RWDSU
Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union

Research Intern

Based in New York City, NY

 

Introduction:
The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) represents working people across the United States in retail, grocery, food processing, manufacturing, distribution, healthcare and other essential industries. RWDSU is on the front lines of today’s labor movement, taking on some of the largest and most powerful corporations in the country. Our union leads dynamic, worker-centered organizing and bargaining campaigns throughout the Northeast, Midwest, and the South. We also drive legal suits and legislative campaigns to protect the rights of our members and all working people. Our work is rooted in the belief that working people deserve dignity, power, and a real voice on the job and that collective action is how we win it. 

Under the supervision of the Director of Research and Global Strategies, the Research Intern will provide strategic corporate analysis and other support to organizing and bargaining campaigns. 

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Translate qualitative and quantitative data from multiple sources into digestible company reports and presentations to support external and internal organizing campaigns
• Analyze financial data on companies and industries
• Conduct salary studies for collective bargaining efforts
• Interface with union staff, elected local leadership, and members
• Participate in campaign meetings and rallies as needed

Minimum qualifications:

• Strong written and verbal communication
• Skills in financial analysis and corporate research from a combination of previous work, research courses and/or experience as a union member
• Knowledge of diverse sources of data on public and private companies
• Proficiency in Word, Excel and Powerpoint or similar tools
• Able to work independently
• Determination to get into the details as well as see the forest for the trees
• Commitment to the labor movement and social justice, union experience a plus
• Experience with Action Builder or other worker databases a plus
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work/union experience required
• Other advanced research/data skills (e.g., Python) useful but not necessary

Salary and benefits:
This is a part-time position based at the RWDSU National Headquarters in New York City. Salary is $30/hour plus monthly commuting benefit. The schedule will be 20 hours a week. The intern will have flexibility in scheduling which days they work in office. Some work from home is negotiable. The intern will start with an initial term of six months, with the potential to extend. This is a W-2 position and is not eligible for benefits.

To Apply:
Please send a résumé and short writing sample as PDF(s) to Brienne Ellis (bellis@rwdsu.org). The writing sample should be representative of your corporate research abilities and no longer than 5 pages. If you have additional experience relevant to this role that your résumé does not cover, you may expand on it in your email. No AI. All documents must be received by COB February 20, 2026.

RWDSU is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, and members of historically marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to apply.