Elaine Bernard

Elaine Bernard is a Senior Research Associate and the former Executive Director of the Labor and Worklife Program and the Harvard Trade Union Program at Harvard Law School. The Labor and Worklife Program (LWP) is Harvard University's forum for research and teaching on the world of work and its implications for society.

Before being recruited by Harvard in 1989, Bernard was the Director of Labour Programs at Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia. Born in Trenton, Ontario and raised in Ottawa, Bernard received all of her schooling in Canada. She has a BA from University of Alberta, a MA from University of British Columbia, and a Ph.D. from Simon Fraser University. She has conducted courses on a wide variety of topics for unions, community groups, universities and government departments in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Australia. Her current research and teaching interests are in the areas of international comparative labour movements and union leadership.

Recognizing the division among police labour organizations in the U.S. and the need for labour education and networking opportunities for police unions, Bernard worked with police union leaders to established an annual police union leaders' seminar at Harvard called "The Big 50." This unique educational seminar brings together police labour representatives from the 50 largest cities in the U.S.