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The Memphis Workers' Center
"Do not mistreat foreigners who are living in your
land. Treat them as you
would a fellow Israelite,
and love them as you love yourselves. Remember
that you were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your
God."
- Leviticus 19:33 -34
"Be steadfast witnesses for God in
equity, and let not hatred of any people
seduce you that ye deal not
justly. Deal justly, that is nearer to your duty.
Observe your duty to
God. Lo! God is informed of what ye do." - Holy Qur'an 5:8
"There are no more distinctions
between Jew and Greek, slave and free,
male and female,
but all of you are one in Christ Jesus." - Galatians 3:28
Imagine working a full week
and never getting paid a dime for it by the
temporary
service that hired you. Or being severely injured on the
construction site where you work, and then being told by your employer
that you won't receive any workers' compensation. Both of these
scenarios
are the real life experiences of immigrant workers
in Memphis that the Mid-South
Interfaith Network interviewed in the spring of 2007. Many
native born workers
also face unscrupulous employers who
refuse to respect their workplace rights,
assuming that
workers will do nothing in response.
In response to these situations,
the Mid-South Interfaith Network launched
the Memphis Workers'
Center in the fall of 2007. The Memphis Workers' Center is
a safe place for workers, both immigrant and native born, to learn
about their
workplace rights and to organize to improve their
working conditions.
En Espanol
The Memphis Workers' Center
supports workers by:
Educating workers about
their rights: Many low-wage workers, as well as
the religious and community agencies that serve them, are not sure of
what workplace rights
workers have. The Workers' Center
carries out trainings and develops worker
rights materials
to educate workers and their advocates about rights related to wages,
health and safety, and racial and gender discrimination. If you would
like to schedule a
"Know Your Rights at Work" workshop
in either English or Spanish for
your congregation
or community group,
email Alfredo
Peņa or call (901) 332-3585.
Connecting workers with attorneys: Attorneys and law
students will meet with
workers at clinics on particular days
and times to review workplace related cases such as
nonpayment
of wages or refusal to provide workers' compensation after an injury.
Carrying out direct action with workers, clergy, and
community partners to affect
changes in the workplace. We will
organize delegations and meetings, prayer vigils, and other
actions with the goal of changing abusive workplace conditions.
Encouraging organizing: The best long-term solution
for workplace problems is for workers
to organize together to
have a voice at work. Workers who choose to organize with unions
will be supported in their decision. Workers who are already employed at
work sites with
union representation will be encouraged to be
active union members.
Developing worker leaders: The Memphis Workers'
Center works with workers, not
for them. The Center will
have a membership structure with a worker-led steering committee.
Workers who participate in the Center's activities will be expected to
attend workshops where
connections will be made between their specific
cases and broader issues of inequality in our
society, and where
different avenues for social change will be explored.
For more information about
the Memphis Workers' Center, email
Alfredo
Peņa
or call
(901) 332 - 3585.
English/Spanish Flyer about the Memphis Workers'
Center
Sign up for Email Updates
Make a donation to support the Memphis
Workers' Center
Learn more about the connection
between worker rights and immigrant rights
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