Since 2013, the Funder Alliance has invested in the worker center movement in Chicagoland, helping eight worker voice/worker empowerment agencies band together and form a new agency, the Raise the Floor Alliance (RTF). In that time, RTF has solidified its capacity, hiring staff and establishing a successful model of collective action. Together they work to fight wage theft, to push back against employer retaliation, to expose and prevent the pattern and practice of discrimination in low-wage work and occupational segregation, and to stand up for essential health and safety standards for workers. Through a combination of worker empowerment, legal services and policy advancement they have been very successful at raising the floor for low wage workers:
- They have recovered over $1.3 million in stolen wages
- They have represented over 150 workers and won 40 legal cases since 2015
- They have been an important part of significant policy progress in Illinois, including passage of the Domestic Worker Bill of Rights and the Responsible Job Creation Act.
Website: http://www.raisetheflooralliance.org/
Publications: Challenging the Business of Fear
Videos: About RTF
