AFT/UFT Internship Program Provides Students Real World Collective Bargaining Experience

The Scheinman Institute offers students a number of ways to engage in learning about collective bargaining outside of the classroom by gaining real-world experience and networking with professionals including unique summer internships with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) in Washington, D.C., and the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) in New York City.

“For the past 7 years, the Scheinman Institute has partnered with the AFT and UFT in training their members in the art and science of Collective Bargaining,” said Ellen Gallin Procida, Scheinman Institute Director of Labor-Management Relations Programs.

“These internships grew out of that partnership. ILR students have had the opportunity to work on projects, support collective bargaining, attend arbitrations, analyze and research contract clauses and learn from some of the top labor leaders in the country. By all accounts it is an invaluable experience which will hopefully lead to future labor relations professionals.”

“Cornell students interning with UFT through the Scheinman Institute have an opportunity to analyze grievances, participate in arbitration, prepare for collective bargaining, review policy, develop union training materials and more,” said Mark Collins, Director of UFT Grievance and Arbitration. “In short, they gain experience in most aspects of collective bargaining and dispute resolution. The internship provides interns with practical experience, while providing us practitioners with the opportunity to work with the next generation of labor leaders.”

Former UFT intern Brendan Klein found that the internship gave him “the opportunity to dive deeper into topics we learned in our labor relations classes by observing negotiations, labor and management relationships and contract formation and administration.”

“Partnering with the AFT and the UFT, we’ve brought together years of experience in the practice and teaching of collective bargaining,” stated Harry C. Katz, Jack Sheinkman Professor and Director of the Scheinman Institute. He added, “An important part of the mission of the Institute is to provide students with opportunities to work with and learn from professionals in the field of conflict resolution. In that regard, the internship program with the AFT and UFT has been a great success.”

“To truly understand the collective bargaining process, you can't just observe from the sidelines—you need to step inside the lines and experience it firsthand,” said Kyle Arnone, AFT Director of Collective Bargaining. “The AFT is proud that our internship program with Cornell allows students to do just that. By working directly with union leaders and members, interns grapple with real-world challenges facing workers and workplaces, gaining the skills and insights needed to make a meaningful impact.”

Sara Javkhlan, a former AFT intern, found the experience especially meaningful as she was able to attend bargaining meetings, review and draft contract language and learn about bargaining strategy.

For Tiago Gonzalez, also a former AFT intern, his experience working at the union was a defining time for him and helped crystalize his interest in working in labor relations.

“The AFT and UFT have been wonderful partners in providing learning opportunities to our students,“ said Sally Klingel, Executive Director of the Scheinman Institute and Director. “In addition to providing the internships, AFT President Randi Weingarten (ILR B.S. ‘80) is a frequent visitor to campus to speak to students, and most recently to teach a 1.5 credit course on campus, and AFT/UFT staff and leaders are generous with their time speaking in ILR classes and individually to students and faculty on research questions.”