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In The News
- ‘Go Ahead, Try and Make Me Pay You’: Wage Theft and S.B. 1070 Working In These Times covers how workers in Arizona are being affected by the state's controviersial bill passed earlier this year. Read responses from Arise Chicago and other worker centers in our network.
- Exploited immigrants, unaware of labor laws, afraid to fight mistreatment by Shannon Mehnerand Brianna McClane Interview with Arise Chicago Worker Center member and staff organizer on wage theft and work abuses of immigrant workers.
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Our Mission
ARISE Chicago builds partnerships between faith communities and workers to fight workplace injustice through education and organizing and advocating for public policy changes.
Faith-Labor-Action Breakfast
Who We Are
Arise Chicago, formerly Chicago Interfaith Committee on Worker Issues, was founded by Monsignor Jack Egan, Rabbi Robert Marx, and United Methodist Bishop Jesse De Witt in 1991 under the guidance of Ms. Kim Bobo who went on to found the national group, Interfaith Worker Justice.
With knowledge that the basic tenents of all faith traditions support the rights of wokers, Arise Chicago organizes the religious community to bring about just resolutions to workplace injustice.
When workers wish to form a union, they are often met with intimidation and harassment. Arise Chicago organizes religious leaders through its Faith and Labor Solidarity program to support workers seeking unionization.
Arise Chicago's Building Bridges Program, begun in 2000, prepares women and people of color for the building trades' (carpenters, electricians, plumbers, etc.) entrance exams into apprenticeship programs. About one-third of our graduates are ex-offenders.
Launched in 2002, Arise Chicago's Workers' Center partners with workers who have not received proper payment for work performed. In just six years, Arise Chicago has helped workers recover $4,600,000 in wage theft.
The Board of Directors consists of representatives from all three programs, with an Advisory Board of prominent religious leaders in the Chicago area.