Centro Humanitario Para Los Trabajadores

TO PROMOTE THE RIGHTS AND WELL-BEING OF DAY LABORERS AND DOMESTIC WORKERS IN COLORADO THROUGH EDUCATION, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, JOB SKILLS, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, UNITED ACTION, AND ADVOCACY.

COVID RAPID RESPONSE AND WORKER SUPPORT FUNDS- IN MARCH OF 2020, EL CENTRO SHIFTED ITS ORIGINALLY PLANNED ACTIVITIES FROM BEING CENTER BASED AND IN PERSON, TO OPERATING REMOTELY. IN 2020 IT CREATED A WORKER SUPPORT FUND TO PROVIDE DIRECT EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDING TO ITS MOST ENGAGED PARTICIPANTS. IN ORDER TO CONDUCT OUTREACH AND MAINTAIN CONTACT PRIMARILY BY PHONE, EL CENTRO EXPANDED ITS OUTREACH TEAM OF CONECTORAS AND HAS CREATED ADDITIONAL PAID ROLES FOR MEMBERS TO ASSIST IN PHONE BANKING. IN 2020 EL CENTRO BECAME A SCREENING PARTNER FOR THE COLORADO LEFT BEHIND WORKERS FUND AND WORKED TO ENROLL DOMESTIC WORKERS IN THE NATIONAL DOMESTIC WORKERS ALLIANCE CARES FUND. SINCE 2020 THESE EFFORTS HAVE ALLOWED EL CENTRO TO CONNECT WITH OVER 3,000 INDIVIDUAL IMMIGRANT AND LOW WAGE WORKERS, WHO WERE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR GOVERNMENT BENEFITS SUCH AS STIMULUS PAYMENTS OR UNEMPLOYMENT. THEY HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED TO THE WORK OF EL CENTRO OVERALL AND MANY ARE NOW PARTICIPATING IN WORKSHOPS AND PROGRAMS.

OUTREACH, ENGAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT - EL CENTRO BRINGS IMMIGRANT AND LOW-WAGE WORKERS OUT OF ISOLATION TO BUILD UNITY AND ACCESS RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. ENGAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IS AT THE CORE OF EL CENTRO'S PROGRAMS; WORKERS PARTICIPATE IN SKILL BUILDING TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS; THEY ARE ACTIVE IN DECISION MAKING FOR THE ORGANIZATION, CREATING EQUITABLE SYSTEMS FOR EMPLOYMENT DISTRIBUTION AND PRICING, AND AS LEADERS THEY BECOME REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE ORGANIZATION IN THE COMMUNITY. EACH YEAR WORKERS' INPUT GUIDES HOW PRIORITIES FOR EL CENTRO'S STRATEGIC PLAN AND LONG-TERM VISION ARE SHAPED.

EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM - EL CENTRO PROVIDES WORKERS TOOLS TO INCREASE THEIR OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENT. WORKERS LEARN ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS, HOW TO AVOID EXPLOITATION AND HOW THEY CAN ACCESS SUPPORT IN CASE THEY BECOME A VICTIM OF WORKPLACE ABUSE. THE GOAL OF THE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM IS TO 1) ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR WORKERS TO STAND ON CORNERS TO LOOK FOR WORK, WITH NO ACCESS TO RUNNING WATER OR SHELTER AND 2) REDUCE THE RISK FOR WORKERS WHO ACCEPT JOBS THAT MAY RESULT IN EXPLOITATION FROM UNKNOWN EMPLOYERS. UNTIL 2020 EL CENTRO'S WORKER CENTER LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN DENVER SERVED AS ALTERNATIVE FOR DAY LABORERS WHO TYPICALLY STAND ON STREET CORNERS HOPING TO FIND JOBS. WORKERS ENROLLED IN THE "HIRE A WORKER" PROGRAM HELP WITH ITS PROMOTION AND DETERMINE PROTOCOLS SO THAT STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS MAY SCREEN EMPLOYERS, SET EXPECTATIONS AND MATCH WORKERS WITH JOB REQUESTS.

WORKER DEFENSE - EL CENTRO CO-LEADS THE COLORADO WAGE THEFT TASKFORCE AND THROUGH COLLABORATION WITH KEY PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING THE COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, COLLABORATES TO ADDRESS THE PREVALENCE OF WAGE THEFT AND SUPPORT WORKERS TO RECOVER WAGES LOST. THIS COLLABORATION HAS RESULTED IN A VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY LED EFFORT TO ADDRESS CASES THROUGH DIRECT ACTION RATHER THAN LITIGATION. PROGRAMS ARE PUBLICIZED COMMUNITY WIDE FOR ANY WORKER WHO HAS EXPERIENCED NONPAYMENT OR SEVERE UNDERPAYMENT FOR WORK RENDERED.