AFL-CIO, Voice@Work
http://www.aflcio.org/joinaunion/voiceatwork/

Eddie Acosta, National Worker Center Coordinator at the AFL-CIO’s Voice@Work, has been aware and supportive of the WCWC’s activities since his participation in our January 2006 conference on organizing migrant and immigrant workers, where he was a featured speaker.

Centro Obrero (SW Detroit)
Serving workers in SW Detroit’s Mexicantown, the Centro Obero and the WCWC were formed at about the same time, and worked together in developing immigrant and worker rights components to the ESL programming that they support.

Data Center (Oakland, CA)
http://www.datacenter.org/

The Data Center was instrumental in designing the surveys of domestic workers employed by the DWU to collect data for its landmark report, Behind Closed Doors.   It is also working with the DWU and NDWA to develop a survey to be used by affiliates to generate a national comparison of the situation of household workers. The WCWC will use a version of this survey in its data gathering work in 2010.

Domestic Workers United (DWU)
http://www.domesticworkersunited.org/

New York’s DWU was formed in 2001 to organize household workers. It is the leading workers’ center in the country that focuses exclusively on organizing workers in this sector, and a major force in the formation of the National Domestic Workers Alliance.  The DWU has supported the WCWC’s new household worker organizing project in many ways already and will be an invaluable ally going forward.

First United Methodist Church of Ypsilanti
http://www.fumcypsi.org/

The Washtenaw County Worker Center supports and works with the ESL program at First United Methodist Church of Ypsilanti. The ESL Program Coordinator serves on the Executive Board of the WCWC and incorporates teaching immigrants their rights as immigrants and workers as part of the ESL curriculum.

Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO)
http://www.umgeo.org/

GEO is the union that represents the approximately 1,800 graduate students employed by the University of Michigan in any given semester.  GEO shares office space with its sister union, LEO, and the two have agreed to donate access to that space, for meetings and trainings, to the WCWC and ROC-MI.  Like LEO, GEO is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers-Michigan.

Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice (ICPJ)
http://www.icpj.net

The ICPJ is a 501(c)3 incorporated non-profit education/social organization which brings together people of various faiths who believe the world is one family. ICPJ believes that love, commitment to future generations, wise stewardship of the environment and promotion of social, political, and economic justice are religious responsibilities. One of the WCWC’s Board members is an ICPJ staff member. We work closely with the ICPJ to get the word on our organizing efforts to people of conscience in the religious community. At the same time, we support the education and campaign work that ICPJ undertakes.

Interfaith Worker Justice
http://www.iwj.org/template/index.cfm

The Interfaith Worker Justice is a faith-based coalition of organizations seeking to improve worker wages, benefits and conditions.  The coalition seeks to give voice to workers, especially those in low wage jobs.  The WCWC signed an affiliation agreement with the IWJ Worker Center network in 2006.

Labor Notes
http://www.labornotes.org/

Labor Notes is a media and organizing project whose members include union leaders and labor rights activists.  Labor Notes aims to revitalize the labor movement, by encouraging communication among rank-and-file activists in unions and other labor movement organizations, and promoting a democratic, membership-empowering model of organizing and decision-making.  In recent years, Labor Notes has highlighted the potential contributions of workers’ centers to movement revitalization.

Labor Studies Center, IRLEE, U of M
http://www.irlee.umich.edu/index.php?page=lsc

The Labor Studies Center has hosted work study students supporting WCWC research, and has made space for WCWC members to participate in its four major annual trainings for up and coming female and minority union leaders.   We are working together in the hope of developing approaches to training and leadership development that will work for workers who belong to workers’ centers but not unions.

Lecturers’ Employee Organization (LEO)
http://www.leounion.org/

LEO is the union of some 1,400 nontenure-track faculty on the three campuses (Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint) of the University of Michigan.   LEO shares office space with its sister union, GEO, and the two unions have donated access to their space to the WCWC and ROC-MI for meetings and trainings.  LEO is also the union that has provided the most financial support to the WCWC. LEO is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers-Michigan.

Michigan Immigration and Labor Law Association (MILLA)
MILLA Web Site Coming Soon

MILLA is a student organization at the University of Michigan Law School and has a close alliance with the WCWC. MILLA’s past two presidents served as members of the WCWC’s executive board.  MILLA is currently working with ROC-Michigan to compile a manual of Michigan laws that pertain to the restaurant industry.

Migrant Immigrant Rights Advocy (MIRA)
http://sitemaker.umich.edu/mira/home

MIRA is a student organization at the University of Michigan that promotes awareness of migrant issues and equal rights for all.   Members of MIRA were among the original founders of the Washtenaw County Worker Center

National Center For Institutional Diversity (NCID)
http://www.ncid.umich.edu/

The NCID is a unit of the University of Michigan.  Its mission is to promote academic research and engagement relevant to increasing the diversity of all of our major social institutions, including the labor movement.  Grant money provided by NCID was instrumental in the formation of the WCWC and its early work with the Centro Obrero in southwest Detroit.  

National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA)
Website coming

The NDWA is a national alliance of workers’ centers organizing household workers.   Their next national congress will be in Detroit in June 2010, as part of the U.S. Social Forum.  As noted above, the NDWA will develop the survey that will serve as the basis for the WCWC’s survey work, starting January 2010.

Project Community (Sociology 325 and 389)
http://ginsberg.umich.edu/projectcommunity/index.html

Project Community is the Sociology Department’s community service learning program.  Its Community Organizing section has provided student volunteers to both the WCWC and ROC-MI and will continue to do so.

Restaurant Opportunities Center – Michigan (ROC-MI)
http://www.rocunited.org/affiliates/michigan

ROC-MI was formed in June 2008 as part of the expansion of the ROC model beyond its point of origin in New York City.   ROC-MI Coordinator is on the WCWC Board and the WCWC has three of our Board members on ROC-MI’s Advisory Board.  As described in the History page, the WCWC has worked very closely with ROC-MI since its formation.

Spanish Language Internship Program (SLIP)
http://www.rc.lsa.umich.edu/html/1_3_4_1_1slip.htm

SLIP is a community service learning program run by the UM’s Residential College for students who are proficient Spanish speakers. SLIP students have volunteered with both the WCWC and ROC-MI. To enquire about participating in this program (if you’re a UM student, contact SLIP’s Coordinator, Teresa Sanchez-Snell at tssnell@umich.edu.

Student Organization for Labor and Economic Equality (SOLE)
http://www.umich.edu/~sole/

SOLE is a University of Michigan student organization that advocates for labor, social justice, and workers' rights via community education, direct action, and participation in national campaigns.  SOLE aims to find ethical alternatives to the mistreatment and exploitation of workers.  SOLE is the U of M affiliate of United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS – http://usas.org/).

United Auto Workers, Local 849 (Ypsilanti Visteon Plant)
The Local 849 hall has been closed and put up for sale, because the Visteon plant in which the Local’s members worked has now completely closed.  It was already downsizing rapidly when we first began working with them, early in 2007.  But Local 849’s President, Eugene Morey, with the support of his members, made time for us despite the stresses they were under, and allowed us to use their hall free of charge.  We will always be grateful to Local 849 for the solidarity they showed us.

Washtenaw Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights (WICIR)
http://wicir.org/

WICIR was formed in March 2008 in response to the intensification of ICE raids that began in Washtenaw County early in that year.  A number of WCWC members are active the coalition and we work closely with them on these issues.