Organizing or Research Internships and Training

Organizing Beyond Barriers (OBB), UNITE HERE’s bi-nationally coordinated internship program, builds a progressive alliance of workers, students and community activists by training, agitating, and inspiring people to fight for justice. We place a lot of emphasis on training and fieldwork. People learn by doing, whether it’s hearing about the real situations of working people in a house visit, doing research on a corporation, speaking truth to power on a delegation, or recruiting friends, family, or coworkers to an action. UNITE HERE is committed to inspiring people of all ages and backgrounds to join our movement.

The Program:

Workers, students and community activists across the United States and Canada come together for trainings and internships ranging from one day to 8 weeks to learn how to organize or do campaign research.  OBB organizing and research interns are deeply engaged in pushing forward union organizing campaigns. The OBB program connects the workers’ rights movement with student-led movements, struggles for justice for LGBTQ people, Black Lives Matter, the immigrants’ rights movement and other struggles for economic and social justice. 

OBB Opportunities:

Leadership Development Training: One- and Two-Day Trainings

Learn organizing skills alongside our rank and file leaders in one- or two-day trainings across the country. You’ll learn how to have organizing conversations, how to campaign strategically, and how to understand our place within the larger movement for social justice. Finally, you’ll get the opportunity to put all of this to use by doing live fieldwork on one of our local campaigns.

OBB Summer Internships

Eight weeks of intensive organizing or researching skills training and movement building experience in over 25 cities. Learn from skilled organizers, researchers, and rank and file leaders who have committed themselves to developing their own leadership and yours.

Join us and be inspired by people like you who are rising to take up the struggle for economic and social justice!  

UNITE HERE members:  To learn about opportunities for training through an OBB organizing or research internship, please contact your organizer or union representative.