Tompkins County Workers' Rights Center
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The majority of the work done by the Workers' Center is supported by donations from people like you.

Featured Member


Carolyn Brown

Carolyn is a Member of our Steering Committee for many years and is an important link for us to the union movement as she sits on the Executive Committee of the local United Auto Workers 2300. She brings an important perspective to our work for economic justice!

Affiliations

Service Learning in Social Justice

This program provides service learning opportunities about social justice for hundreds of university, college, and secondary schools students in Tompkins County. We provide internships and volunteer experiences, and deliver programs about social justice both in classrooms and in the community.

» Contact us for more information

Become a Member of the Workers' Center

Take the pledge: During the next year, I'LL BE THERE at least five times for someone else's fight as well as my own. If enough of us are there, we'll all start winning.

» Take Action
» Become a member

A member is someone who believes:

  • We all deserve to have good jobs with good wages so we can live decently.
  • We all deserve rights and fair treatment as workers.
  • Healthcare is a right -- everybody should have affordable and comprehensive access to it.
  • We all deserve livable and affordable housing

  Justice for Hotel Workers Campaign

The hotel industry in Ithaca employs over 600 workers. Each hotel sets its own pay scale but the general wage is in the $7.15-8.00 range. This is well below a living wage in Tompkins County.

» Read the fact sheet
» Sign the pledge
» Contact us for more information

  Living Wage Employer Certification

We are seeking to publicly recognize and reward employers in the private, public and non-profit sectors that do pay a living wage, and to provide market-based rewards and incentives for them and others that would like to do so.

» Employer Certification

  Featured Employer

Alternatives Federal Credit Union
125 N. Fulton Street, Ithaca

For a list of living wage employers, view the certification page.

Alternatives Federal Credit Union

Join Our Health Care for All Campaign

The Workers' Center is committed to the principle that everyone has the right to comprehensive health care (in fact, this right is guaranteed to us by U.S signature, in 1948, to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights). Too many people are dying, put into bankruptcy, and are suffering due to a health care system that puts profits first.

» Sign our petition
» Contact us to learn more or get involved



The Tompkins County Workers' Center is a Project Partner of the CRESP Center for Transformative Action

Know your rights!

Download the Workers' Rights Handbook by clicking here and be sure you're aware of the rights you have as a worker.

» Contact us with questions
» Join our mailing list
» Track your hours and pay

What's a Living Wage?

A Living Wage is the amount of income and resources (such as health insurance) needed for an individual or family to meet its basic needs without public or private assistance. According to a study done for 2009 by Alternatives Federal Credit Union, a single individual without children needs $23,103.87 for the year ($11.11/hour for a 40-hour week). Without health insurance, a Living Wage would be $12.11/hour (or $25,188.80 for the full year). This is based on what it would cost for person to purchase Healthy New York.

Recent news

Cornell Service Workers Deserve a Fair Contract and a Living Wage: Go to http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/faircontractforcornellserviceworkers/ For a Very Quick Action!
June 16th 2009
The Tompkins County Workers' Center/Jobs with Justice, located in Ithaca, NY, joins one of our Coalition Partners, the Cornell Organization for Labor... » Read More

Workers' Center Receives Award for 'Wage Theft' Work at CNY Labor-Religion Coalition Event: Kim Bobo, Featured Speaker
May 8th 2009
The CNY Labor-Religion Coalition hosted its 9th Annual Solidarity Supper on Sunday, May 17 in Syracuse. The event featured Kim Bobo, author of Wage... » Read More

Living Wage Figures Updated for Tompkins County, NY: $11.11/hour or $12.11 w/o Health Insurance
April 24th 2009
The Tompkins County Workers' Center is incredibly proud to stand with the Alternatives Federal Credit Union in Ithaca, New York as we update our... » Read More

Town of Ithaca Board Passes Employee Free Choice Act Resolution Unanimously
April 21st 2009
WHEREAS, the freedom to form or join a union is internationally recognized by the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a fundamental human... » Read More

Over 125 People Brave the Cold in Support of Tompkins Legislature Passing Employee Free Choice Act by 12-3 Vote
April 8th 2009
The Tompkins County Legislature, by a bi-partisan vote of 12 to 3, has approved a resolution urging Congressional support for the Employee Free... » Read More