Mark Levinson
Revson Fellow 2002-2003
Chief Economist and Director of Policy
Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE)
Mark Levinson is Chief Economist and Director of Policy, Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE). Born in Denver, Colorado, Mr. Levinson currently lives in Manhattan with his wife and daughter. Mr. Levinson received a B.A. in Economics and Sociology from Colorado State University and a Ph.D. in Economics from the New School for Social Research in 1985. For the past fifteen years, he has worked as an economist for labor unions, including the United Automobile Workers (UAW), DC37 American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and UNITE. At UNITE, he is responsible for directing research on companies in the apparel and textile industries as well as analyzing these industries globally. Mr. Levinson also helped to set up the Fiscal Policy Institute (FPI), a coalition of unions and religious and social service organizations that publishes The State of Working New York and other reports on New York City and State budget and tax policy. In his work with the AFL-CIO, he has been involved with the labor movement’s Campaign for Global Fairness and has testified before Congress several times on international trade issues. He is on the Editorial Board and is a book review editor for Dissent magazine, and is a Member of the National Advisory Committee for the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation. His writings on trade policy, labor rights, and the global economy have been published in Dissent, New Labor Forum, The Nation, Boston Review and The New York Times. During his Revson year, Mr. Levinson engaged in research on globalization and how to improve the condition of working people in the global economy.
(The Revson Fellow’s biography that appears above was last updated in 2002. Revson Fellows may update their biographies on this site by sending email to: revson@columbia.edu)
My fellowship year provided me with the opportunity to test myself in new ways by engaging in academic studies and thinking more deeply about the issues with which we struggle on a daily basis. Taking the time to stretch myself intellectually has been incredibly rewarding, particularly within the context of the fellowship. I was honored to be a part of this cohort, all of the fellows were wonderfully supportive and interesting people and it was a gift to meet and work with each of them, as well as the Revson staff. It has been a wonderful year and I feel reinvigorated about my work as well as looking forward to continuing academic studies.
