Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa

For the last year, CWJ members have shared their recipes, flavors, ingredients in our community.

We were able to empower aspiring restaurant owners’ to create unique dishes from their diverse backgrounds. Exploring cultures and flavors from the Middle East and South America we were able to connect through our shared passion for food. Together we tried exotic cuisines prepared by our members while helping them explore successful dishes for their future restaurants. We would like to thank all of the chefs for preparing meals for us and letting us learn about their cultures as well as all of the attendees at the event; it is with your help that we are able to fund these chefs and events.  Help us to start this dream: https://cwjiowa.salsalabs.org/CWJSocialEnterprise/index.html

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We had an excellent night celebrating its Seventh Anniversary and Fourth Annual Gala Fundraiser this past Saturday, October 5th; We are so grateful to have shared food, music, and conversation with our many friends and supporters in the community.

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We began the night by hearing from CWJ’s Executive Director, Rafael Morataya. We were pleased to welcome representatives from the campaigns of Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, and Bernie Sanders to talk about these candidates’ commitment to the working people of Iowa. We also heard from our Community Organizer and City Council Member, Mazahir Salih, among other longtime supporters of CWJ.

Attendees of the Gala enjoyed a homemade dinner of Mexican, Guatemalan, and Sudanese foods. For dessert, we had the delicious cakes prepared by Maria Cachua.

Throughout the evening, we enjoyed music from the band Tropicante. We also had a large range of silent auction items for the guests to peruse, donated by supporters in the community.

We would like to thank everyone who attended. Our mission to achieve equality in work, education, and housing would not be possible without our supporters.

Read the 7th Year Report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sJtO9IVOf8cqeV6NwUly3Xp9ychKKqSh/view

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We invite you to celebrate with CWJ as we reach our Seventh Anniversary and Fourth Annual Gala Fundraiser!

Since last year’s Gala, we have recovered $15,000 in wages lost from wage theft, bringing our grand total recovered over $80,000

CWJ members have taken the initiative to create a social enterprise with the goal of opening a café using family recipes, transmitted by generations.     This year menu includes food from Mexico, Guatemala, and Sudan.

Our annual gala will be held on October 5th, 2019 at 5:30 PM and will feature 2020 presidential candidates and a menu from our social enterprise! Tickets go fast, so please purchase them here! 

 Sponsorship is available at the levels of:

 Solidarity Supporter at $250,

Worker Rights Defender at $500,

Presidential Candidate Sponsorship for meet and greet before the event, $500,

Economic Justice Champion at $1000. 

Tickets and Sponsorship levels are available clickings here!

What: Fourth Annual Gala
Where: 2355 Oakdale Road, Coralville, IA
When: October 5th, 2019, 5:30 PM

Check our Facebook Event here

https://www.facebook.com/events/452026365636945/

Your support will help us continue to do the important work of bringing

equity to Eastern Iowa and beyond.

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Take a look at the Media Articles from the Lights for Liberty Vigil in Cedar Rapids on July 12: https://cbs2iowa.com/news/local/hundreds-gather-to-protest-border-child-detentions-and-mass-deportation

https://www.thegazette.com/protestors-rally-in-cedar-rapids-against-border-detention-20190712

https://www.press-citizen.com/picture-gallery/news/2019/07/13/photos-hundreds-rally-lights-liberty-vigil-cedar-rapids/1721312001/?

Leaders in Johnson County say they’ve seen a lot of success in its community identification cards.

County leaders say there are many benefits to having identification. 
They say it makes simple daily tasks easier.

People can apply at the Johnson County Auditor’s Office every Monday through Friday. The cost is $4 or children and $8 for adults

Johnson County celebrates four years of offering community identification cards https://www.kcrg.com/content/news/Johnson-County-celebrates-four-years-of-offering-community-identification-cards-512487761.html?

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CWJ is proud to celebrate 4 years of the Community ID

The ID was established to ensure that all members of our diverse community are welcomed and can participate fully in the economic and social life of our county.

The Johnson County Community ID can be used in a wide variety of day-to-day interactions, such as to:

• Open a bank account in participating banks
• Confirm your identify when using credit cards
• Get a library card
• Interact with schools, city and county agencies, and law enforcement officials
• Participate in discount programs offered by selected community businesses and institutions

The Johnson County Community ID cannot be used to: get a driver’s license, board an airplane, purchase alcohol or tobacco, enter establishments with age restrictions, prove employment eligibility, or vote.

Join us on Saturday June 8 from 9 am to Noon to get your new Community ID at CWJ , check our Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1121452494645537/

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In an era of serious challenges for low-wage residents, the Center for Worker Justice is celebrating several victories this week – and local community members are stepping up to help support its continued success. On Tuesday, the Iowa City Council voted unanimously in support of a groundbreaking affordable housing agreement, which residents of the Forest View mobile home park negotiated over the past three years with support from CWJ. Read the links from the Vote: https://dailyiowan.com/2019/05/07/city-council-comes-to-three-year-decision-on-forest-view-mobile-home-park/

https://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/2019/05/07/iowa-city-council-unanimously-pass-forest-view-first-reading/1135523001/

And as part of its ongoing worker justice initiatives, CWJ staff assisted workers this week in recovering over $1,400 in unpaid compensation for their cleaning work at a local jobsite. CWJ leaders say these victories are also indicative of today’s challenges – while local incidents of wage theft, housing insecurity, and acts of discrimination are on the rise, national grants to support the work of groups like CWJ are becoming more scarce.

We all know how difficult it is to go to the hospital or see a doctor, that is why we have made a partnership with the mobile clinic of the university and hope that one day we can expand the services they offer to our community, we share several photos of the last clinic in our Center.

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CWJ, TeamCan, Teamsters & other Allies are supporting Gulfview Residents, we’re sharing an article about it: https://kwwl.com/news/2019/04/09/north-liberty-mobile-home-residents-getting-priced-out-of-property/

According to Golfview resident Don Lund, the meeting at the North Liberty Recreation Center on Friday, April 5 was standing room only. More than 100 people met to hear from Mazahir Salih of the Center for Worker Justice and Jesse Case of Teamsters Local 238.