other and the Murphy Institute. Professor Stephanie Luce gave a talk on the “State of the Union,” and students presented their “Social Justice Milestones” — a visual representation they brought with them of a meaningful social justice moment in their lives.

Other workshops included an anti-oppression workshop given by Vincent Villano, the Education and Leadership Development Coordinator at Service Employee’s Union International 1199. Students also got the basics of Contract Administration (with the help of the surprisingly leftist children’s book “Click, Clack, Moo”) with Murphy adjunct professor Claudia Schacter deChabert.

Union Semester alum Liam Lynch (Fall 2013) met the group at AFSCME District Council 37 on Wednesday morning, where he works as an Outreach Coordinator for a 9-11 survivors health insurance campaign. Students learned from Murphy professor Ed Ott about the changing workforce of New York City, from the docks of Lower Manhattan to the rise of the FIRE economy (finance, insurance, real estate). Union Semester interns helped DC 37 by canvassing Lower Manhattan and asking businesses to put up posters advertising the health insurance enrollment for 9-11 survivors. They were also tasked with taking pictures in front of as many local landmarks as they could (Trinity Churchyard, World Financial Center, Wall Street Bull, African Burial Ground, etc.)

Thursday afternoon, the Union Semester host mentors came for a round of speed interviews with interested students to try and find the best match. 15 minute interviews aren’t very long, and students do at 5-6 of them, but it helps the Labor Studies team find the best match between interns and mentors. Students were given their placements, and had their first day of class that Friday.