Who We Are
The Los Angeles Black Worker Center is a dynamic table of workers, organized labor, community-based organizations, clergy, students, and scholars working collectively to improve the position of Black working class. Our work is driven by:
The Board: (TB)
The Board governs the work of the LABWC and provides mission‐based leadership and decision-making on strategic goals and priorities, both fiscal and programmatic, of the organization.
Worker Justice Organizing Committee (WJOC)
The WJOC is a grassroots leadership committee that guides and drives campaigns as well as oversees membership outreach, recruitment, and participation in the LA BWC.
Black Labor Construction Council (BLCC):
The BLCC is a multi-craft trades committee focused on addressing underrepresented workers in the regulated construction industry through policy, practice change, and social justice workforce development strategies that expand access and retention in this difficult and historically exclusive sector.
Worker Advisory Committee (WAC)
Like executive coaching; The WAC is a network of support, industry mentorship, and occupational coaching for low-wage and underrepresented workers in a safe and judge-free environment which assists our people in navigating real work/life challenges as well as troubleshooting workplace challenges that may arise in the course of employment.
What We Do
The Los Angeles Black Worker Center (LABWC) takes a comprehensive approach to addressing the Black Jobs Crisis.
Our programs promote access to quality jobs, racial equity in hiring and retention, discrimination-free job sites, and prepares Black workers for employment in high-wage, career-track jobs.
Our core strategies:
Building Power
We build power within the Black community through a strong base of support, broad coalitions, and partnerships to achieve high impact and win on our issues.
Narrative Shifting
We engage in strategic communications so that Black workers are a leading voice in policy creation by uplifting and affirming the dominant narrative of Black workers’ impact on America's success.
Policy
We advocate for policies that create and promote equitable employment and structural change that determine fair outcomes by shifting the balance of power so Black Workers control their working conditions.
Employment Services and Job Placement
We advocate for equitable access and retention for Black workers to be employed in quality careers, free of discrimination with opportunities for leadership by promoting equitable policies and meaningful direct placements.
The LABWC advocates with and supports workers who need help protecting their rights on the job. We partner with worker centers, legal advocates, and unions. We partner with enforcement agencies, such as California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Department of Labor Federal Office of Contract Compliance.
The Black Jobs Crisis Is Systemic.
We combine systemic and collective approaches to engage employers directly and give workers more structure and power to gain access to quality jobs and challenge/remove systemic barriers to employment.