Each year, the ILR Labor Roundtable brings dozens of labor leaders to Cornell’s campus, giving students from all backgrounds an opportunity to learn about the labor movement — a movement where workers collectively bargain for improved wages, benefits and working conditions.
This year's Roundtable, scheduled for Friday, is organized by a team led by two current ILR students who spend months preparing — coordinating speakers, managing event logistics and promoting the event. The event is formally sponsored by the Workers Institute which is a research and education center that addresses contemporary labor issues to find solutions to problems related to work, economy and society.
Unlike traditional networking events, the Roundtable allows students a chance to speak with labor leaders on a more personal level. Hudson Athas ’27, stressed the difference between this event and other networking events on Cornell campus.
“A lot of job fairs feel very transactional, where I feel like this is so much more a discussion and collaboration and learning event for both us students and also the labor leaders themselves,” Athas said.
Riley Smith ’28, believes that Roundtable's unique focus on the labor movement makes it stand out from other events.
"This is not meant to be where everyone needs to show up in a suit … prepared with their formal resume and ready with their elevator speech,” Smith said. “This is about gaining a genuine conversation."
Macey Bone ’26, who is the Workers Institute student representative and public engagement and communications fellow, shared a similar sentiment, stating that the Labor Roundtable stands out as one of the most distinctive events at Cornell.
“[The Roundtable] brings together top labor and social justice leaders from around the United States in a conversational, student-centered format,” Bone stated. “Unlike traditional networking events or career fairs, the Roundtable encourages genuine, curiosity-driven dialogue.”
In order for this event to be successful, it requires careful planning and coordination.
The organizing team, led by Smith and Athas, lead weekly meetings with faculty advisors, Prof. Ileen Devault, labor history, and Prof. John McCarthy, global labor and work.
“We started in September,” said Riley Smith ’28, one of this year’s student organizers.
“Reaching out to people, discussing what unions we would like to highlight … finding specific unions that have movements right now that would be of interest to students.”
Athas and Smith typically lead meetings every Friday to plan the event, where they set the agenda, review their speaker list, and “update everyone on our progress — who has said yes, who has said no, and who we’re waiting to hear back from.” Athas said.
Much of the planning centers on identifying and securing speakers for the roundtable.
“We started the process by sort of just going down a list of, okay, what are the broader trends within the labor movement right now that we want to capture and have represented at this event,” Athas explained.
The team looks for a balance of voices, from major union organizers to journalists and labor attorneys. This year's Roundtable will feature a particularly diverse set of speakers.
“Normally, ILR alumni make up a big portion of the event,” Athas said. “But this year, we just by chance have ended up with a much more non-ILR focused event. Some of our speakers have never been to Cornell.”
Some of this year’s speakers include Raymond Jensen Jr., the assistant director of the United Auto Workers Region 9A, Andrew Crook, MILR ’16, the national press secretary for the American Federation of Teachers and Samantha Hyne, an organizer for the Office of Professional Employees International Union Local 153.
The team also tries to represent different positions within the labor movement.
"We looked for people with loads of experience, even if they weren't currently involved in labor movements,” Smith said. “We tried to vary position levels, hoping to incorporate people who are in higher levels of union organizing, and also people on the ground."
Once speakers are confirmed, attention turns to logistics and promotion.
“We’ve worked with our marketing team to find things that are Cornell ILR-approved,” said Smith. “And then we’ve contacted co-sponsors to help with marketing and financial support.”
To make travel easier for guest speakers, the ILR School books hotel rooms at the Statler Hotel in advance. While ILR does not pay for travelling expenses for the speakers, their accommodations and food is covered, Athas said.
Bone’s primary role is to produce written and multimedia work that “uplifts the student perspective and highlights the broader shape of the labor movement,” she wrote in an email to the Sun.
“In practice, this means documenting the public engagement surrounding the Roundtable—speaking with movement leaders, student organizers, and community partners to tell the story of why this event matters and how it serves the Cornell community.”
The student coordinators manage countless smaller tasks as well — collecting speaker bios and photos, confirming travel details and preparing the roundtable layout itself.
“Right now we’re in the final stages,” Smith said. “We’re checking back in with all of our guests, making sure they have all the information they need, and that we have everything from them.”
For Smith, the conversational focus is what makes the event worth the planning.
“We want this to be an event of genuine conversation,” she said. “Everyone is welcome to come for however long they can. This is an event that’s really meant to be educational at the forefront.”
This event will take place from 1:15 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Carrier Ballroom at the Statler Hotel and is open to all students.
After months of preparation, hundreds of emails, and dozens of meetings, Athas hopes that students come out with a “deeper understanding and appreciation for the American labor movement and the work that goes into it.”
Michael Ferreira is a member of the Class of 2028 in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He is a staff writer for the News department and can be reached at mferreira@cornellsun.com.
