Immigrant Worker Center
Our Strategy
The Immigrant Worker Initiative builds the power of immigrants and workers of color to mobilize for safe and healthy work conditions by:
- Providing training to workers to ensure that they know their rights, are able to identify and protect themselves from hazards and can organize for safe and healthy working conditions.
- Encouraging and supporting collective action by workers from the same workplace or industry.
- Linking workers with unions and community groups to support workplace-organizing efforts and to address gaps in government protections for immigrant and low-wage workers.
Current Efforts
The Worker's Center
The Worker's Center unites immigrant workers to take action to end dangerous conditions and exploitation. The Worker Center acts in collaboration with the Chelsea Latino Immigrant Committee and the Chelsea Collaborative. We assist workers regardless of ethnicity, immigration status or income. Learn more...
Leadership Institute
A two-day, intensive training that gives Worker's Center members the opportunity to develop teamwork, leadership and organizing skills with special emphasis on how to have influence on the lawmaking process. Learn more...
The Immigrants' Legal Access Initiative
The Immigrants’ Legal Access Initiative enables low-income, immigrant clients to access the legal system to address a host of labor violations that impact their basic subsistence needs. Low-income, immigrant workers, in particular those laboring in the underground economy who otherwise have no access to legal services, obtain legal representation to enforce and advance their basic workplace rights. Since July 1, 2007, when MassCOSH initiated the Legal Representation Initiative within its Immigrants’ Worker Center, over 1,000 workers have benefited from legal assistance to address injuries, physical and sexual assaults, and wage and hour violations. Last year, over 225 workers obtained legal assistance, resulting in 35 workers receiving $105,000 in back wages owed to them; four workers awarded $15,000 for their successful National Labor Relations Board complaint; fifteen workers obtained workers compensation; and 170 others benefited from assistance with the filing of wage, safety, and discrimination complaints and wage and hour and third party lawsuits.
Introductory Health and Safety Workshops
MassCOSH offers one to two hour interactive health and safety training sessions at ESOL/ABE/GED centers, religious institutions, community organizations and unions. View our Calendarfor upcoming workshops.
Support and Assistance for Organizing Workers
MassCOSH is currently supporting the efforts of workers and unions from a wide range of industries to press for improvements in their working conditions. One such case MassCOSH has been heavily involved in is Stop and Shop warehouse workers who are currently fighting to organize and pursue litigation. View and print our worker information pamphlets here.
