Our Commitment to Low-Wage Workers
At CLUE we believe that people have the right to reach their potential. That every human being is equal, unique, and of infinite worth. That low-wage workers deserve power. And that one job should be enough.
So we stand with workers, demanding dignity, justice, and decent working conditions. And we accompany them until justice is won.
Solidarity is Sacred
“Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue.”
– Deuteronomy 16:20
Here are just some of the injustices facing workers in low-wage industries:
- They often need to work multiple jobs to make ends meet.
- In 2019, the latest year for United Way’s Real Cost Measure report on what it takes to meet basic needs in Southern California, two adults would need to work full time, earning $22 an hour, to make a living wage for a family of four. (See below on commutes.)
- They often suffer wage theft.
- Their compensation may force them to choose between a 4-hour daily commute or substandard housing (unattached garages without proper kitchens/bathrooms or multiple families sharing a small apartment).
- They may face retribution for raising concerns about safety or work schedules.
CLUE stands with workers in hospitality, service, healthcare, and other industries as they advocate for the right to thrive as members of society.
Our work is geographically based: committees in different areas of Southern California learn the stories of workers in their communities and the changes that they seek. Then CLUE members strategically amplify workers’ stories and calls for change.
- CLUE members bear witness to worker struggles in delegations to Management.
- They pray with workers before contract negotiations.
- They write letters of encouragement to workers.
- They attend advocacy meetings with elected officials.
- They sign on to letters of support to employers, lawmakers, and others.
- They call bosses.
A Larger, Fairer Economy
“UNITE HERE! Local 11 2023 Worker Committee Convention!”
On March 2, more than 20 CLUE committee leaders and staff participated in UNITE HERE Local 11’s Worker Committee Convention in Downtown Los Angeles! We joined hundreds of hospitality worker leaders from hotels, stadiums, LAX and other union workplaces – and from throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties, the Inland Empire, and Arizona. Workers spoke16 March 2023
Recent Worker News
Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center Workers Struggle
“We’re never safely staffed because every month more people leave for jobs that provide better pay and less stress,” said a phlebotomist from the hospital.
Fountain Valley Regional Hospital Nurses & Professionals WIN!!
After more than a year and dozens of community support actions, CLUE is so proud to announce that on Friday, December 2, 2022, 800 of our incredible healers at Fountain Valley Regional Hospital (FVRH) won a life-changing contract that will transform the quality of patient care and working conditions at one of the biggest hospitals in our county!
Grocery Workers across So Cal continue to demand decent pay and fair scheduling even as they ponder a decision to strike.
A January 2022 Economic Roundtable report highlighted the desperate plights of grocery workers including low-wages and last-minute scheduling that sends them scrambling to find childcare and transportation. The study is a lot to digest, but the bottom line is this: Kroger (Ralphs/Food 4 Less) is extracting profit and exploiting workers to maximize CEO pay and
Solidarity is Sacred
Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice educates, organizes, and mobilizes faith leaders and community members to walk with workers as they stand up for good jobs, safe workplaces, and healthy communities.
We can accompany low-wage workers—mostly immigrants and communities of color—because people like you support an organized, connected interfaith movement for economic justice.
Please join the movement to build an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top.
