Michael Wasser is working with the labor relations team at General Motors's Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant. The labor relations team is responsible for administering the collective bargaining agreement between GM and UAW Local 602, the exclusive representative of the more than 2,000 hourly employees. As part of the labor relations team, he assists with managing the movement of manpower, responding to grievances, clarifying the contents of the collective bargaining agreement for supervisors, responding to EEOC complaints and unemployment claims, and any other issues involving the hourly employees.

About LSER Internships

Internships can be a critical part of any student’s college experience. Internships take you “on the job” and give you a real sense of what a career in your chosen field might involve. Internships also give you practical experience in your field, something that can be helpful when you begin your search for a post-graduation job.

Students are responsible for finding their own internships. A first step in this process is determining the kind of work with which you would like to gain experience (human resources, union-management relations, union organizing, law, etc.). You should also think about practical considerations, like whether you can do an unpaid internship or will require one that is paid and the geographic areas where you would like to work.

Early in the process you should meet with the LSER Department’s Internship Coordinator, Amy Dietz. She can tell you, in more detail, what the Department’s expectations are for internships and give you a better sense of deadlines, registration, and other practical matters.

When you begin actually looking for site, a good place to start is with the Department’s listing of former internship sites. The Department has had hundreds of students do internships in the last several years. Visiting the LSER Advising Office and looking through our listing might give you some leads. LSER Academic Advisor Maureen Mulenga keeps the listing in her office in 134 Willard. Also, pay attention to the emails sent out by the Department. They often include information on employers looking for interns.

Once you have an internship arranged, you need to sign up for internship credits. LER students should register for LA 495 section 17. Ms. Mulenga or Amy Dietz can help you with the registration process. To begin the process, you will need to download the Internship Packet.

Further information on internships, including tips on locating sites, is available at the College of the Liberal Arts Internship website at http://www.la.psu.edu/CLA-Internships/Homepage.shtml.

Examples of LSER Internships

· Human Resources Leadership Development Program, Lockheed Martin, Valley Forge, PA
· Corporate Human Resources Department, Target Corporation, Atlanta, GA
· Compensation Analyst, Mercer Human Resource Consulting, Washington, DC
· Human Resource Representative, Aramark Corporation, Philadelphia, PA
· Human Resource Intern, Borough of State College, State College, PA
· Union Representative Intern, Service Employees International Union, Syracuse, NY
· Field Examiner Intern, National Labor Relations Board, Philadelphia, PA
· Organizing Intern, Union Summer Internship Program, AFL-CIO, various locations nationally
· Labor Relations Intern, U.S. Steel Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA
· Human Resource Intern, Omega Bank Corporate Headquarters, State College, PA
· Union Grievance Department, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Harrisburg, PA