Twenty-one construction workers in Oakland successfully recovered nearly $300,000 in unpaid wages after coming together to demand fair pay and accountability. The workers were members of Trabajadores Unidos Workers United’s Roofers Organizing Committee and had been working on a publicly funded affordable housing project. They were paid far less than the wages required for the project and, at times, were not paid at all.
With support from SFF grantee Trabajadores Unidos Workers United, the workers organized to demand the wages they were owed. They took their campaign public through a press conference and worker-led delegation, and the general contractor ultimately agreed to pay 100% of the wages owed. The campaign also included support from Legal Aid at Work.
The victory put nearly $300,000 back into workers’ hands, but its impact goes beyond recovering lost income. It shows what workers can accomplish when they understand their rights, organize together, and take collective action to improve working conditions. That approach is central to Trabajadores Unidos Workers United’s work, which puts workers at the center of organizing for change.
Everyone deserves the opportunity to earn a good living and build a secure future.
Learn how SFF supports workers and communities in building greater economic security across the Bay Area: sff.org/what-we-do/grantmaking-to-advance-racial-equity/people-grantmaking
