Dear CIWC Members, Friends, and Allies,

The Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center will be hosting a 2012 New Year Launch Party on January 15th at 3:30pm. Come meet our new Director, Sameerah Ahmad, and new Lead Organizer, Elizabeth Burnett, and hear about the Center’s exciting plans for the year and beyond. All are welcome! Our membership will meet at 2pm on the 15th and then friends and allies are free to join us at 3:30 for a short program and plenty of food and beverages! This is a family friendly event. The Center is located at 1235 Vine Street.

We hope to see you then and enjoy this holiday season!

Sincerely,
CIWC Transition Committee

After pickets, community delegations, a dept. of Labor investigation and constant press coverage the owners of the Hamilton Ave. and Sycamore Animal Hospital have agreed to pay back their workers. The company will pay back $42,000 in overtime wages that employees were made to pay back, plus double damages of an additional $42,000. In total the company will pay out $108,000 for violating labor laws. For a more complete report and to see the video of wage theft see today’s front page Enquirer coverage:

This was truly an inspiring process of supporting these brave workers as they stood up for their rights. None of this could have been possible without the dedicate support from people all over Cincinnati. For that, we thank you. Low-wage and Immigrant workers are increasingly standing up and organizing to demand a better future.

Wage Theft, unsafe working conditions and poverty wages won’t end with this victory alone, so the Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Centers work continues foreword stronger than ever. Please, consider donating $30 today to ensure that workers voices continue to grow even stronger in Cincinnati. Consider becoming a sustaining donor and give a small amount each month. Our electronic systemic is secure and easy to use, and it provides some us with some financial stability as we move forward.

To donate go to: www.cworkers.org

or reach us by mail at: 1235 Vine St. Cincinnati, OH 45202

In Solidarity,

The Members, Board and Staff of the Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center

Thanks to the over 100 people who came by the new Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center on Friday and enjoyed the art, the wine and the fight for Justice. It’s wonderful to see all of the support there is in Cincinnati for low-wage and Immigrant workers!

As always, feel free to swing by if your in the neighborhood!

After lots of sweat and hard work, we have a new home! Come help us celebrate our recent move to our Vine Street office, and catch up on the latest of what we’ve been up to. Drop by for snacks and drinks and enjoy Final Friday in OTR

Featuring: Original Art from Mark Twain Was Right: Stories from the 2001 Riots and Unrest In Cincinnati. Mark Twain was Right is a soon-to-be published Graphic Novel written and Illustrated by CIWC organizer Dan Moore.

Click to see flyer

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What began as a single complaint at the Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center, has developed into a campaign that now involves 21 Hispanic workers, all of which were cheated out of their over-time wages. After workers stood up, met with the company and protested, the Dept. of Labor began investigating the case. Now, the workers are beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Watch the secret video and read the enquirer article

The Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center received the call yesterday that Labor Works will pay $18,000 in back wages for workers who worked at the Reds stadium during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. After months of foot dragging, workers took the story to the public and to the front door of the baseball stadium and Labor Works quickly signed an agreement with the Dept. of Labor.

This has been a big week for cleaners at the Reds, reversing years of policy that charged workers a mandatory fee to go to work. See the news below for my info.

Enquirer\’s Coverage of Reds Reimbursement

On opening day, Day-Labor Workers at Labor Works learned that a year of organizing paid off- they were no longer charged the mandatory $6 transportation fee. For Minimum wage workers, that amounts to over a dollar per hour raise in take home pay. While workers are relieved that Labor Works has finally done the right thing, the problem isn’t over yet. Labor Works has had months to pay back workers from prior years, yet they continue to deny the well-known reality that their fees were mandatory. It’s time that they cooperate with the Department of Labor pay back the day -labor workers’ wages. It is time to end the games, and repay workers for their wages.

But this is just the beginning. We are well aware that other day-labor agencies have this same exploitative practice, and now day-labor workers are turning the attention to them. The era of flagrant disregard for workers’ rights is over in the Day-Labor industry. Corporations who profit from day-labor workers can no longer turn a blind eye on the rampant wage theft that has been common practice for years.

As the Red’s gear up for the season, day-labor workers are gearing up too to clean up all the mess left by the baseball fans at Great American Ball Park. For the last several years, Labor Works, a day-labor agency has hired workers to clean GABP, and for years hundreds of workers have worked hard for the minimum wage checks in the rain or the heat. Workers began organizing because Labor Works forced them to pay $6 to be transported to the stadium from Walnut Hills, a mere 2.6 miles, regardless of if they wanted or needed a ride.

After much effort, and months of waiting for Labor Works to pay their workers a legal wage, finally the company is beginning to turn around. Check out the news stories below:

See the story on Channel 9

Coverage on Friday from the Enquirer

The response from the Reds