Worker centers in the Chicago area have united to launch the Raise the Floor Alliance to build collective power to win full-time, family-supporting work across Illinois. It is a unique effort, bringing together low-wage workers across geography and industry. Both a shared capacity builder and space for worker centers to work together to achieve justice and dignity for all workers, Raise the Floor provides a shared voice for low-wage workers in Chicagoland. Founding members include Arise Chicago, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos, Chicago Community and Workers’ Rights, Chicago Workers’ Collaborative, Latino Union of Chicago, Restaurant Opportunities Center – Chicago, Warehouse Workers for Justice and Workers’ Center for Racial Justice.

Wage theft, needlessly dangerous and unhealthy working conditions, and denial of access to workers’ compensation in case of injury are among the violations of basic workplace standards that are routine across a growing share of workplaces. A major contributing factor to this breakdown in accountability is the relative impunity of employers when they retaliate against and intimidate workers who bring attention to these abuses. NESRI is proud to partner with the Raise the Floor Alliance as we work together to address the failure of anti-retaliation measures that has allowed abusive employers across industries and sectors to deny dignified treatment to workers.