About
History
At the end of World War II, when organized labor in the United States was at the peak of its political power and influence, many universities around the country established industrial relations units. Here in California in 1945, Governor Earl Warren established two such units on the campuses of UC Berkeley and UCLA. The Institute’s founding director was Clark Kerr, who was later Chancellor of Berkeley and President of the University.
Then known as the Institute of Industrial Relations, IRLE had an initial focus on fostering labor-management cooperation. Interested faculty from several academic departments and schools formed a multi-disciplinary approach for educating students about the importance of labor issues, the role of unions, and the challenges facing the rapidly growing economy of California.
Over nearly eight decades, IRLE’s focus has expanded to include a wide range of labor research and education programs.
History of Our Centers
1964 — Labor Center
In 1964, in an agreement with the California Labor Federation, the Regents of the University of California established the Centers for Labor Research and Education, also known as Labor Centers, at UC Berkeley and UCLA. For nearly 60 years, the Labor Center has forged collaboration between the university and the labor community, trained new generations of labor leaders, and provided high-quality, policy-relevant research.
1969 — California Public Employee Relations Program (CPER)
The California Public Employee Relations Program (CPER) began in 1969 in response to requests from management and labor representatives for assistance in dealing with the special problems involved in public sector employment relations.
Concern in the field was initially prompted by passage of a local government employee relations statute. In following years, three more bargaining laws were enacted covering public schools, state, and higher education employees; a state agency was established to administer the latter statutes.
CPER has adapted as public sector bargaining has evolved. It serves the changing needs of those who participate in the bargaining process and those engaged in public policymaking.
1999 — Center for the Study of Child Care Employment
Since 1999, the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CSCCE) has been uniquely focused on the people who care for and educate young children.
CSCCE’s roots go back almost 50 years to the previous generations of child care teacher activism on compensation, which started in the 1970s. CSCCE was founded by Marcy Whitebook, who began as an infant/toddler and preschool teacher, then joined with educators to establish the Child Care Employee Project (CCEP). CCEP served as coordinator for the emerging teacher-led national compensation movement dedicated to securing rights, raises, and respect for educators and the necessary public financing to improve child care jobs and services. CCEP helped teachers and providers in communities across the country to document their own wages and working conditions and led the National Child Care Staffing Study, which helped to launch the Worthy Wage Campaign and draw attention to the needs of the ECE workforce.
CSCCE has built on the teacher-centered tradition of research and policy that CCEP began.
2017 to Present
2017 — California Policy Lab
California government agencies spend billions of dollars on programs that support vulnerable people. Though these agencies collect substantial data about their programs and the people they serve, they often lack the resources, data infrastructure, or research expertise to use this data to inform policy decisions.
The California Policy Lab (CPL) launched in 2017 at UC Berkeley and UCLA to help fill these gaps by partnering with state and local agencies to conduct empirical analysis that moves at the speed of policymaking. CPL researchers and government partners conduct scientific analysis to find out what works and to help bring solutions to scale.
2024 — Macro Labor Center for the Study of Aggregate Labor Markets, Policies, and Institutions (Macro Labor Center)
The Macro Labor Center was established by Benjamin Schoefer (Economics) to serve as a hub for research at the intersections of labor economics and macroeconomics. Its goal is to further the understanding of aggregate labor markets and of the impacts and workings of labor market policies and institutions.
2025 — Climate and Society Center
The Climate and Society (CSC), launched in early 2025, seeks to accelerated California’s equitable transition to renewable energy and zero-carbon emissions through rigorous research and community collaboration. IRLE’s newest center addresses a crucial need for scientific analysis in environmental justice advocacy, providing the data and insights necessary for developing effective and equitable climate policies. By integrating research with community input, the CSC aims to amplify the voices of marginalized communities and support the state and nation in achieving the joint climate goals of emissions reduction and environmental justice.