The Washtenaw County Workers’ Center (WCWC) is a nonprofit organization that provides a safe space for low-wage native and immigrant workers in the private service sector to come together to address workplace issues and to fight for economic justice.
We organize! We bring together workers and build alliances with community members and organizations who share our ideals and goals.
We educate! We hold workshops on various labor issues to teach workers their rights. We gather and analyze data on violations and chronic problems local workers experience and report our findings to community allies and politicians.
We agitate! We also use the information we gather to develop effective strategies for addressing the problems that we document. These strategies include workplace justice campaigns targeting particularly bad employers, and public policy campaigns that aim to change local or state government laws, regulations and/or enforcement practices.
In October 2009, we began the Household Worker Organizing Project (HOP). The project aims to organize, educate and empower domestic workers - those who make their living by cooking, cleaning and caring for children, the sick, and the elderly in private homes. Household workers are a vital part of the economy, but are often underpaid, overworked, and unfairly treated. HOP is based on a model pioneered by Domestic Workers United (DWU) of New York. We work closely with the DWU and the other workers centers that founded the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA)
For the latest on activities relating to the Household Worker Organizing Project, check out our blog "WCWC Now!"