BACKGROUND:
Through our ten year history of supporting worker organizing campaigns, we have learned that many workers, especially low-wage immigrant workers, are unaware of their rights and do not know where to turn if their rights are violated. As the organization has grown, we have begun to educate low-wage workers about their rights and help fight workplace abuses.

In order to increase our capacity to assist low-wage workers, the next logical step is to form a workers center. The Chicago Interfaith Committee on Worker Issues is in the process of establishing a physical space where unskilled, low-wage, and immigrant workers can meet to learn their rights in the workplace. Our vision is to create a safe haven where workers, people of faith, union organizers, Workers Rights Advocates, and others, such as legal representatives, can come together to learn and teach about workers' struggles and various actions that can be taken to correct violations of workers' rights.

ACTION:
If you are interested in helping with this very exciting project please contact Jose Oliva at 773-728-8400x20 to find out more about what you can do. A volunteer orientation session has been set up at the new location at 2649 N. Francisco on Saturday, February 16 at 10AM.

The workers center will be engaged in the following activities:

- Filing complaints on behalf of workers with the Department of Labor, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

- Engaging in Direct Action organizing to pressure sweatshop employers to clean up their act.

- Working side by side with unions who are actively organizing low-wage and immigrant workers.

- Conducting workers' rights workshops and trainings for workers and people in the community.

If any of these activities interests you... WE WANT YOU! - Come to the training...

For more information please call Jose at 773-728-8400x20 or email jose (at) nicwj.org