Fighting for Worker Justice & Corporate Accountability |
The rapid rise of forced arbitration is a serious threat to hard-won workplace rights including minimum wage, earned sick leave, fair workweek laws, and anti-discrimination protections. Forced arbitration clauses are buried in the fine print of many employment contracts and strip workers of their right to join together in court to fight and expose corporate abuse and illegal practices. In short, forced arbitration is secretive, biased, and expensive. Because corporations set the rules and stack the deck against workers in arbitration, an estimated 98 percent of employment cases are abandoned by workers before they’re ever brought to court.
CPD affiliates and partners are advancing new mechanisms to enforce workplace rights and
fight forced arbitration. This month, we released a new video which breaks down how corporations use forced arbitration to avoid justice when they violate workers' rights. Workers forced into arbitration are more likely to be struck by lightning than win against big corporations. Please share this video to help workers learn about this insidious practice and fight back.
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Further, we worked with the UCLA Labor Center and Partnerships for Working Families to release a brief about about successful models to deter corporate wrongdoing illustrating the powerful record of California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) in addressing corporate lawbreaking and generating significant revenue for enforcement (in 2019 the agency collected over $88 million in PAGA penalties). Critically, PAGA also empowers workers to enforce their rights despite forced arbitration. The brief was covered by the San Francisco Chronicle and you can download and read it on our website. |
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Common Dreams, 02/06/2020
""Protecting workers' rights through the PRO Act is essential to empowering workers to organize themselves and their communities," Jennifer Epps-Addison, co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy, said in a statement Tuesday. "Unions are key mobilizers of people to fight back against corporate interests and make our government more responsive to the interests of all people.'” Read more.
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Reuters, 02/12/2020
“In a report released on Tuesday, the UCLA Labor Center, Partnership for Working Families, and Center for Popular Democracy said California’s Private Attorney General Act (PAGA) has increasingly become the only path to court for workers who have signed arbitration agreements and class-action waivers, which the U.S. Supreme Court has said are enforceable in a series of recent decisions.” Read more.
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NPR, 02/11/2019
“The NAACP and the Center for Popular Democracy Action are leading two separate federal lawsuits against the Census Bureau, alleging the government is planning to send out too few enumerators and risking undercounts of communities of color.” Read more.
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New York Times, 02/20/2020
“Natalia Salgado, the national political director and chief of civic engagement for the Center for Popular Democracy, said recent organizing efforts had been driven by a desire for a party that Latinos could trust and work with. (Make the Road Nevada is a local partner of the Center for Popular Democracy.)
“If the Democratic Party was going to be the electoral vehicle, either we were going to have to revamp it or we’re going to have to create something new,” she said.” Read more.
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HOUSING JUSTICE: Make the Road NV Addresses Housing Crisis |
On February 15, Make the Road Action and Make the Road Nevada (MRNV) were joined by Senator and Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders at a rally in Las Vegas to launch their comprehensive housing justice campaign. Surrounded by over 500 Make the Road members and their allies, the campaign pledged to fight for expanded tenant protections and the decriminalization of homelessness. Read more on our blog. |
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IMPEACHMENT:
CPD Action Takes to the Capitol
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On Wednesday, January 29, our sister organization CPD Action (CPDA) joined the Poor People's Campaign, Remove Trump, By the People, Demand Justice, and other allies in a mass demonstration in the Capitol demanding a fair trial in the impeachment of President Trump. Over 1,500 people participated in the action, shining a bright light on the corruption and cowardice of this administration and its enablers. The action was covered by The Hill, Common Dreams, and Public Citizen. Read more on our blog. |
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PARTNER HIGHLIGHT:
Introducing Our Future West Virginia!
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At the start of 2020, CPD affiliate West Virginia Healthy Kids & Families Coalition launched their new name, Our Future West Virginia (OFWV)! OFWV envisions a West Virginia where every child, youth and adult has the justice, dignity and equity needed to thrive. To work towards this vision, we must support West Virginians in tackling a variety of issues on both a local and state-wide level. OFWV is building a grassroots movement to to create and execute plans that address issues of housing, child care, public education, discrimination, voter engagement and 2020 Census participation. Read more on our blog. |
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CELEBRATE Harry Belafonte While Supporting CPD on March 1!
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Last year, legendary singer, songwriter, and activist, Mr. Harry Belafonte, joined the board of directors of The Popular Democracy Movement Center
CPD’s groundbreaking retreat and strategy center in Ossining, New York. Mr. Belafonte announced that The Popular Democracy Movement Center will be the home for his Arts & Social Justice Initiative. In joining its Board of Directors, The Popular Democracy Movement Center refocused its mission as a place where activists, members from our communities, and artists, can gather to plan, reflect, and recharge for our continued fights. Read more and buy tickets on our blog.
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GUIDING LIGHT AWARDS:
Get Your Tickets Today!
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The Guiding Light Awards: Washington, DC, is just over a month away on Tuesday, March 31, 2020! Join over 300 philanthropists, frontline organizers, strategic partners and allies of the progressive community at Busboys and Poets from 6:30–9:30 pm as we come together for an evening of fun, food, and festivities – and to plan for our most important fight yet. |
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IN THE NEWS
Continued From Above
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Common Dreams, 02/10/2020
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San Francisco Chronicle, 02/11/2020
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In These Times, 02/12/2020
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Univision News, 02/19/2020
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Time Magazine, 02/20/2020
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BuzzFeed News, 02/20/2020
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Help us bend the arc of history toward justice and invest in our work. |
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