Student Series: Organizing for Change: The Intersections of Social Work and the Labor Movement

Monday, September 28, 2026.

3-4pm ET | 6-7pm PT

FREE for all social work students

Social work and labor organizing share a fundamental commitment to dismantling systemic harm, but their relationship has not always been harmonious. This presentation explores the complex, often underexamined intersections between the labor movement and social work practice, with a focus on how collective action can address the very power structures that harm both clients and workers. Drawing on personal experience, movement history, and current campaigns, the session offers success stories like the “Hands Off, Pants On” worker campaign in Chicago and the influence of ILO Convention 190 in shaping California labor protections. Participants will be invited to consider how organizing principles and labor-aligned policy advocacy can complement social work values and macro efforts, offering strategies to expand beyond crisis response to tackle prevention and structural change.

Speaker: Ash Wilhelm

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