Maine is a community full of workers, in all different sectors, supporting their families, and keeping our neighborhoods afloat. But if they are experiencing challenges, who is there to support them?
Southern Maine Workers’ Center (SMWC) is an invaluable resource in our community who provide movement building, advocacy for, and education to the working class in Maine. They are a grassroots, member-led organization whose compass points toward human rights , and who work tirelessly to improve the lives of our working neighbors. They particularly work to support the least valued and the least protected classes.
Recently, SMWC has been turning inward, strategic planning and developing their team since a leadership transition. It is important that in their efforts and activities, progress toward positive social change is being made, and they are thoughtful and deliberate in their work. Most recently, they held a wage empowerment workshop, educating workers about wage theft, how to self-advocate and empower each other.
In the new year, SMWC will be focusing on care workers, a key group of our workforce who are essential to our daily lives, yet whom don’t receive the protections and working conditions to thrive. The Workers’ Center will be learning about their challenges, and strategizing to unify this sector around a campaign to invest in care resources and divest from harmful institutions,. They are part of Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, an international coalition involved in similar efforts. They also are collaborating with Tender Table on their Radical Nourishment Series which strive to increase nature- based skills and connection to the land for persons of color in Maine, and deepen the power that BIPOC organizers need to survive and transform the conditions we are rooted in. To learn more about SMWC and keep up with their news and events, visit Southern Maine Workers’ Center or follow them at @maineworkers.