Worker Centers - Cornell University Press

Worker Centers
Community-Based and Led Worker Organizing Projects
Illinois (8)
Centro de Derechos Humanos Simon Bolivar
Chicago Area Workers' Center
Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
Chicago Interfaith Workers' Rights Center**
Chicago Home Care Organizing Project (CHOP)
Filipino Worker Center
Latino Union of Chicago***
San Lucas Worker Center
Washington (4)
Casa Latina***
Filipino Workers Action Center
Washington Alliance of Technology Workers (WASHTECH/CWA)
Washington Farmworkers Union
If in network:
Enlace*
IWJ**
NDLON***
Percentage Foreign Born
(Metro. Areas Only)
Less than 5%
5% − 10%
10% −20%
20% −30%
Over 30%
Ohio (3)
Day Laborer's Organizing Committee
Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC), AFL-CIO
Interfaith Committee on Worker Justice**
Maine (1)
Maine Rural
Workers Coalition
Vermont (1)
Vermont Workers' Center
Michigan (1)
Michigan Organizing Project (MOP)
Montana (1)
Working for Equality and Economic Liberation (WEEL)
Northern CA (14)
Asian Immigrant Women Advocates
Centro Laboral de Graton ***
Centro Legal de la Raza***
Chinese Worker Organizing Center
(Chinese Progressive Association)*
Citizenship Project
Day Worker Center at Calvary Church***
FOCUS/Filipino Community Support
Instituto Laboral de la Raza***
La Raza Centro Legal/
San Francisco Day Laborer Program***
Mujeres Unidas y Activas
Organización de Trabajadores Agrícolas
de California
People Organized to Win Employment Rights
(POWER)*
The Temporary Workers Employment Project/
Working Partnerships USA
Watsonville Law Center-Agricultural Workers Access to Health Project
Worker Centers
Indiana (1)
St. Joseph Valley Project--Indiana Interfaith Workers' Rights Center**
Minnesota (3)
Centro Campesino
Resource Center of the Americas
Twin Cities Interfaith Center for Worker Justice**
Oregon (3)
Centro Cultural***
Pineros y Campesinos Unidos
del Noreste
VOZ***
Legend
Wisconsin (4)
9 to 5, National Association of Working Women
Faith Community for Worker Justice-Miwaukee Interfaith Workers' Rights Center
Madison Interfaith Workers' Center**
Voces de la Frontera
Massachusetts (5)
Brazilian Immigrant Center
Chinese Progressive Association/Workers Center*
Merrimack Valley Project Worker Center
Pioneer Valley Workers Center
SEIU Local #615, Voice and Future Worker Center
Rhode Island (2)
Dare to Win--Direct Action for Rights & Equality
United Workers Committee
Nebraska (1)
Omaha Together One Community (OTOC)
Nevada (1)
Alliance for Workers' Rights
Utah (1)
Colorado (1)
Justice, Economic Dignity and
Independence for Women (JEDI) El Centro Humanitario
para Los Trabajadores**
Arizona (3)
Central Arizona Shelter Services
(CASS)
Tonatierra**
Primavera Workers
Southern CA (14)
Central American Resource Center
(CARCEN)***
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights
of Los Angeles (CHIRLA)***
Domestic Workers Home Care Center,
United Domestic Workers
Garment Worker Center (GWC)*
Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana
Iglesia San Pedro***
Instituto de Educacion Popular del Sur
de California (IDEPSCA)
Korean Immigrant Workers Advocates (KIWA)*
Maintenance Industry Cooperation Trust Fund
Malibu Community Labor Exchange (MCLE)***
Pilipino Workers' Center*
Pomona Day Laborer Center***
Support Committee for Maquiladora Workers
Union Sin Fronteras
New York (20)
Andolan Organizing South Asian Workers (LIC)
Centro de Hospitalidad***
Centro Independiente de Trabajadores Agricolas (CITA)
Chinese Staff and Workers' Association (CSWA)
Coalicion Hispana de Ossining***
Committee Against Anti Asian Violence -Women Workers Project*
Community Voices Heard
Cortland Workers' Rights Board
Filipino Workers Center
Hispanic Resource Center of Larchmont and Mamaroneck***
Hispanic Westchester Coalition***
Latino Workers Center (LWC)
Mexican American Workers Association
Neighbors' Link***
New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA)
Proyecto de los Trabajadores Latinoamericanos***
Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York (ROCNY)*
Work Experience Program (WEP)/Workers Together! (WWT!)
Workers' Awaaz
Workplace Project***
Pennsylvania (3)
Immigration Resource Center, AFL-CIO
Heartland Labor Capital Network
Philadelphia Unemployment Project
Arkansas (1)
Northwest Arkansas Workers' Center**
Tennessee (1)
Latinos Unidos/Southern
Empowerment Project
DC (2)
DC Employment Justice Center
Filipino Worker Center
New Jersey (5)
Casa Freehold***
Comité de Apoyo a los Trabajadores Agrícolas***
New Labor
United Labor Agency/
Bergen County Day Laborer Project
Wind of the Spirit***
Maryland (4)
Centro de Empleo y Liderazgo
Casa de Maryland***
Centro de Empleo Trabajadores
Hacia el Progreso
Casa Obrera
Virginia (4)
Coal Employment Project
Tenants' and Workers' Support Committee (TWSC)*
Viriginia Justice Center for Farm and Immigrant Workers
Viriginia Justice Center for Farm and Immigrant Workers
Mississippi (2)
Mississippi Poultry Workers Center
Mississippi Workers Center for Human Rights
Texas (7)
Border Agricultural Workers Project/
Florida (6)
Union de Trabajadores Agricolas Fronterizos (UTAF)
Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW)
Central Texas Immigrant Workers' Rights Center
Farmworker Association of Florida, (FWAF)
(CTIWoRC)**
Farmworker Network for Economic
Fuerza Unida
and Environmental Justice
Gulfton Area Neighborhood Organization (GANO)***
Interfaith Workers' Rights Initiative**
Harris County AFL-CIO,
Miami Worker Center
Justice & Equality in the Workplace Program (JEWP)
UNITE for Dignity
La Mujer Obrera
Southwest Public Workers' Union (SPWU)
North Carolina (7)
Beloved Community Center**
Black Workers for Justice
Eastern North Carolina Interfaith Workers Rights Center**
North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Project (NCOSH)***
Poultry Workers Project/Center for Women's Economic Alternatives (CWEA)
Southerners for Economic Justice
Western North Carolina Interfaith Workers Rights Center**
South Carolina (1)
Carolina Alliance for Fair Employment (CAFÉ)*
There are at least 137 worker centers in 32 states: 28 in California; 22 in New York; 8 in Illinois;
7 in North Carolina and Texas; 6 in Florida; 5 in MA, NJ; 4 in MD, VA, WA, WI; 3 in AZ, MN, OH, OR, PA;
2 in DC, MS, RI; 1 in AR, CO, IN, ME, MI, MT, NE, NV, SC, TN, UT, VT.
About one third (37%) of worker centers belong to one of three national networks:
Enlace (11), IWJ: Interfairth Worker Justice (11), and NDLON: National Day Laborer Organizing Network (29).
The largest network, NDLON, was founded in 2001 and has brought together day laborer centers from all over the country to share
experiences, increase the participation of day laborers in the operation of the centers and organizing work, and help set up new centers.
ENLACE, a network of local low wage worker organizing projects in the US and Mexico, brings together 26 unions and community
organizations, including 11 worker centers, and provides training specifically tailored to community-based worker organizing projects.
IWJ provides ongoing organizational development, organizing, legislative and fundraising support to its affiliates and has played a leadership
role in the fight to raise the federal minimum wage as well as in forming coalitions with state and federal government agencies.
Data Sources:
Worker Center Locations: Phoenix Fund Clearinghouse Listing, National Day Laborer Organizing
Network, National Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice (NICWJ) and independently gathered.
Foreign Born: US Census 2000 SF3 Table P21
By the Census definition, the US is 11.1% foreign born (12.9% within metro areas).
Under a more expansive definition that includes Puerto Rican born and children in
households where all parents are foreign born, the US is 14% immigrants.
Economic Policy Institute
Prepared by Janice Fine, Tam Doan
and Jon Werberg of the National Study
on Immigrant Worker Centers 2005.
Please send corrections to Janice at
jfine@communitychange.org or
Tam at tdoan@alum.mit.edu.