Student Resources
2013-2014 Scholarships,
Grants & Prizes
Each year, the Bridges Center awards thousands of dollars to top students in Labor Studies.
Deadlines for this year's awards are approaching. Apply now!
Deadline:Monday, June 10, 2013
2013-2014
Silme Domingo
& Gene Viernes Scholarship
$5,500 scholarship for students entering the University of Washington.
Students must demonstrate financial need and an interest in social justice.
Deadline: Monday, May 20, 2013
Labor Studies Minor - Updated for Spring 2013
A listing of over 20 courses in Labor Studies offered at the University of Washington
Now available: Full List of Spring 2013 Course Offerings 
Last Updated: 2/7/13
The Bridges Center is happy to announce a comprehensive updated list of qualifying courses for the Labor Studies Minor in 2012-2013.
The Labor Studies Minor brings together a series of courses on labor in core social-science departments, including American Ethnic Studies, Economics, Geography, History, International Studies, Law, Societies, and Justice, Political Science, and Sociology.
The Minor brings provides students an interdisciplinary program of study focusing on the importance of labor to the economic, social, political, and cultural evolution of modern societies.
Featured Research
Our Featured Research section contains the latest Labor Studies policy analysis, international perspectives, popular education materials and more.
The site is regularly updated with new reports, multimedia, and updates on current projects. Click on a name below for the latest.
Media of Past Events: Labor, Labor Studies, and the Future Conference | Unemployed Nation Hearings
Washington State Labor Research: Dan Jacoby & Howard Greenwich | Carolyn Pinedo Turnovsky
Labor Studies Research: Shuxuan Zhou
Prize-Winning Papers: Amanda Clayton | Christopher Stockwell
Web-Based Projects: STRIKES! Labor History Encyclopedia | Tacoma Community History Project
Working Groups: Brand Responsibility Project
Work at the Center: 20 Years of the Bridges Chair
The Harry Bridges Chair in Labor Studies was established at the University of Washington in 1992 after an unprecedented grassroots fundraising campaign raised over a million dollars in memory of the late, legendary union leader Harry Bridges. Commissioned for the 20th anniversary of the Bridges Chair, this video tells the story of its founding, the achievements of the faculty who have held the Chair, and its on-going impact on students at the University of Washington.
In Memory of David Olson, 1941-2012
It's with great sadness we share the passing of David Olson, professor emeritus of Political Science at the University of Washington and the inaugural holder of the Harry Bridges Chair in Labor Studies. David passed away Saturday, September 15. He was 71.
David was firmly dedicated to ensuring working people had, as he often put it, "a seat at the table," at the University of Washington. Both through his civic commitments and his charming personality, David brought together the unique constituencies represented by the Bridges Center: organized labor, civil servants, and university students and faculty. He will be remembered fondly by them all.
The UW Department of Political Science is planning to hold a campus Celebration of Life for David on Friday, November 16 from 3:00-5:30pm, starting in Kane Hall, Room 210 on the UW Seattle campus. It will feature a short program and reception. We will also honor David's legacy at the Bridges Center's 20th anniversary events in November 2012.
Welcome George Lovell, New Harry Bridges Chair
Please join us in welcoming George Lovell as the new Harry Bridges Endowed Chair in Labor Studies, effective July 1, 2012. An Associate Professor of Political Science, Lovell has been at the University of Washington since 2001 and has served for many years on the standing committee for the Bridges Center.
Lovell studies and teaches American politics, constitutional law, and the role of law in struggles over political power. His first book examined judicial attacks on federal labor legislation in the early 20th Century. A new book, This is Not Civil Rights, looks at how individuals defied government indifference by articulating demands for rights during the final years of the Great Depression. He is now working on a book (with Michael McCann) that looks at struggles against economic and political injustice by Filipino and Filipino-American workers in the Pacific Northwest from the 1930s to the present.
As Bridges Chair, Lovell hopes to facilitate constructive collaborations between the labor and university communities as we together confront some very difficult political and economic challenges in the years ahead. He can be reached at glovell@uw.edu.
Bridges Chairs serve terms of two years directing the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies. Outgoing Chair James Gregory served for four incredibly productive years, establishing the Labor Archives of Washington State and hosting a series of important events, from 2009's Year of Labor Heritage to this year's Unemployed Nation Hearings. We thank Jim for his hard work, and wish him the best in his new role as Vice Chair of the UW Faculty Senate.
Labor Archives of Washington State
Download a brochure!
For full-color copies to share with your community, organization, or union local, contact the Bridges Center.
LAWS exists thanks to the contributions of over 125 individuals and organizations.
Donors giving $500 or more join the Labor Archives Founder's Circle. Members will be memorialized on a plaque displayed with the Harry Bridges statue at the entrance to the UW's Suzzalo Library.
Please consider making a secure, tax-deductible contribution by credit card to the Labor Archive Fund.
Donations may also be made by check with our mail-in donation form.
A center for education, research and preservation - Now open!
Thanks to the help of unions throughout the state and the cooperation
of the University of Washington Library, the Bridges Center is proud to announce that as of October 2010 the Labor Archives of Washington State (LAWS)
is a reality.
Working people and their unions built this nation, and no state has a more dynamic labor history than Washington State. LAWS ensures our labor heritage is preserved and that current and future generations understand the struggles and accomplishments of organized labor.
LAWS serves as a center for historical research, helping new generations understand the importance of the labor movement in the past and its importance to the future of our state and nation. It is already one of the largest repositories for labor materials in the country, encompassing more than 200 labor related collections, including the records of unions and of labor leaders and activists.
LAWS is officially endorsed by the Washington State Labor Council, M.L. King County Labor Council, Pierce County Central Labor Council, Snohomish County Labor Council, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, and the ILWU Pacific Coast Pensioners Association.
LABOR TALKS
- Week of May 27, 2013:
"Congrats, USAS!" - Week of May 13, 2013:
"Chinese factory workers, scholarship deadlines, and more"
LABOR TALKS is our e-mail newsletter, sent every two weeks with the latest Labor Studies news, events, grant and scholarship opportunities, and more.
To recieve the newsletter, e-mail hbcls@u.washington.edu with "join e-mail list" in the subject.
Become our fan on Facebook!
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Upcoming Events
- Wed, June 26, 2013
Panel: Labor Feminism: What Does It Mean and Why is it Important?
Cascade Room, Haggett Hall, UW Seattle
7:00pm-9:000pm - Sat, June 29, 2013
Banquet: 2013 Summer Institute for Union Women Graduation
Cascade Room, Haggett Hall, UW Seattle
6:00pm-9:000pm
Scholarship & Prize
Application Deadlines
For incoming UW Students
- Domingo Viernes Scholarship
$5,500 for Undergraduates or Graduates, due: May 20, 2013
For UW Students
- Research Grants
$1,500-$2,500 for Graduates,
due: June 10, 2013 - Bassett, Gundlach and Jugum Scholarships
$5,500 for Undergraduates,
due: June 10, 2013 - Martha H. Duggan Fellowship
$10,000 for Graduates,
due: June 10, 2013 - LERA Scholarship
$1,000 for Undergraduates and Graduates, due: June 10, 2013 - Best Paper Prizes
$250 for Undergraduates and Graduates, due: June 14, 2013
For UW Faculty
- Washington State Labor Research
Up to $7,500 for Faculty research,
deadline: June 21, 2013
Our Mission
The Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies supports a network of scholars in cutting-edge research, education, and outreach about work, workers and their organizations.
The Center engages students in labor studies through courses and field work. We promote connections between students, faculty, and labor communities locally and around the world, and inform policy makers about issues confronting workers.
Support Us
We depend on the continuing generosity of our supporters to maintain programs and assist students.
Donating on-line is safe and easy. Choose a fund below.
» Bridges Community Outreach and Events Fund
Supports all aspects of the Center, including special events, teaching, and scholarship.
» Labor Archives of Washington State Fund
» Martin and Anne Jugum Scholarship
» Harry Bridges Chair Endowment
» Theodore L. and Doris M. Hansen Endowment
Donations can be made via check by downloading our donation form. For more information on donations and individual funds, please visit our Support website.
Contact Us
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Harry Bridges
Center for Labor Studies
University of Washington
UW Box 353530
Seattle, WA 98195-3530
Phone: 206-543-7946
Fax: 206-685-2146
Email: hbcls@u.washington.edu
Office: Smith Hall, Room 101