Photo Slideshow: Why I am Thankful for You

Perhaps without even realizing it, you have changed Memphis this year. You have stood with workers seeking justice in our community. I could write a long post about the many ways you have made a difference, through your generosity and your action. But these photos do a much better job! I hope you enjoy seeing what you've accomplished, as much as I enjoyed putting together this slideshow for you. (And be sure to turn on your speakers to hear the background music.)


Thank you for your steadfast support of Workers Interfaith Network. Have a blessed Thanksgiving, and please know that you are one of the many people I will give thanks to God for on Thursday.

How To Document Abuses of Your Rights at Work

1. Pay records: Keep a record of the days and hours you work, and how much each of your paychecks are. Keep all copies of your pay stubs, or your record of what you were paid in cash. If you discover that you are a victim of wage theft, these records will be very important for your case. Keep these at home, not at work. (Contact WIN for a booklet like one of those pictured above that you can use to keep track of your work hours.)

2. Employer information: Write down the full name, address, phone number, and license plate number of the person who hires you, and the person who is your supervisor.

3. Sub-contractors: If you work for a sub-contractor, find out the name, phone number, and address of the company that pays your boss.

4. What papers to keep: Keep copies of any personnel policies, contracts, union cards, papers or letters you receive from your boss, and copies of any documents you give to your boss. Keep these papers at home, not at work.

If you are having a specific problem at work, such as not being paid all you are owed, harassment, or being told to work in dangerous conditions:

1. Keep a diary of all incidents that happen. Write down the date, time, location of the incident, any conversations you have about it, and the names of other witnesses. Keep a record of any phone calls you make to lawyers, insurance agents, or government agencies. Make your notes as soon as possible, because it's easy to forget details.

2. If there are any witnesses to your incident, ask them if they are willing to write down what they saw and ask them to sign their statements. Get their phone numbers and addresses, in case one of you quits.

3. Don't sign any documents that are written in a language you can't read. Ask for a copy in your own language, or ask to take it home where someone can translate it for you. After you've done this, if you are asked to sign the document, ask for a copy that you can keep for your own records.

4. Find out if other workers are having the same problem. Talk with your co-workers about how you can protect your rights together.

Have more questions about your rights? The website canmybossdothat has a wealth of information on many different worker rights topics. If you live in the greater Memphis area and you are a victim of wage theft, or are being forced to work in unsafe conditions, email Workers Interfaith Network or call us at (901) 332-3570

Community Foundation Will Match Your Gift to WIN

    I have some great news. Workers Interfaith Network has been awarded a $5,500 challenge grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis! The grant will increase our ability to bring together even bigger numbers of workers and people of faith to act for justice.      

     But the grant comes with an important requirement that I need your help to meet. In order to receive the grant, WIN must raise an equal amount - $5,500 – from generous members like you. Can you make a gift of $30, $50, $100, or more to help us reach our goal? If that’s more than you can afford, a gift of any size will help.

            

    And remember, whatever amount you give, it will be doubled through the challenge grant from the Community Foundation.

            

    Through your generosity and your action, you have helped WIN accomplish so much through the years. Thank you for standing up for justice with workers here in the Mid-South.

            

    Because we’re so busy at WIN acting for a living wage, working to stop wage theft, and training workers on their rights, sometimes other things have to wait.

Important things like purchasing a computer server that will save our files in case a computer crashes. (Unfortunately a crash happened last year. It wasted a lot of time I would like to have used to take action for workers’ rights!)

Important things like developing a Spanish-language newsletter to keep our Workers’ Center members up to date on WIN’s work. We have 35 worker members now, but we aren’t doing a good enough job keeping them informed.

    But the great news is that the Community Foundation’s grant – and the gift that you give – will help us take care of some of those important things that we have always had to wait on in the past.

    The grant is for “capacity building.” The term may sound complicated, but what it means is making sure that WIN has the basics covered so that we’re strong enough to take action with workers. Because I have a computer that is so slow that I can’t always access email, sometimes it keeps me from sending out an urgent action alert to you. Then you miss out a chance to stop wage theft with a worker who is counting on your support.

    Up-to-date technology and better English and Spanish communications with all of our members will allow WIN to do more in the fight for workers’ rights. We can build a bigger movement of more Mid-Southerners who will:

• Organize with workers at the University of Memphis for a living wage. Every University worker should be paid enough to at least meet her basic needs, without having to work more than one full-time job.
• Press members of Congress from the Mid-South to co-sponsor new federal wage theft legislation. This ground-breaking legislation was introduced last week. It will help the Department of Labor stop employers who steal workers’ wages from them.
• Train workers on how to stay safe on the job. WIN’s trainings teach workers everyday safety skills. Most importantly, workers practice how to say no when the boss orders them to do something so dangerous that it could kill them.

     Please help us build a stronger, more efficient Workers Interfaith Network so we can tackle these worker rights’ struggles. Each dollar you give will be matched by the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis’s challenge grant. Thank you for helping WIN take advantage of this incredible opportunity.

Want your gift doubled by the Community Foundation? 

Give now.

Our progress in reaching the goal for the Community Foundation grant (as of 10/20/2010):

You Raised $23,000 to Stop Wage Theft and Work for Living Wages Through This Year's Faith and Labor Picnic

As you can see from the photo slideshow above, this year's Faith and Labor Picnic was a blast! It was the ultimate party with a purpose. You raised more than $23,000 to help Workers Interfaith Network fight wage theft and campaign for a living wage at the University of Memphis. At this year's Picnic, you:

• Raised critically needed funds to support workers' rights. Despite the tough economy, you raised even more than last year. Scroll down to learn about the specific ways WIN will be putting your Picnic gifts to work.
• Celebrated what you've accomplished as a member of WIN. You got the Shelby County Sheriff and District Attorney to agree to treat certain wage theft cases as criminal offenses, among many other victories.
• Demonstrated the true meaning of Labor Day with other people of faith, workers, and allies who believe in justice in the workplace. This year, 125 of you signed living wage petitions to University of Memphis President Shirley Raines. Click here to sign our online petition.
• Enjoyed great entertainment by Alicia Washington, Valerie June, Marcela Pinilla, and Danza Azteca.
• Ate a lot of food! Approximately 100 of you volunteered at the Picnic by preparing and serving food, selling tickets, making homemade cookies, and helping with kid's activities like the dunk tank, Moon Bounce, and face painting. Thank you!

Here's how WIN will be putting your Faith and Labor Picnic gifts to work:
1) You'll campaign for a living wage with University of Memphis workers.
2) You will partner with workers to recover their stolen wages from employers.
3) You will advocate for new federal wage theft legislation to stop employers from taking advantage of workers.
4) You will train construction workers on how to prevent on-the-job injuries and deaths.

I look forward to seeing you next Labor Day! Want to make sure you get notified about all the plans for next year's Faith and Labor Picnic? Sign up for WIN's email alerts. 

The Wild West of Wage Theft

First, please accept my apologies for not posting for a whole month. At Workers Interfaith Network, we've been so busy getting ready for an exciting new statewide collaboration kicking off next week that I let my blogging slide!

You don't want to miss the community hearing on wage theft and hazardous working conditions that are happening across Tennessee next week on Nov. 5 - 7th. We're calling it "Reining in the Wild West Economy: Bringing Back Tennessee's Labor Standards."

Why the reference to the wild west? Because for lots of workers in Memphis and throughout the state, there's fear all around. Fear that they won't be paid for all the work they do. Fear that they'll fall off a scaffold because their contractor hasn't provided a safety harness. Fear that if they complain, they'll be fired. Fear that when they do face wage theft or a job that makes them risk their lives, no one else will have their back.

The state of Tennessee's workplaces reminds us of the wild west because there's not many consequences for employers who cheat workers out of their pay and refuse to keep workers safe. Laws that protect workers rights in our state are weak. At both the federal and state levels, there's not enough investigators at government agencies to follow up on all the safety and wage complaints that workers file. And government agencies need to do a better job at cooperating with community organizations who have earned the trust of low-wage workers.

That's why WIN helped form the Tennessee Worker Justice Network, a new coalition of worker rights groups across the state. Together, we'll be campaigning to get the Tennesseee legislature and the Tennessee Department of Labor to do more to protect worker rights.

The first step is a series of community hearings next week. The Memphis hearing will be held Saturday, Nov. 7th at 1:00 p.m. at Gifts of Life Ministries, 1542 Jackson Ave. The Knoxville hearing in on Thursday Nov. 5th and the Nashville hearing is on Friday Nov. 6th (find details on all three events on our website.)

You'll hear first hand testimony about wage theft and hazardous working conditions from workers, union leaders, a pastor, and an attorney. You'll also learn what we'll be calling on our government agencies and the legislature to do specifically to uphold workers rights. And, most importantly, you'll learn how you can make a difference for workers who are facing a wild west economy.