About Our Community

Since 2011, immigrant workers in New York and New Jersey have organized with Laundry Workers Center (LWC), to raising their own voices and leading their struggle. Our first campaign began with just a few workers, since then LWC has now partnered with hundreds of workers who have won their fight against wage theft, unsafe working conditions, discrimination, racism, and sexual harassment at the workplace.

Our Programs

Laundry Workers Center is rooted in the principles that every person has the right to a safe, equitable workplace, and that social change is built from the bottom up; directly affected communities must lead their own solutions.

Our 3 core programs serve to directly combat exploitation by training and activating workers to organize for small and large-scale reform:

  1. Workplace Justice Campaigns provide the tools and education to low-wage workers in the laundry and restaurant industries to build better, sustainable jobs and community leaders.
  2. Research and Policy helps to engage communities on policies that have large socio economic impacts such as civil rights, immigration reform and dignity in the workplace. 
  3. The Progressive Block Leadership Institute is a member training that provides innovative educational training to low-income community members on leadership development, social media, and grassroots, civics and community organizing.

The Progressive Bloc Leadership Institute is open to any low-wage worker who is committed to improving their workplace through collective organizing. Emerging leaders develop skills in leadership, labor rights, civic engagement and community organizing. To graduate the Institute, leaders must utilize their training to launch their own workplace or community campaign.

 Recently we partnered with SUNY-Empire State College to offer affordable and flexible tuition to our past and present members, allowing them an opportunity to access an online college degree. 

Read on for some testimonials by our workers.

 

  • About Our Community

    Since 2011, immigrant workers in New York and New Jersey have organized with Laundry Workers Center (LWC), to raising their own voices and leading their struggle. Our first campaign began with just a few workers, since then LWC has now partnered with hundreds of workers who have won their fight against wage theft, unsafe working conditions, discrimination, racism, and sexual harassment at the workplace.

    Our Programs

    Laundry Workers Center is rooted in the principles that every person has the right to a safe, equitable workplace, and that social change is built from the bottom up; directly affected communities must lead their own solutions.

    Our 3 core programs serve to directly combat exploitation by training and activating workers to organize for small and large-scale reform:

    1. Workplace Justice Campaigns provide the tools and education to low-wage workers in the laundry and restaurant industries to build better, sustainable jobs and community leaders.
    2. Research and Policy helps to engage communities on policies that have large socio economic impacts such as civil rights, immigration reform and dignity in the workplace. 
    3. The Progressive Block Leadership Institute is a member training that provides innovative educational training to low-income community members on leadership development, social media, and grassroots, civics and community organizing.

    The Progressive Bloc Leadership Institute is open to any low-wage worker who is committed to improving their workplace through collective organizing. Emerging leaders develop skills in leadership, labor rights, civic engagement and community organizing. To graduate the Institute, leaders must utilize their training to launch their own workplace or community campaign.

     Recently we partnered with SUNY-Empire State College to offer affordable and flexible tuition to our past and present members, allowing them an opportunity to access an online college degree. 

    Read on for some testimonials by our workers.

     

  • Emilio Flores

    Emilio Flores, LWC member-leader from New Jersey, led his organizing campaign after getting fired for demanding PPE & better safety protocols during the Covid-19 Pandemic at his workplace. Emilio and his co-workers won their campaign. They got economic compensation for all the damages. Part of their victory also brought structural changes around health & safety for the workers still working with the company.

    The following article highlights the campaign in New Jersey and workers demand at that time: https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2020/10/23/leonia-nj-immigrant-say-they-were-fired-covid-19-complaints/3720594001/

     

  • Oscar Ramirez

    Oscar Ramirez was born in México in an indigenous community. He migrated to the USA in 2008 and when he was 16 began working at Liberato Restaurant. He was a pre-cook and then became a cook, sometimes working 60 to 70 hours a week in poor conditions inside the restaurant, not making minimum wage or overtime.

    His first experience with Laundry Workers Center (LWC) was during the first-ever fast food strike in November 2012. Nazario Guzmán, a leader from LWC’s Hot and Crusty campaign and one of Oscar’s best friends, invited him to a rally in support of the first-ever fast food strike–introducing Oscar to the social justice movement.

  • Maggie Andres

    Maggie Andres is a core leader for women’s rights in the Liberato Restaurant campaign. Ms. Andres has facilitated and spoken at multiple LWC forums, including LWC’s annual Women’s Forum in November 2014, and the Stomp Out Sexual Harassment Forum and the Bronx Forum Against Wage Theft in 2015. Through her leadership, Ms. Andres has empowered other workers from the Liberato campaign to speak out against abuses in the workplace and to share their stories of empowerment with other members of the community. She organized for better conditions at her workplace and won. Today Maggie is part of the LWC Board of Directors.

  • Jorge Mendonza

    I got involved with the Laundry Workers Center through Oscar Ramirez, my co-worker. After going through our leadership Institute I got the skills to launch my own campaign along with my co-workers and we won structural changes + a settlement agreement about wage theft.

    I fought against wage theft and the discrimination at my workplace because I have a family,  my kids deserve a better future.  We launched the campaign for respect and dignity, after we launched the campaign the restaurant changed the conditions and started paying the minimum wage. They do not cut the hours and pay the overtime. The company fixed the conditions that we consider dangerous and I realize the beauty of the organizing power. I’m a proud member of the Laundry Workers Center and my commitment is demonstrated in each action, meeting, and event that I am willing to attend.

  • Ricarda Mosso

    After months of training and leadership development with the Laundry Workers Center, on February 16, 2019  Ricarda launched her organizing campaign. At the time the  company started retaliating, but she will never give up. She fought until she got justice-- until the management respects her and her co-worker. We need to continue our struggle because many workers are watching us and we need to lead by example. We demand payment of the minimum wage, overtime, and a good work environment with the right equipment, ventilation, and heating. We are demanding that the company comply with health and safety laws. They need to stop the discrimination and the physical abuse.

    Having the support of the Laundry Workers Center gave me hope and now I do not feel alone. I have a great community fighting with me. In the future I want to be an organizer to help other women like me.

  • Pablo Rutilio

    After many years of suffering abuse at the workplace, I joined the Laundry Workers Center with my coworkers in 2014 to launch a campaign against the restaurant to demand dignity and respect, not just from Liberato, but all over the Bronx and beyond. I participated in Laundry Workers Center training and after two years fighting against wage theft, verbal abuse, discrimination and sexual harassment, my co-workers and I won the campaign. After winning the campaign and recovering what the company owned, I decided to open my own restaurant called La Essencia. I treat my employees with dignity, respecting the law and their rights. LWC is an amazing organization that supports its members until the end. For me it is admirable how they teach and empower workers.

    Now, I am living my dream. My co-workers and the Laundry Workers Center empowered me; now I know my rights. They changed my life. I opened my restaurant to inspire others. Everything is possible if we organize. 

  • Beatriz Ramirez

    Beatriz Ramirez, an LWC member who faced retribution at work for demanding protection at work during the height of the pandemic.

    The following article highlights the need for supporting excluded workers such as Beatriz: Ready for a Fresh Start (Indypendent)