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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
CONGRATULATING THE CHICAGO COMMUNITY AND WORKERS’ RIGHTS (CCWR) ON THEIR 15TH ANNIVERSARY
WHEREAS, the Chicago Community and Workers Rights (CCWR) was founded in June 2009 by a group of Latinx immigrant workers who saw a need for an organization dedicated to empowering workers to defend their rights; and
WHEREAS, CCWR helps workers, regardless of immigration status, to develop organizing tools and collective strategies of resistance against labor rights abuses, toward just living conditions for our families; and
WHEREAS, CCWR’s mission is a community where workers' rights are respected; and
WHEREAS, CCWR is a member and partner to Raise The Floor Alliance, The Resurrection Project, Greater Lawndale Healthy Work Program, Chicago Food Worker Justice Alliance, Chicago's Good Food Purchasing Initiative (GFPI), City of Chicago's Community Wealth Building Advisory Council, Illinois Worker Cooperative Alliance, and Chicago SEED Commons; and
WHEREAS, with CCWR’s support, workers have recovered stolen wages, organized for better working conditions, and defended their jobs; and
WHEREAs, CCWR’s work has led to changes at the city, county, and state levels to address issues of exploitation and push for the collective self-determination of workers; and
WHEREAS, in 2014, due to their involvement in worker rights, the implementation of three amendments to labor laws went into effect to make sure landscaping companies, and similarly structured companies, do not violate workers' rights; and
WHEREAS, in 2015, after years of organizing and advocating together with Chicago street vendors, the City of Chicago approved a City ordinance that allows pushcart street vendors to sell their prepared products; and
WHEREAS, in 2018, CCWR worked with the Illinois Cooperative Alliance and passed a Cook County resolution that encourages different government agencies to support the development of worker cooperatives; and
WHEREAS, because of the work of the Alliance, in August 2019 the State of Illinois passed the Illinois Workers' Cooperative Act (LWCAA) so that workers can register their cooperatives and participate in a more equitable economic development model; and
WHEREAS, in 2021, after five long years of advocacy and organizing with the Chicago
Immigration Task Force, the city council approved an amendment to the Welcoming City Ordinance, eliminating the exceptions that allowed the police to cooperate with ICE. This was done with the hard work of the Chicago Immigration Group, in which CCWR played an important role; and
WHEREAS, CCWR has assisted with more than $10,000,000 in wages recovered and about 600 workers have been helped.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Cook County Board President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners do hereby congratulate the Chicago Community and Workers Rights (CCWR) on their 15th Anniversary; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, this text be spread upon the proceedings of this Honorable Body and that a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Chicago Community and Workers Rights (CCWR) in honor of their outstanding work and may continue servicing the community.
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