Worker Rights
We believe that every worker should be treated fairly and equitably, should be paid a living wage, should not be discriminated against or exploited based on their race, language skills, or immigration status, and be supported by local and statewide policies that protect workers and support their ability to organize for their rights.
Our Work
Get to Know what we do
A study by the Center for Public Integrity found that industries that employ higher percentages of immigrant workers tend to have higher rates of labor violations. There are many reasons for this, not the least of which is related to immigration status and the intimidation of workers. We have heard this from our own members, many of whom have faced labor violations but have been afraid to speak out. It is also the reality that when workers seek restitution that the employer tries their hardest to drag things out and skirt the laws. This is why we organize for worker rights.
Our worker rights organizing has focused on Philadelphia where we are a member of the Coalition to Respect Every Worker (CREW). Together with CREW we passed policies that created an independent Department of Labor for the city with staff that would investigate wage theft claims. This was a huge victory for workers but the fight is not over as we now need the city to give the Department the resources it needs to investigate all claims of wage theft that come in. We have been supporting workers in filing these claims to highlight the need for more resources and advocating for increased staffing. More broadly we have also been engaged in fights to raise the minimum wage both in the City of Philadelphia and statewide.
Our Goals
For the next year we will continue to build our base of workers we are organizing and push for changes locally in Philadelphia including:
