Working Group on Labor and Community

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Site Visits and Conference Workshops
Recent Grants
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The Working Group on Labor and Community is a national network of funders committed to fostering greater collaboration among foundations, labor unions and community groups to address issues facing the working poor.

As the service sector of our economy continues to expand, and as the manufacturing jobs that built our middle class decline, vast numbers of America's workers struggle to survive in part-time, seasonal, or minimum-wage jobs with few or no benefits. Working families are increasingly likely to lack health care coverage, an affordable place to live, an opportunity for career advancement and a decent education for their children.

"There has never been a greater opportunity, nor a greater need, for unions and foundations to understand and build upon their common interests in supporting the needs of low-income and working families."
-Richard Magat, author of "Unlikely Partners: Philanthropic Foundations and the Labor Movement"

We are deeply concerned about America's widening gap in wealth, income and political influence, and the deterioration of conditions for immigrant workers vulnerable to the most extreme forms of exploitation.

The Working Group was formed in the mid-1990s, just as the American labor movement was undergoing major leadership and policy changes, and returning to its core mission of "organizing the unorganized." The Working Group was established in the wake of "welfare reform," when foundations and community groups became increasingly concerned about job quality and living wage issues. We were formed just as community organizers and labor organizers began to deepen their dialogue about how to bring economic justice to the workplace, and social justice to their communities.

The Neighborhood Funders Group has sponsored the Working Group since its inception, as a natural outgrowth of its efforts to expand support for organizations that help low-income people improve their lives and communities.

The list of issues common to the agenda of many labor unions and foundations continues to grow as changes in the domestic and world economy pose new challenges to both sectors. Affordable housing, job training, immigrant rights and health care policy are of urgent concern to both. The anti-sweatshop movement, living wage campaigns and regional think tanks attract funding from both. The Working Group hopes to deepen the partnership between unions and foundations.

What are our goals?

"Many foundations have social justice missions that are similar to the social justice objectives of many unions. Yet, even though we often share similar goals, we exist in two separate worlds, with different cultures and ways of doing things. By not working to bridge these worlds, we are both missing tremendous opportunities to advance our joint cause."
-Lance Lindblom, Nathan Cummings Foundation

Provide opportunities for foundations and unions to learn more about one another;
Increase support for non-profit organizations that build partnerships between unions and community groups;
Increase funding for leadership development among women and workers of color;
Organize in-depth site visits to meet with workers as well as union, religious and community leaders involved in major organizing campaigns among low-wage workers, innovative economic development efforts or public policy initiatives;
Identify areas of agreement and common concern in the public policy arena, to maximize the impact of our resources;
Share what we learn with our members and other funders through our listserve, web site, special publications and conference workshops.

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Tom Swift/Impact Visuals

Site Visits and Conference Workshops

The Working Group has organized site visits for foundation staff and trustees, as well as special workshops at Council on Foundations and other meetings. Some recent highlights include:

"[In Las Vegas] the presentations were terrific and I think everyone learned a lot. Mainstream funders got a much better sense of what good unions can do and how much there is to be done. Frankly, we were all reminded of the incredible courage and the hopes of immigrants and other vulnerable folk who are trying to realize the promise of this country."
-Craig McGarvey, The James Irvine Foundation

Meeting with Local 100 of the Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union (HERE) a few weeks after September 11. HERE represents food service workers who survived the World Trade Center attack and the families of 43 workers who did not. We discussed relief efforts, undocumented workers' lack of access to benefits, and the union's role in helping these families put their lives back together.
A three-day trip to Las Vegas, a magnet for immigrant workers and one of the most highly unionized U.S. cities, by more than 50 funders. Co-sponsored by Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees, the visit included meetings at union halls and job training centers, with faith-based groups and leaders of the 50,000-member hotel workers' union.
A visit to Omaha, Neb., to meet with immigrant rights organizations, meatpacking plant workers and leaders of a union organizing drive jointly sponsored by the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) and Omaha Together One Community, an IAF affiliate.
Dinner with leaders of the victorious campaign to organize 75,000 home care workers in Los Angeles, the largest union election victory in U.S. history, in conjunction with the Council on Foundations' L.A. meeting.
First U.S. screening of "Bread and Roses," a feature film about the Justice for Janitors campaign, and panel discussion with Philadelphia janitors and organizers, in conjunction with the Council on Foundations' Philadelphia meeting.

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Recent Grants

The list of foundations concerned with the working poor and engaged in partnerships with labor unions, community organizations and student activists continues to grow. Some recent grants that illustrate this trend include:

Arca Foundation
Support for the film, "Occupation," the story of the Harvard living wage campaign, and for United Students Against Sweatshops.

California Endowment
Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE); Center on Policy Initiatives
To establish relief centers, in partnership with the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union (HERE), and advocate on behalf of tourism industry workers in Los Angeles County and San Diego impacted by the September 11 attacks.

"From the perspective of our investments in workforce development, union-employer partnerships show some of the best returns on wage growth, skill upgrading and job retention for low-income, low-skilled workers."
-Bob Giloth, Annie E. Casey Foundation

Annie E. Casey Foundation
AFL-CIO Working for America Institute
To promote partnerships between unions, employers and community organizations to retain and create good jobs by providing training and placement services.

Nathan Cummings Foundation
Union Community Fund
To help coordinate a long-term outreach and relief effort for the families of low-wage, primarily immigrant, food service workers who died or were dislocated due to the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

Discount Foundation
Institute for Public Life
For the "Omaha Together One Community" project to support a faith-based community organization and the United Food and Commercial Workers union in efforts to improve wages and working conditions for immigrant workers in meatpacking plants.

Ford Foundation
National Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice
To strengthen the religious community's involvement in low-wage worker struggles for decent wages and working conditions.

Foundation for Child Development
Economic Policy Institute
To strengthen research and policy-development activities aimed at raising the living standards of low-income, working families.

"The Ms. Foundation is deeply concerned about women's economic security. The Working Group keeps us up-to-date on the labor movement's successes and challenges in organizing women. It also helps us identify worthwhile projects that emerge from new organizing."
-Sara Gould, Ms. Foundation for Women

Hyams Foundation
Women's Statewide Legislative Network
To collaborate with the Massachusetts State AFL-CIO in promoting paid family and medical leave policies for working families in Massachusetts.

Liberty Hill Foundation
Korean Immigrant Workers Advocates
For the Market Workers Justice Campaign, an effort to improve the wages and working conditions for immigrants in ethnic food markets in Los Angeles.

Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
Working Partnerships USA
To establish a non-profit temporary worker agency and develop a code of conduct for all temporary employers to address issues of health coverage and pay equity.

Ms. Foundation for Women/Women & Labor Fund
Chicago Home Care Organizing Project
To support efforts to improve wages and benefits of workers in the home health and daycare industries.

"Over the years, unions have been the driving force behind legislation raising the minimum wage, expanding Medicare coverage, strengthening pension insurance, bolstering federal job training and placement programs, and providing family and medical leave - changes that benefit all workers."
-Century Foundation Task Force on the Future of Unions

Phoenix Fund for Workers and Communities
National Day Laborers Organizing Network
To support a national network of day laborer associations and advocacy centers focused on worker justice and immigrant rights issues, based at CHIRLA in Los Angeles.

Public Welfare Foundation
D.C. Employment Justice Center
For legal representation to low-income workers in the District of Columbia and advocacy on issues such as welfare reform and job training.

Rockefeller Foundation
Jobs with Justice Education Fund
To strengthen local coalitions within a national network of community, faith-based, labor and student organizations working for economic justice and workers' rights.

Rosenberg Foundation
Center on Policy Initiatives
To produce a report on "Temporary Government: The County of San Diego's Growing Use of Temporary Workers."

Stern Family Fund
Good Jobs First
To expose corporate abuse of economic development subsidies and promote family-wage jobs.

Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock
Living Wage Resource Center/ACORN
To provide grassroots organizations with comprehensive assistance in developing living wage campaigns.

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