English For Empowerment: Adult and Digital Literacy, Workforce Development and Health Education
English for Empowerment
In the last quarter, we continued our online “English For Empowerment” (EFE)” and we kicked off our in-person EFE classes. The EFE curriculum has been fully developed by Adhikaar and has incorporated topics such as workers’ rights, basics of the U.S. government, and other relevant practical skills and information. We also developed an industry-specific EFE curriculum for Domestic Workers and Nail Salon workers that strengthens their knowledge of rights and English capacity at the workplace.
To increase our member’s digital literacy, all of the students participate in digital training to actively engage online in Adhikaar services, organizing, and advocacy initiatives beyond the physical classroom.
Youth Organizing
In June, our youth celebrated Pride month by marching in the Queens 2022 Pride March. For many of them, It was their first time and they were extremely excited to participate. Before the parade, youth members sat together to work on a banner for the march and also discuss how patriarchy and colonialism contribute to anti-LGBTQI+ issues both in the U.S. and globally. We have already started brainstorming on what they would like to do in next year’s Pride parade.
Healthcare Services
In the last quarter, we engaged in community outreach across all our programs to ensure that all members received health support and services. Through our immigration and worker’s rights membership work, and events as well as on social media, we continue to educate our members on COVID-19 booster shots, vaccine awareness, health insurance, and the NYC Care program.
Media Highlights
- NY Magazine (The Cut): Can Nail Techs Win Better Working Conditions? They hope the legislation will establish standards for safety and determine wages and benefits
- Samaj Times: न्यायका लागि नेपाली चेली पनि न्यूयोर्कका सडकमा
- News 12: Nail salon workers rally in Manhattan to demand fair wages, safer working conditions
- Eldiario: Trabajadoras de salones de uñas de Nueva York exigen que Albany apruebe ley para mejorar sus condiciones
- Cornell Chronicle: Worker Institute study documents risks faced by NYS nail salon workers– Phys.org,
- Tag 24: “THIS INDUSTRY NEEDS A NEW FOUNDATION”: NYC NAIL SALON WORKERS RALLY FOR THEIR RIGHTS
- News 12 Bronx
- PoliticalPro: Low pay, health concerns and lack of benefits plague nail industry years after reforms
- WNJU (Telemundo) – New York, NY
- In These Times: New York and California Experiment with Giving Workers a Say in Industry Standards
- 19th News, “New York’s nail salon workers have spent years feeling silenced. They’re ready to fight back.”
- NY Daily News, “My job and my seven miscarriages: Nail salon workers need more protections now”
- Business Insider, “The year workers said ‘no’”
- In These Times, “New York and California Experiment with Giving Workers a Say in Industry Standards”
- France 24, “In New York, nail salon workers fight for their rights”
- The Chief, “Nail salon workers seek hands-on approach for better pay”
- Sunnyside Post, “Ramos and González-Rojas Hold Rally Calling for Workplace Protections for Nail Salon Workers”
- USA Today, “Nail salon workers fight for safer workplaces, higher pay, full set of changes”
- CGTN, “‘We barely survive’: NYC nail salon workers fight for rights”
- NBC news: Nail technicians demand safer working conditions and steadier pay as Covid aggravates risks
- WSKG.org: Nail salon workers face unhealthy conditions, wage theft and unstable hours. Some are speaking up
- USA Today, “Nail salon workers fight for safer workplaces, higher pay, full set of changes”
- CGTN, “‘We barely survive’: NYC nail salon workers fight for rights”
- The Chief Leader “Nail salon workers seek hands-on approach for better pay”
- Documented, “As New York’s Legislative Session”
- In These Times, “New York and California Experiment with Giving Workers a Say in Industry Standards”
- UCLA Labor Center: Working Under COVID-19: Experiences of Nail Salon Workers in California, New York, Pennsylvania & New Jersey