June 2018

Supporting Workers Who Refuse


Sympathy for the workers who are participating in the separation of families is not the first thing that comes to mind when I hear the heartbreaking cries of children in detention centers. Or the second. But recent coverage by Democracy Now! of the nonprofit Southwest Key, which has had almost a billion dollars in contracts with Homeland Security to run child detention centers, reminded me that a small part of this shameful story deals with the impact on workers.

Whistleblower Antar Davidson explained in an interview what it is like to be one of the workers in these facilities. Davidson resigned from his job at a Southwest Key facility in Arizona after witnessing the cruel and dehumanizing policies workers at these centers are asked to enforce. The final straw came when he was ordered to tell three siblings from Brazil – ages 16, 10 and 8 – that they couldn’t console one another with a hug. 

I applaud Mr. Davidson for his courage in speaking out and for the principles that led him to resign. However many workers don’t have that option. As Davidson points out in the interview, the vast majority of these workers are working for low wages, without benefits, and with minimal training. Many of these centers are in locations with limited job options. And like him, many took jobs for organizations like Southwest Key because they thought they could help.

The institutional dehumanizing of detained people is well known to have long-term mental health effects, on both the victims and on those who carry out the policies. We have a moral imperative to demand more humane policies towards immigrants and immigrant children, not just because of the harm it does to them, but also because of the harm it does to us.
Onward,
Doug Parker
Executive Director
Nicole Marquez (Worksafe), Katie Wutchiett (Legal Aid at Work), Michael Young (CA Labor Federation), and Sasha Feldstein (CA Immigrant Policy Center)

2018 Annual CLIWA Retreat


In early June, Worksafe gathered with fellow members of CLIWA — the Coalition of Low-Wage & Immigrant Worker Advocates — for a two-day retreat at Golden Gate University in San Francisco. Legal aid attorneys, labor advocates, and worker leaders came together to discuss a range of issues facing low-wage, immigrant workers. 

Presentations, discussions, and workshops covered issues like wage theft, immigration-based retaliation, and workplace violence. Survivors of workplace sexual assault shared their personal experiences, discussed the #MeToo movement, and called upon allies to join the fight to end workplace abuse.

This CLIWA retreat was the largest yet, with more than 80 advocates in attendance. A grant from the California State Bar’s Labor and Employment Law Section helped offset participation costs for those with financial limitations. With this additional funding we were able to hire a professional interpreter to provide Spanish translation. Attorneys received continuing legal education credit for many of the workshops. 

Huge thanks to everyone who attended the retreat and serious gratitude to the coordinating committee that made it all happen. Special shoutout to Worksafe’s own Senior Staff Attorney, Nicole Marquez, who took a lead role in organizing the retreat and whose efforts were critical to making it a success.

Turning the Tide: Advancing Worker Health & Safety in California

Centro Legal de la Raza
Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher
A Fair Future at Tesla
On June 1st, Worksafe gathered with friends, allies, and supporters to celebrate our 36th Anniversary at Ed Roberts Campus in Berkeley. We were thrilled to honor our 2018 Health & Safety Heroes: Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, Centro Legal de la Raza, and the Fair Future at Tesla Campaign.
Thanks to our supporters, we raised nearly $60,000 to fund our worker health & safety programs in the coming year. As importantly, we ended the night with a clearer vision of our collective goal: a world where every worker comes home safe at the end of every day. 
Many individuals and organizations pitched in to make the event a success. We are especially grateful to our awesome volunteers, spirited presenters, and generous event sponsors.
Worksafe is Hiring!
Are you a worker justice warrior with a knack for numbers and a way with words? Do you know someone who is? Worksafe is seeking a Communications & Development Associate for our Oakland office!

The Communications & Development Associate is responsible for supporting our communications and fundraising efforts. This person will assist with internal and external communications across multiple platforms, for a variety of audiences. They will also perform skilled administrative and clerical duties directly related to development activities. These include maintaining donor databases, coordinating donor communications, and assisting with fundraising events. The ideal candidate has a passion for worker justice, excellent writing skills, and an eye for technical accuracy!

Check out the full job description here, and apply by June 29th for priority consideration!

Meet Our Summer Intern


We are excited to introduce you to Kris Cho, our 2018 summer intern! Kris will spend the summer with Worksafe before heading to Brown University in the fall
Q: What got you interested in occupational health and safety?  I was a participant-organizer for an Asian Pacific Islander (API)/Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, or South Asian (AMEMSA) progressive political summit in my home state of Missouri, where we workshopped a variety of local political issues, notably the history of organizing around labor issues and agriculture in the Midwest. There are a lot of ideological and political roots in labor rights organizing that I am intrigued by and deeply appreciate as an activist.

Q: What are you most excited about at Worksafe?  
The mentorship! Everyone here is so amazing and kind; I hope to soak up every single bit of knowledge, wisdom, and wit I encounter this summer.

Q: How about a fun fact?  
I am a historical fencer, meaning that all of the swords I work with are 18th-century replicas and the technique I practice is a lot closer to ballet than modern day fencing!
Be sure to check out Dying at Work in California 2018 – Worksafe’s seventh annual report on the state of safety and health protections for California workers. Please read and share.
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