The Charleston Alliance for Fair Employment (CAFÉ) will host a Workers' Rights Workshop on Saturday, August 19th. The event will run from 10:30 am to 2 pm at the ILA Local 1422 (1142 Morrison Drive).
Here’s what CAFÉ had to say about the workshop:
“Despite the state's history of contempt for working people, South Carolina workers have a range of laws intended to protect their constitutional rights and their lives. To familiarize area workers regarding their legal protections and the agencies responsible for enforcing them, the Charleston Workers' Center is holding a workers' rights workshop on August 19th. Employment lawyers and union organizers will provide an overview of workers' rights to engage in collective action under US labor law, and local workers will share their experiences of using state and federal agencies to protect themselves in the workplace.
While South Carolina's economy is booming by many measures, more than one million workers make under $15 an hour. That is 52% of the state's workforce. Nearly 700,000 South Carolinians participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. These are distressing numbers and will only change when workers take collective action to demand higher wages and safer working conditions. In recent weeks, Waffle House workers as well as the Charleston longshoremen have led the way by engaging in militant action on the job and at the Statehouse. But to fundamentally change how South Carolina does business, nurses and truckers, coders and teachers need to follow suit. The August 19th workshop is an important first step.”
The newly established Charleston Workers' Center aims to support area workers who are organizing collectively to improve their wages, working conditions, and lives. The Center is an initiative of the Charleston Alliance for Fair Employment (CAFÉ). You can learn more at www.charlestonalliance.org.
The workshop is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.
