KIWA's mission is to empower
low wage immigrant workers and to develop a progressive constituency and
leadership amongst low wage immigrant workers in Los Angeles that can join
the struggle in solidarity with other underrepresented communities for
social change and justice.
Founded in March 1992, KIWA has made a significant contribution to the
empowerment of Korean immigrant workers and to the development of a
progressive constituency in the Korean community.
Following the April 1992 Civil Unrest, the Korean American Relief
Fun, a self-appointed group of conservative businessmen, denied relief
money to worker victims. KIWA
organized 45 displaced Korean and Latino workers to demand inclusion of
workers in relief fund distribution.
The workers eventually succeeded in receiving $109,000 in relief
funds. In 1997, KIWA helped
win over $2 million for workers from retailers and manufacturers connected
with the El Monte "slaveshop" operators.
KIWA organized 55 Latino garment workers and was a part of the
legal team that eventually won this landmark case.
In collaboration with other progressive organizations, KIWA fought
to maintain the state's affirmative action programs, raise the minimum
wage, lower bus rates for the poor, save hundreds of union jobs at two
local hotels and win dignity and respect for workers locally and
internationally.
KIWA initiated the Koreatown Restaurant
Workers Justice Campaign. Immigrant
restaurant workers in Koreatown labored up to 72 hours per week for as low
as $2.20 an hour and face brutal abuse from their employers in the form of
unfair firings and physical abuse. The
problems were also exacerbated by the fact that the workers were not
provided workers compensation and healthcare benefits even though they
often work in unsafe work environments.
KIWA organized Korean and Latino restaurant workers to demand an
industry-wide reform that include Raising sub-minimum wages, Raising
sub-standard working conditions, Gaining a voice for workers in the
industry and in the community through collective actions.
Although there are rooms for more improvement, the campaign, 1996
to 2000, has tremendously raised working condition of Koreatown restaurant
industry. Through this campaign, KIWA organized an ‘Restaurant Workers
Association of Koreatown’ which is independent organization made up of
both Latino and Korean Restaurant workers.
KIWA’s new industry wide
effort to improve the working conditions of immigrant workers and build
worker power in the industry and the community
is Market Workers Justice Campaign.
The objective of the campaign is to
educate and assist workers in Korean American grocery supermarkets
in Koreatown on the subject of unionization.