The Central Ohio Worker Center, committed to promoting workplace rights and justice through empowering, educating, and advocating for low-wage and immigrant workers, partnered with the Dominican Learning Center to provide comprehensive Know Your Rights in the Workplace Training sessions for ESL students, which will equip them for their current and future workplaces.
The training, provided to more than 200 Dominican Learning Center students, aims to educate participants on their rights in the workplace, the need for grassroots organizing to address employment-related issues, and empower them to be advocates for fair labor practices. The training covers various topics, including the right to be paid properly to a workplace free from discrimination, a healthy and safe workplace, joining with coworkers to improve workplace conditions, and receiving workers’ compensation, among other topics. Claudia Cortez, Director, and Isbel Alvarado, Case Manager, make sure students understand COWC resources by connecting them with the proper government office, attorney, worker action expert, etc. Also, COWC shared job opportunities with labor partners. Attendees have engaged throughout the sessions, participating in interactive discussions. This hands-on approach allowed students to grasp the practical application in various workplace situations.
The Central Ohio Worker Center is well-known for its advocacy and educational efforts to empower workers and promote fair labor practices. Their collaboration with the DominicanLearning Center is part of a broader initiative to educate our low-wage and immigrant workers in our community so that participants in the workforce or entering the workforce are well-informed and prepared to assert their rights. So far, the training has received positive feedback from participants, and it is expected to become a recurring fixture.
In an era where labor rights continue to be a pressing issue, especially for low-wage and immigrant workers, it is imperative for organizations to demonstrate a shared commitment to ensuring that the rights of workers are upheld and respected. By educating and empowering our community, the COWC contributes to a brighter and more equitable future for the workforce in Central Ohio.