Workers Outreach Rights Knowledge (WORK) Project

The U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Office of Special Counsel for Immigration Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC) funds grants to conduct public education programs about the rights afforded potential victims of employment discrimination and the responsibilities of employers under the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. §1324b. Programs funded by the OSC grant program are required to design and implement public education campaigns to address immigration related unfair employment discrimination by educating workers, employers, and the general public about the anti-discrimination provision of the INA.

The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles will use the grant to fund the Workers Outreach Rights Knowledge (WORK) Project. The project goals are to ensure that low-income immigrant workers in Los Angeles are educated about their rights against immigration-related discrimination and are empowered to contact OSC to uphold their rights; educate small employers about their obligations under the INA and to facilitate their obtaining assistance from OSC; continue targeted outreach to refugees, asylees, and legal permanent residents who are vulnerable to immigration-related discrimination; and continue to educate workers and employers on new employment verification requirements and anti-discrimination provisions of the INA. The WORK Project staff will conduct educational outreach campaigns on the anti-discrimination provisions of the INA through interactive role play as a means to induce audience participation at adult schools, occupational centers, day labor sites, community-based organizations, faith-based centers, and employer-affiliated organizations.

CA/NCF