Workers’ Rights Board
In addition to building alliances between labor and community groups, Jobs with Justice built a new structure - Workers’ Rights Boards - to combat the lack of an adequate legal framework to support worker and economic justice issues . With Boards in 20 cities we now have a proven track record that these locally based institutions made up of community leaders, religious leaders, academics, elected officials, and other prominent members of the community, can be effective vehicles to address workers’ and community concerns.
Although the Boards have no legal authority, we have learned that the local structure of the Boards can produce real results. Where the withered legal framework is slow to move the Boards can spur important action. The St. Louis Workers Rights Board has taken steps to protect workers threatened with firing for organizing, caregivers dismissed for reporting patient abuse, and immigrant workers denied pay for hours work simply because the employer thought they could get away with it.
Community leaders who agree to serve on a WRB review worker complaints and often conduct public hearings - giving employers the chance to participate - and then seek follow-up meetings with management to report their findings and, if possible, resolve the dispute. In addition to these types of cases, JWJ WRB’s have intervened most frequently in organizing situations where workers’ rights violations are blatant and serious. WRB proceedings are part of a one-two counterpunch that includes direct action by labor, community and faith-based activists.
Co-Chairs:
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Joan Suarez, UNITE HERE, Missouri Immigrant & Refugee Advocates
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The Rev. Dr. Martin Juan Rafanan, Gateway Homeless Services
Board Members:
Laura Barrett, Gamaliel Foundation
Joan Beuckman, KMOX, KTRS Retired
Rep. John Bowman, Missouri House of Representatives
Senator Joan Bray, Missouri Senate
Professor Howard Brick, Washington University
The Rev. Charles Brown, Mt Airy MB Church, Clergy Coalition
William Clay, US Congress, Former
Senator Maida Coleman,, Missouri Senate
Mo Costello, MoKaBe’s Coffehouse
Fr. Richard Creason, Catholic Action Network
Senator Rita Days, Missouri Senate
Hedy Epstein
Myrna Fichtenbaum, Older Women’s League
Rabbi Randy Fleisher, Central Reform Congregation
The Rev. Robert Franklin, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition
Rabbi Andrea Goldstein, Shaare Emeth
Percy Green, Civil Rights Leader
Professor Gladys Gruenberg, Saint Louis University
Seifu Gudeta, African Mutual Assistance Association of Missouri
Reena Hajat, Interfaith Partnershp
Imam Muhammad Hasic, Islamic Community
Bernie Hayes, Independent Television Service
Dr. Deborah Henry, St Louis Communty College
Jerry Hochsztein, Jews United for Justice
Rich Howard-Willms, Plowsharing Crafts
The Rev. Dr. Sammie Jones, Mt. Zion MB Church, Clergy Coalition
Jerry King, RJK, Inc.
Denise Lieberman, Stetin Center for Law and Social Change
Prof. Allan MacNeill, Webster University
Ora Lee Malone, Civil Rights Activist
Prof Mike Mancini, Saint Louis University
The Rev. Ben Martin, Presbetery of Giddings-Lovejoy
Larry Mass, Attorney
Javier Mendoza, Musician
The Rev. Teresa Mithen, St. John’s Episcopal Church
The Rev. James Morris, Lane Tabernalce CME, MO House of Representatives
Rep. Jeanette Mott Oxford, MO House of Representatives
Friar Ed Mundwiller, Franciscan Friar, Province of the Sacred Heart
Virginia Nesmith, National Farm Worker Ministry
Angie O’Gorman, Interfaith Legal Services for Immigrants
The Rev. Nelson Pierce, Unity Fellowship Church
The Rev. Tommie Pierson, Churches United for Community Action
Joe Pollack, St. Louis Newspaper Guild
William Quick, Attorney
Bill Ramsey, Human Rights Action Service
Prof. Gerda Ray, UM-St Louis
Robert Reinhold, Attorney
The Rev. B.T. Rice, New Horizon 7th Day Christian Church
The Rev. Larry Rice, New Life Evangelistic Life
Jamala Rogers, Organization for Black Struggle
Professor Rebecca Rogers, University of Missouri - St Louis
Prof John Slosar, Saint Louis University
Dr. Abbe Sudvarg, M.D.
Rabbi Susan Talve, Central Reform Congregation
Jerry Tucker, Healthcare Justice Education Fund
Roz Sherman-Voellinger, Workers Inst. For Safety & Health
The Rev. Michael Vosler United Church of Christ
Khatib Waheed, Center for the Study of Social Policy
The Rev. Emery Washington, Episcopal Church
Nikki Weinstein, FOCUS St. Louis
The Rev. Anthony Witherspoon, Washington Metropolitan AME
*Note: Organizations are listed for identification purposes only



