Tenant Worker Center
Organizing working-class Chinese immigrants in San Francisco to fight for dignity and justice in their lives.
Questions about your workers’ rights?
CPA provides free in-language consultations about your workers‘ rights. Please leave a voicemail, and our team will reach out in 1-2 business days.
History
In the early 2000s, the Tenant Worker Center (TWC) formed out of large-scale manufacturing worker organizing campaigns, particularly in Chinatown’s restaurant sector, where immigrant workers faced wage theft, long hours, unsafe working conditions, and lack of benefits.
Workers Rights
To date, TWC has helped low-wage workers recover over $8 million in owed wages in high-profile campaigns by advocating for the stronger workplace protections, fair wages and worker’s rights for low-wage immigrant workers.
When we fight, we win!
In 2014, 280 Yank Sing restaurant workers in San Francisco won a historic $4 million settlement for wage theft and labor violations.
In 2021, 22 employees at Z & Y Restaurant, a Chinatown restaurant on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list, fought for and won a settlement of $1.61 million for stolen wages, tips, penalties and interest.
In 2024, 17 former workers at Lee’s Deli, a closed restaurant chain in San Francisco, won back $60k in unpaid wages owed since the pandemic.
Tenants Rights
In addition to worker organizing, the Tenant Worker Center supports families residing in SRO units to improve their living conditions and advocate for tenant rights.
TWC conducts tenant rights outreach, coordinates building safety workshops, and provides tenant consultation to address code violation and other building issues, as well as community and family events to empower and equip tenants with the tools to advocate for their rights and better living conditions, build a support network and access critical resources.
Building Grassroots Leadership
TWC develops grassroots members to be leaders who are active in their communities and in campaigns throughout the Bay Area. These leaders recruit, inform, and organize members to take action in campaigns for economic justice. TWC leaders also represent our working class interests in the media, as well as endorse fair local ballot measures.
