Our Work
The work of the Sugar Law Center is dynamic and we seek to adapt our strategies to adjust the full range of issues that low income individuals and communities face when their economic and social rights are violated.
cOMMUNITY BENEFITS
The Sugar Law Center is proud of its continued commitment to ensuring the quality of life of working families through a community benefits process. Since 2008, the community benefits agreement movement has been part of our community justice work. We have been providing capacity support, organizing, technical and legal support, and assistance in negotiations to a number of community organizations and coalitions.
wage justice
Through public policy advocacy, worker and community trainings, and direct representation of workers, the Sugar Law Center’s wage justice project seeks to combat wage theft in all its forms. The Law Center acts as a standing resource for low-wage workers to protect their right to be paid for all hours worked. We also advocate for fair and decent wages for all, including increases in minimum wage laws and a right to a living wage.
cOMMUNITY JUSTICE
Our work is multi-faceted and we undertake a variety of initiates to advocate for low-income communities to promote racial equity and human rights. These initiatives range from work on environmental justice issues, combatting legislation that takes away the democratic rights of urban communities, and ensuring fair and equitable funding to local government.
Job loss
Part of our core work comes in the form of protecting workers from injustices. That includes fighting for those who are currently unemployed or underemployed. Since 2008, we have directly represented workers on their right to unemployment insurance and we have been at the forefront of combatting the State of Michigan “robo-fraud” system that resulted in tens of thousands of unemployed workers being wrongfully charged with fraud and ordered to pay severe penalties.
FAIR & DECENT WORK
The Sugar Law Center addresses the vulnerability of US workers to abusive, illegal working conditions. We provide public advocacy, trainings, and direct representation to workers on a wide-range of employment issues, including combatting workplace discrimination, supporting workers right to act together in the workplace, and ensuring a safe and health place to work.
worksite closings
The Law Center’s Plant Closings project uses litigation and public policy advocacy to protect workers in plant closings and mass layoffs. The federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires employers to give their workers sixty days notice before a plant closing or mass layoff. The SLC is the recognized national expert on WARN Act prosecution, training and education.
The work of the Sugar Law Center is dynamic and we seek to adapt our strategies to adjust the full range of issues that low income individuals and communities face when their economic and social rights are violated. If you have an issue that you believe we may be able to assist with, please do not hesitate to call our office.