Building Worker Power Through Workforce Development final 10-4-2024 - Flipbook - Page 9
S ITE PRO FI LE
OAK L AN D
W O R K E R O R G A N I Z AT I O N L E A D :
LOCAL
East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy
(EBASE)
EBASE and WOJRC developed a worker power/know
your rights curriculum that was incorporated and
permanently adopted into WOJRC’s three-week
Transportation, Distribution, Logistics (TDL) PreApprenticeship training.
P A R T N E R O R G A N I Z AT I O N S :
East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE)
built upon its long-term existing partnership with
the West Oakland Job Resource Center (WOJRC),
which is committed to transforming the lives of
underserved residents of West Oakland and the
greater Bay Area by building a thriving, inclusive
community that provides 昀椀nancial and economic
opportunities, and by catalyzing industry and policy
change.
P O P U L AT I O N S E R V E D :
61 jobseekers participated in the pilot, the majority
of whom were Black male returning citizens.
CONTEXT PROGRAM ADAPTATIONS:
The supplemental curriculum consisted of a 4.5-hour
session on workers’ rights, with attention to Oaklandspeci昀椀c laws and policies and California standards as
they apply to different workers. The curriculum built on
EBASE’s existing Know Your Rights training and its
history and experience in the broader labor movement.
The training covered a basic understanding of current
labor laws, a history of how we got the labor laws, the
agencies responsible for enforcement, as well as how
to build power within your workplace and participate in
unions.
L O C A L E C O N O M I C C O N T E X T:
Alameda County is a mix of dense, diverse urban
communities and suburban areas, with a diverse
local economy that includes goods movement
through the Port of Oakland, healthcare and
technology.
“ Everything we talked about (in the training) were things we didn’t even know
and everyone should know it so we don’t get abused.”
— Dexter Williams, trainee
8
B U I L D I N G W O R K E R P O W E R T H RO U G H W O R K FO RC E D E V E LO P M E N T
