Daniel Graff
Center for Social Concerns
Director, Higgins Labor Program; Faculty Joint Appointment, History
- Contemporary labor issues
- Gender, race, and labor
- Labor history
- Economic history
- History of capitalism
- Just wage
- Race and ethnicity
Graff’s Latest News
Graff in the News
OSV News
Americans Are Talking About Labor Issues, Unions More Now Than In Recent Past, Experts Say
September 04, 2023
“I definitely think this Labor Day, there’s more of a focus by the nation on the state of labor,” said Daniel Graff, director of the Higgins Labor Program at the University of Notre Dame’s Center for Social Concerns. “Coming out of the pandemic — and with the rise of labor organizing we’ve seen the last couple of years — it’s clear that Americans are talking about labor questions more than in the recent past.”
NPR
Notre Dame professor on the end of the Great Resignation and its impact on the labor market
July 26, 2023
Dan Graff, the director of the Higgins Labor Program at the University of Notre Dame, says the Great Resignation signaled what American workers need: allies at the policy level. On Wednesday’s edition of “Closer Look,” he told show host Rose Scott that amid the COVID-19 pandemic, workers didn’t stop working completely, they moved into other job sectors to make financial gains.
Our Sunday Visitor
Union delivers victory for cafeteria workers at Catholic University in Washington
July 24, 2023
“In an era where outsourcing of labor usually results in the deterioration of pay, benefits, and conditions, it’s refreshing to see this contract between Compass and Unite Here that will significantly improve workers’ lives over the next several years at Catholic University and other DC-area organizations,” said Daniel Graff, director of the Higgins Labor Program at the University of Notre Dame’s Center for Social Concerns, which also operates the Just Wage Initiative.
OSV News
Tesla union labor battle shows need for church's leadership and teaching voice
February 28, 2023
"It's almost next to impossible to successfully organize a union today in the United States, if an employer deliberately tries to oppose it," Daniel Graff, director of the Higgins Labor Program at the University of Notre Dame's Center for Social Concerns, told OSV News.
South Bend Tribune
Labor historian, Notre Dame professor addresses League of Women Voters
February 08, 2022
The League of Women Voters presents a talk by Dan Graff at its next virtual luncheon, at noon Feb. 11.
Associated Press
Starbucks workers agree to union in Buffalo, NY
January 21, 2022
Labor shortages are giving workers a rare upper hand in wage negotiations. And Dan Graff, director of the Higgins Labor Program at the University of Notre Dame, said the pandemic gave many workers the time and space to rethink what they want from their jobs.
Buffalo News
What to watch for next after Starbucks union election in Buffalo
December 11, 2021
As Daniel Graff, director of the Higgins Labor Program at the University of Notre Dame, scrolled through news reports about the Starbucks unionization campaign in Buffalo, he was shocked how many of the workers quoted are longtime employees of the coffee chain.
Associated Press
Starbucks faces union test as worker votes are counted
December 09, 2021
And Dan Graff, director of the Higgins Labor Program at the University of Notre Dame, said the pandemic gave many workers the time and space to rethink what they want from their jobs.
Associated Press
Rare Starbucks union vote set to begin in Buffalo
November 10, 2021
Dan Graff, director of the Higgins Labor Program at the University of Notre Dame, said many workers are burned out and tired of playing by the pre-coronavirus rules.
WVPE
Friday Recap
Audio
October 08, 2021
Featuring Daniel Graff, Director of the Higgins Labor Program; Daniel Hobbins, Associate Professor of History; and Tamara Kay, Professor of Global Affairs & Sociology.
Lakeshore Public Radio
The Black Death, Labor Markets, and Lessons from Our Past
Audio
October 05, 2021
Guests: Daniel Graff, Director of the Higgins Labor Program; Daniel Hobbins, Associate Professor of History; and Tamara Kay, Professor of Global Affairs & Sociology.
National Catholic Reporter
On this Labor Day, advocating for just wages means fighting company theft
September 06, 2021
Conversations on just wages and the economy should include such fundamentals, said Daniel Graff, director of the University of Notre Dame's Higgins Labor Program, part of the university's Center for Social Concerns.
Newsweek
Labor Rights Activists Say Minimum Wage Proposals From Manchin, Romney Aren't Living Wages
January 24, 2021
Daniel Graff, the director of the Higgins Labor Program at the University of Notre Dame, said a minimum wage increase is not only long overdue, but it would also be significant to states, like Graff's home of Indiana, that have not lifted wages at all.
WNDU
What rights do workers have to paid leave during the pandemic?
Video
December 01, 2020
“Now, I worry sometimes that employers have a lot more sway over their workers, and maybe, you know, unfortunately, in some cases would intimidate workers from actually exercising the right,” expressed Dr. Daniel Graff, a labor historian and professor at the University of Notre Dame.