Through experience we’ve learned that we can’t rely on someone else to solve our problems on the job. Unfortunately, many business owners don't have our best interests in mind. Government agencies lack resources or political will to deal with the overwhelming number of workers seeking help and are bureaucratic and slow. To make matters worse, many of the worst abuses are completely LEGAL and can’t be addressed through filing claims or lawsuits. Most complaints workers have are for issues that are UNJUST but not ILLEGAL.

If we don't fight for our rights, then who will? The Worker Justice Committee and the Comite de Justicia para Trabajadores have a strategy to improve conditions and enforce existing labor rights. We build worker power and confront employers directly with our demands for compliance and improvements. We use a combination of public pressure, direct action and filing wage claims with the Department of Labor to force employers to negotiate directly with workers and reach reasonable agreements that we can then monitor and enforce. Together, the two committees build multiracial unity between U.S.-born workers, both white and people of color, and Latino immigrant workers.