The Chapter is a non-profit organization composed of members from the management, labor, academic, and public sectors.  The Philadelphia Chapter meets once a month from October through May to bring together the labor management community in the Philadelphia Region.  The normal format is a lecture preceded by a social hour.  Experts from various aspects of labor, industrial and employment relations drawn from the local and national level present controversial and educational programs touching on the current vital issues in labor, industrial and employment relations. 

The aim of the IRRA is to promote the full discussion and exchange of ideas regarding the planning and conduct of research in the field of labor and to disseminate the significant results of such research.  The association takes no partisan attitude on question of policy in the field of labor, nor does it commit its members to any positions on such questions.

Nationally, the Industrial Relations Research Association was founded in 1947 by a group who felt that the growing field of labor, industrial and employment relations required an association in which professionals from different organizations could meet.  The objective was to enable all those interested in labor, industrial and employment relations to become better acquainted and to keep current with the practices and developments in the field.  To our knowledge, there is no other organization which affords the multi-party exchange of ideas we have experienced over the years -- a unique and invaluable forum.  The word “Research” in the name reflects the conviction of the founders that the encouragement, reporting, and critical discussion of research is essential if our field is to advance.

The Philadelphia Chapter of the IRRA has been one of the largest and most active chapters in the country.  For many decades, the Chapter has worked to improve the knowledge and understanding of labor, industrial and employment relations and has sought to maintain an open dialogue among labor, management, academic and government agencies.