Access to Justice
For CWR, the starting point for access to justice is that workers experiencing workplace abuse actually recognize it as a legal issue and can receive accurate information on their rights and where they can go for assistance. When barriers in our legal system prevent workers from seeking remedies on their own, the Center assists workers in navigating the administrative procedures and representing workers in the process.
Know Your Rights Trainings
The Center for Workers’ Rights educates workers, community advocates, and organizers about workplace rights, helps them strategize methods for asserting those rights, and provides training on how to protect themselves from retaliation while doing so.
With education for leadership in mind, our goal is to have each worker return to their place of employment with the knowledge, tools, and resources to help all of their colleagues.
These trainings are held in-person and virtually to accommodate the flexibility workers need and can cover both general workplace protections, industry-specific concerns, or tips about navigating California’s complex administrative procedures. To schedule a training session please contact us.
Workers’ Rights Clinics
Many workers hesitate to make official complaints against their employers because of a lack of certainty in how the law protects them in their specific situation. That’s why a core component of our work stems from our Workers’ Rights Clinics. These clinics offer workers the opportunity for one-on-one legal consultations for all low-wage workers regardless of immigration status.
Wage Recovery
The Center for Workers’ Rights uses non-litigation strategies to combat wage theft. We assist workers in understanding the individual claim filing process at the California Labor Commissioner’s Office and provide representation in that process when needed. Workers are often intimidated by the process of filing a claim for unpaid wages and getting them started in that process can help them achieve their justice goals. That is why our Wage Claim Clinic focuses on investigating and preparing calculations of wages and penalties owed in order to file a complete claim with the Labor Commissioner’s Office.
Unemployment Insurance Benefit Appeals
Losing work can be a scary time for low-wage workers and California’s unemployment insurance benefits program should serve as a needed safety net during that time. Too often, however, workers face difficulty in accessing these much needed benefits either due to agency errors or employer conflicts. CWR provides information and representation to workers who must appear at a hearing on their unemployment claim.
Assistance with Administrative Claims
In addition to our wage recovery and unemployment representation, the Center provides advice and representation for low-wage workers in other administrative claims, including claims for discrimination, retaliation, and harassment. Our goal is for victories in individual cases to bolster organizing and improve workplace conditions.