Jump to Content

Collection Guide
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
Get Items:
Guide to the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, University of California, Publications and Papers
IRLE-IR01  
View entire collection guide What's This?
Search this collection
Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Descriptive Summary
  • Access
  • Publication Rights
  • Preferred Citation
  • Acquisition Information
  • Administrative History
  • Scope and Content of Collection
  • Indexing Terms

  • Descriptive Summary

    Title: Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, University of California, publications and papers
    Dates: 1946-2006
    Collection number: IRLE-IR01
    Creator: University of California, Berkeley--Institute for Research on Labor and Employment
    Creator: University of California, Los Angeles--Institute for Research on Labor and Employment
    Collection Size: 1,213 items 1,213 digital objects
    Repository: University of California, Berkeley. Institute for Research on Labor and Employment Collections.
    University of California, Berkeley
    Berkeley, California 94720-6000
    Abstract: The Institute for Research on Labor and Employment (IRLE) was founded in 1944 when University of California President Gordon Sproul and California Governor Earl Warren together planned the inception of the Institutes of Industrial Relations to be founded at Berkeley and Los Angeles. Governor Warren asked President Sproul to enlarge the University's educational base in labor and industrial relations, and so facilitate, "open and honest labor-management relationships." The publications of IRLE capture a cross-section of viewpoints and perspectives about work and working life during the second half of the twentieth century, revealing policy and political objectives, the everyday experience of workers, and the key areas of interest for the faculty researchers associated with IRLE.
    Physical location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
    Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English

    Access

    Collection is open for research.

    Publication Rights

    All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Library.

    Preferred Citation

    Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, University of California, publications and papers, IRLE-IR01. Institute for Research on Labor and Employment Collections, University of California, Berkeley.

    Acquisition Information

    The collection represents publications generated by the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment and collected by the former IRLE Library.

    Administrative History

    The origins of the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment (IRLE) predate World War II, and could be considered to have begun in the 1920s. At the time, the University of California, Berkeley was home to the most influential labor economists of the day, including Ira Cross, Paul Taylor and Charles Gulick. Berkeley had one of the first Labor Education schools, and Berkeley faculty were especially active and influential in San Francisco's labor relations during the turbulent years of the 1930s.
    In 1944, University President Gordon Sproul and California Governor Earl Warren together planned the inception of the Institutes of Industrial Relations (IIR, hereafter referred to as "IRLE"), to be founded at Berkeley and Los Angeles. Governor Warren asked President Sproul to enlarge its educational base in labor and industrial relations, and so facilitate, "open and honest labor-management relationships." This important focus on labor-management cooperation came to be known as the "California 'School' of industrial relations."
    The California legislature approved the formation of IRLE in 1945 under AB 391, with Northern and Southern Divisions at Berkeley and Los Angeles. IRLE's founding director was Clark Kerr, who was later Chancellor of Berkeley and President of the University. Both divisions formed libraries and created curricula aimed at educating students about the importance of labor issues, the role of unions, and the challenges facing the rapidly growing economy of California and the West Coast. The Legislature outlined three initial charges for the faculty to pursue:
    • Community Relations. Working with the University Extension, IRLE focused on adult education and training, together with conference, weekend institutes and short courses. This early initiative has grown substantially in scope and mission, and currently encompasses many public and private partners in research and programming for a wide variety of topics.
    • Campus Instruction. IRLE, as an "Organized Research Unit", supports faculty teaching and instructional activities by working in close cooperation with campus departments and schools. The faculty receives a variety of support services to assist them in their research, including grant administration, library services, and coordinated community outreach opportunities.
    • Research. Investigation of facts and issues is the basis of effective research. IRLE's 1947 report states, "Good will alone, although basic, will not solve the pressing problems of industrial relations, which appear currently to be second only to the problems of internationals relations in their impact upon social and economic welfare. New insights and greater understanding of underlying causes are equally necessary."
    Today, IRLE's research encompasses the study of organizations and labor market institutions, the high tech work force, the change role of labor unions, and the increasingly globalized economy. Over 80 affiliated faculty members represent more than 15 academic departments and schools, which confirms that 21st Century labor and employment issues continue to require multi-disciplinary approaches. IRLE provides the common ground where academics and community leaders can meet and study the complex world of work and workplace issues.
    About this Collection
    This digital collection was funded by the University of California Labor and Employment Research Fund (LERF). The Fund enabled the IRLE Library to digitize a large percentage of IRLE's publications. These documents form a record of scholarly thinking about labor and employment issues for the second half of the 20th century, as well as a record of IRLE's own goals and objectives. Three broad subsections of the collection are organized around 1) IRLE-Berkeley; IRLE-UCLA, and IRLE-Berkeley's Center for Labor Research and Education ("The Labor Center"). Although the collection is not complete, it is extensive, and it is anticipated that it will as more publications are discovered from various sources.

    Scope and Content of Collection

    This digital repository enables scholars to study IRLE's publications for a 50 period beginning with 1945. The publications of IRLE capture a cross-section of viewpoints and perspectives about work and working life during that era, revealing policy and political objectives, the everyday experience of workers, and the key areas of interest for the faculty researchers associated with IRLE.

    Indexing Terms

    The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
    Labor unions
    Industrial relations
    Pensions
    Personnel management
    Stevedores--Labor unions
    Women--Employment
    African Americans--Employment
    Arbitration, Industrial
    Labor policy--California
    Industrial safety
    Discrimination in employment
    Nursing
    University of California, Berkeley--Center for Labor Research and Education
    University of California, Berkeley--Institute of Industrial Relations
    University of California, Berkeley--Institute for Research on Labor and Employment
    University of California, Los Angeles--Center for Labor Research and Education
    University of California, Los Angeles--Institute for Research on Labor and Employment
    University of California, Los Angeles--Institute of Industrial Relations