Worker Justice Wisconsin is the only workers’ rights center in the state, and has been able to recover over a million and a half dollars in stolen wages over the years. (Did you know that wage theft adds up to nearly as much as all other forms of theft combined?)
WJW has a history of starting co-ops, so it knows from experience that when the workers own and operate the business, wage theft does not happen. Quite the contrary — co-ops have above-median pay and a far smaller ratio between the highest and lowest-paid workers. Worker co-ops also have flexible scheduling, high standards for workplace safety, and low turnover. In other words, worker co-ops do an outstanding job of upholding worker justice.
MCDC recently awarded WJW a grant to bolster its capacity to develop worker co-ops. The full-time staffer will be able to put more time into them, and a half-time person will be added to focus on this, as well. Given WJW’s strong track record on co-op education and support even before this grant, we can’t wait to see what they’ll be able to do with it.
To learn more about the WJW, write Kristen Taylor. To learn more about MCDC, write Steve Herrick or Charity Schmidt.