News & Events
Summer 2024 -- Follow along with our Day in the Life of a Temp Worker series, where temp workers share their stories and expose the reality of what it means to be a temp worker. GLOW plays a leading role in exposing the racist legacy and ongoing harm temporary staffing poses to workers across industries and geographies, and we believe strongly in the powerful role of worker storytelling in this fight for temp workers' rights.
August 28, 2024 -- Join GLOW and Philly Black Worker Project for an upcoming webinar, "Who's the Boss: Building Black Temp Worker Power in Philly." Hear from GLOW's Executive Director Sheila Maddali and other advocates fighting for temp workers' rights and against the carceral state. RSVP here.
August 26 2024 -- GLOW and the CHAAD Project are hosting a free legal clinic for Chicago hospitality workers! If you work in the restaurant/hospitality industry in Chicago and believe your rights are being violated, RSVP for our legal clinic here.
January 2024 - GLOW is one of 16 innovative organizations selected for New Profit's Economic Mobility Cohort. New Profit, a venture philanthropy organization that backs social entrepreneurs who are advancing equity and opportunity in America, selected GLOW's Sheila Maddali as one of this year's visionary leaders. Through the Economic Mobility cohort, New Profit will work with GLOW to increase the impact, scale, and sustainability of our work. Read more about GLOW's selection for the cohort and the other innovative organizations involved here.
JANUARY 2024 — Since NLAN formed in 2019, we’ve provided legal support to worker centers and their members — supporting over 30 organizing campaigns. In the last few years, we’ve innovated, learned and reflected on repeat. As we transition from being fiscally sponsored by NELP to having our own nonprofit status, we are proud to announce that we have decided to change our name to GLOW – Grassroots Law & Organizing for Workers. Learn more!
December 2023 — Since NLAN’s founding in 2019, we have partnered with dozens of membership-based organizations, worked with hundreds of organizers and lawyers, and engaged thousands of workers in low-wage industries. Through our work, we have won policy changes that impact hundreds of thousands of workers and put millions of dollars back into the hands of workers, their communities, and their organizations. Check out our Impact Report to learn more about what we’ve accomplished.
DECEMBER 12, 2023 — National Legal Advocacy Network and our partners at Unemployed Workers United and Action Center for Race and the Economy just released a new report, Untangling Discrimination: How Temporary Staffing Agencies Rely on a Racist Business Model to Discriminate Against Black & Female Workers in Houston and Nashville. This report exposes the racist and misogynist underpinnings of America’s temporary staffing industry, its ongoing impact on race and gender equity in America’s workplaces, and the role public money and private equity firms play in proliferating the temporary staffing business model. Utilizing rigorous match-paired testing conducted by the Equal Rights Center, our report highlights race and gender-based hiring discrimination and occupational segregation between Black and Latinx workers in Houston, TX and Nashville, TN.
AUGUST 4, 2023 — The Illinois Temp Worker Fairness & Safety Act (TWFSA), signed into law in August 2023, raises the bar for temp worker protections across the country. Temp workers have known what they deserve for their labor for years, and it's about time the law recognizes that - key provisions of Illinois’ TWFSA include equal pay for equal work, improved training & safety standards and stronger enforcement tools to hold staffing agencies accountable when they violate the law. NLAN was proud to support the passage of this law alongside leaders at Chicago Workers Collaborative and Temp Worker Justice.
Summer 2023 - Grassroots Law and Organizing and Chicago Workers Collaborative are excited to announce that we are holding Labor-Based Deferred Action clinics to support workers seeking deferred action amidst workplace rights violations. If you're a lawyer, law student or advocate interested in volunteering or learning more, fill out this form.
JUNE 16, 2023 — The Supreme Court will soon issue a ruling that will consider the lawfulness of affirmative action in college admissions decisions. Join us on Friday, June 16th at 1:00pm EDT for a webinar where panelists, including NLAN Executive Director Sheila Maddali, will discuss the limited application of these cases to employer practices, including DEIA measures, under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits workplace discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, and other protected categories. Panelists will also discuss the lawfulness and importance of employer initiatives to create opportunities and foster workplaces free from discrimination, particularly for Black workers and other workers who continue to face significant barriers in accessing good jobs. RSVP today!
APRIL 28, 2023 — Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security announced a new Deferred Action process for non-citizen workers who experience or witness a labor violation. Because of this, many workers are now potentially able to apply for labor-based Deferred Action. NLAN & National Immigration Law Center (NILC) brought together a group of experts for a training on both the Deferred Action process and clinic models that have been successful in assisting workers to apply. If you’re interested in learning more about this training, reach out to us at info@n-lan.org.
APRIL 24, 2023 — NLAN and 43 partners united to oppose corporate tax credits that subsidize precarious, poverty-wage employment. The Work Opportunity Tax Credit is, in its current form, a driver of temp work and racial inequality. It’s time to overhaul the WOTC so that public money no longer props up large corporations like Amazon that bust unions, steal wages, injure workers, and provide underpaid, precarious jobs. Read our full comment submitted to the Department of Labor here.
April 2023 -- GLOW is supporting Tyson workers organizing in Arkansas for a fair tenure package as the plant closes and for Tyson to take accountability for the labor violations the workers have experienced. The workers are being supported by Venceremos, a worker center advocating for poultry workers in Arkansas, led by Magaly Licolli. GLOW assisted the workers in filing Unfair Labor Practice charges against Tyson and will continue to fight alongside the workers and Venceremos on this matter.
APRIL 3, 2023 — There is a role for temporary staffing in our economy – for short term fluctuation in the need for labor, the temporary replacement of direct hire workers on leave or as a pathway to permanent employment. But the sad reality is that many workers in the staffing industry end up working as “perma-temps” and often experience discriminatory treatment while seeking and performing work. Read more about projects NLAN is working on with Workrise, Equal Rights Center and Unemployed Workers United to uncover race and gender discrimination in temp staffing & help shape local policy impacting temp workers & their families.
JANUARY 23, 2023 — Workers’ rights advocates in Illinois gathered to launch the campaign for the IL Temp Worker Fairness and Safety Act, a bill that would increase protections and rights for temp workers across the state, including equal pay for equal work, equal training on the job, stronger enforcement tools so that workers can enforce their legal rights & more. National Legal Advocacy Network is proud to support this bill and fight for workers being exploited by the temporary staffing industry.
NLAN’s Executive Director Sheila Maddali has been selected as a 2022 Echoing Green Fellow for the innovative law & organizing work she leads at NLAN. She is one of 20 leaders selected for their bold ideas for and devotion to advancing justice in their communities. Check out the rest of the amazing fellows and the work they're doing to disrupt injustice and build power here.
NOVEMBER 17, 2022 — Join NLAN & Unemployed Workers United for our second Know Your Rights workshop in a 3-part series for temp workers, this time covering anti-discrimination laws and what you can do if you’re discriminated against. RSVP at uwunited.com/kyr-workshop
OCTOBER 25 — Join NLAN & Unemployed Workers United for our first Know Your Rights workshop in a 3-part series for temp workers, this time covering wage & hour laws, what constitutes wage theft and what you can do about it! RSVP at uwunited.com/kyr-workshop
2021 — This issue brief outlines the necessity for fee-sharing arrangements for nonprofit organizations, how fee-sharing arrangements work & comply with rules of professional conduct and the advantages of fee-sharing arrangements for nonprofit organizations and attorneys. It was prepared for NLAN by Tram Ha and BK Katzmann, law students in the Social Justice Lawyering Clinic at Temple University Beasley School of Law.
September 28, 2022 — This Friday marks the 46th Anniversary of the Hyde Amendment, which bans the use of federal Medicaid for abortions and effectively bars millions of poor and working-class people from accessing full reproductive health care.
We are partnering with #DayWithoutUs to expose the disproportionate impact abortion restrictions have on people who are BIPOC, immigrant, poor and/or work in low-wage industries.
In preparation for #daywithoutus, NLAN is hosting a Know Your Rights workshop that will cover workers' right to engage in the #DayWithoutUs and best practices. Tune in @ 7est at daywithoutus.com
#DayWithoutUs is a day of action on Friday, 9/30 to amplify the connection between reproductive justice & worker justice. Includes work stoppage & teach-ins throughout the day. More info at daywithoutus.com
Join NLAN & Restaurant Opportunities Center United (ROC United) for a Know Your Rights workshop on Monday, August 8 at 6pm EST. We will talk wage & hour, discrimination and harassment & more. Bring your questions!
AUGUST 2, 2022 — NLAN’s Executive Director Sheila Maddali is a finalist for the Echoing Green Fellowship. Congratulations, Sheila!
Join NLAN and Strippers United for a Know Your Rights workshop for strippers on Wednesday, July 13. We will talk about wage theft, discrimination, the right to organize, potential legal issues in contracts & more.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to register for a Legal Clinic with NLAN to talk more about their workplace concerns.
JULY 7, 2022 — Meet the Plaintiffs of Creager, et al. v. USA. This case concerns the early termination of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) in over half of U.S. states, including Texas.
The Plaintiffs in this case, Raevene Adams, Rachel Creager Ireland & Darceal Toby, all relied on PUA benefits to survive after losing their jobs due to the pandemic. They are not alone in this reality & all pursued the lawsuit to fight back once their benefits were prematurely terminated. NLAN, along with partners, is honored to represent these courageous Plaintiffs & we continue to litigate the matter in court. Stay tuned!
Join NLAN & the Center for Privacy and Technology at Georgetown Law for Surveillance in the Workplace: a Training for Organizers & Advocates on June 30, 2022.
This webinar will be an introduction to workplace surveillance, its historical context, its role in racial capitalism, technology that is used to monitor & control workers and the legal landscape. Speakers include Cynthia Khoo from Center for Privacy and Technology at Georgetown Law, Nzinga Hooker from the National Black Worker Center and Alvin Velazquez from SEIU.
June 22, 2022 — Plaintiffs, represented by NLAN and partners, filed their Objections to the Magistrate Judge’s Report and Recommendations in Creager v. USA, a case concerning the early termination of PUA benefits in certain states.
JUNE 3, 2022 — Court issues decision in agreement with Plaintiffs & Amici in case concerning staffing agencies using no-poach and wage-fixing agreements, exacerbating the poor working conditions of temporary staffing workers.
MAY 2022 — Read the report from Equal Rights Center’s matched paired testing conduced at Chipotle Mexican Grill, suggesting that hiring practices disproportionately deny management opportunities to qualified Black applicants. The testing project was done at the request of Fast Food Union, organizing with Local 32BJ Service Employees International Union. Read more on the Daily Beast & VICE.
Join NLAN & Unemployed Workers on May 18th at 7pm EST for We Keep Each Other Safe: Know Your Health & Safety Rights. We will cover health & safety rights, enforcement of those rights & tools to advocate for yourself and others on the job.
Register at: https://uwunited.com/kyr-workshop
May 10, 2022 — Catch NLAN, Temp Worker Justice (TWJ) & Temp Worker Union Alliance Project (TWUAP) in the May 10th installation of Tips For Temps, a four part workshop series. May 10th’s workshop is on Speaking Up & Protecting Yourself from Retaliation.
APRIL 22 2022 — Two Arizona advocacy organizations issued their support for Plaintiffs’ case concerning the early termination of pandemic unemployment benefits.
On May 2, 2022 at 7 pm EST, in observance of May Day, the Black Worker Policy Coalition, including National Black Worker Center, will officially launch the campaign to win a Black Worker Bill of Rights to ensure that Black workers across the country have dignity in work with safe, healthy, and equitable job conditions.
Join NLAN on Friday, May 6, 2022 at 12:30pm CST for Law & Organizing for Temp Workers, a legal training for organizers. The training will discuss the temporary staffing landscape, pertinent laws for workers’ rights, issue-spotting, law & organizing considerations and expanding temp worker rights. (with insights from NLAN’s Litigation Director, Chris Williams & Temp Worker Justice’ Digital Organizer, Tyler Cunning)
APRIL 13, 2022 — NLAN was proud to sign on as amici on National Women’s Law Center’s amicus brief supporting Massachusetts gig drivers. As they explain in their brief, gig companies in MA are misclassifying drivers as independent contractors, limiting their rights & protections under the law and particularly impacting women of color.
APRIL 4, 2022 — The legal fight over pandemic jobless aid that states cut short last year could be headed in a new direction as unemployed Texans argue that the U.S. Labor Department owes back-pay benefits—potentially to a million or more people nationwide. (Plaintiffs are represented by NLAN & partners.)
MARCH 29, 2022 — Plaintiffs, represented by National Legal Advocacy and partners, urge the Arizona Court of Appeals to reverse the superior court’s decision and to extend FPUC benefits to eligible Arizonans.
Join NLAN and the National Coalition for Safety and Health (COSH) on Friday, April 1 for a legal training for organizers on OSHA. The training will cover OSHA laws and how OSHA action can be strategically used in a campaign to protect and advance worker health and safety. The training will be followed by NLAN’s Organizer Drop-In Hours.
MARCH 23, 2022 — Join NLAN, Unemployed Workers United & New Mexico Legal Aid for tax-filing tips, information on the Child Tax Credit and more.
MARCH 21, 2022 — Join NLAN & Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC) for a Know Your Rights livestream on Instagram on Harassment, Discrimination & Social Media in restaurant workplaces.
MARCH !5, 2022 — Plaintiffs, represented by NLAN and partners, urge the Court to deny the U.S. Government’s motion to dismiss their lawsuit and argue that the federal government had the obligation to provide PUA benefits to any covered individuals, even when states withdrew early from the program.
FEBRUARY 28, 2022 — NBWC & NLAN are proud to announce the launch of BLACK, an initiative that provides educational resources, legal services, and support to Black people working in low-wage industries. Stay tuned for more!
FEBRUARY 11, 2022 — Temp Worker Justice and other worker advocates filed an Amicus Brief on February 10, 2022 urging the NLRB to recognize the increasing fissuring of workplaces and adopt a broader test for determining whether a worker is an independent contractor, thus providing greater protections to workers, particularly workers of color.
February 9, 2022 — National Legal Advocacy Network, Raise the Floor Alliance and National Employment Law Project filed an Amicus Brief arguing that corporate use of temporary staffing agencies can create a second-tier workforce, with no-poach and wage-fixing agreements exacerbating the poor working conditions of temporary staffing workers.
JANUARY 31, 2022 — Chicago Workers Collaborative and Warehouse Workers for Justice thanks and acknowledges the leadership and advocacy of all partners, including the National Legal Advocacy Network and the Raise The Floor Alliance, for raising awareness of the tragic death of Adewale Ogunyemi, who died because of unsafe working conditions at Rich Production in Crest Hill on July 20th.
JANUARY 26, 2022 — Join NLAN, Unemployed Workers United & Georgetown University Professor of Law Brian Galle to learn about filing your 2021 taxes if you received unemployment insurance benefits & more!
JANUARY 24, 2022 — A worker advocacy group told a U.S. appeals court on Friday that it does not have to be an employee of Darden Restaurants Inc to bring a lawsuit claiming the company enables sex and race discrimination by paying low hourly wages to tipped workers.
JANUARY 20, 2022 — Exclusive: Advocates have advanced a lawsuit against Darden, the nation’s largest full-service restaurant company, for racial and sexual discrimination as a result of paying tipped workers below the minimum wage.
NOVEMBER 22, 2021 — The U.S. government has been hit with two proposed class actions seeking to hold it responsible for paying unemployment benefits under last year's COVID-19 relief law to residents of states that ended the benefits early.
SEPTEMBER 7, 2021 — Thousands of unemployed Arizona workers are owed $2,400 in unemployment benefits because Gov. Doug Ducey illegally cut them off in July, a lawsuit filed in Maricopa County claims. The lawsuit argues that Ducey violated state law when he ended the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program, which paid unemployed workers up to an additional $300 on top of their weekly benefit.
JUNE 4, 2021 — National Legal Advocacy Network worked with partners Raise the Floor Alliance, National Employment Law Project and NELA-IL on an Amicus Brief and argue that narrowing the breadth of the BIPA statute would negatively impact at risk and low-wage workers throughout the state.
APRIL 15, 2021 — One Fair Wage is suing Darden, the parent group of restaurant chains like Olive Garden, Capitol Grille and Longhorn Steakhouse for wage policies that it says causes sexual harassment and pay disparity among servers.
FEBRUARY 24, 2021 — A new study is lending evidence to claims that have surfaced over the years through lawsuits and whistleblower complaints about racial discrimination in blue-collar temp agency hiring practices. The coalition behind the report, led by the Chicago Workers’ Collaborative and Warehouse Workers for Justice, conducted “matched pair” testing of a sampling of 60 Chicago-area temp agencies.
FEBRUARY 23, 2021 — Opening The Door contains statistically-significant findings from a first of-its-kind study designed by the Equal Rights Center to measure the prevalence of race-based hiring discrimination and job channeling amongst Black and Latinx workers in the Chicago area’s industrial temp staffing sector.
FEBRUARY 23, 2021 — Hiring discrimination is pervasive within temporary employment agencies that serve warehouses and factories, Chicago-area workers’ rights organizations said Tuesday in releasing a study documenting practices that allegedly hurt Black or Latino applicants.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 — Activists looking to eliminate the sub-minimum wage for tipped employees — a practice that they say keeps workers in poverty, encourages sexual harassment and leads to racial discrimination — are taking a new approach in their campaign to end the two-tiered wage system in America: They’re arguing the lower tipped wage, sometimes as little as $2.13 an hour, violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
MAY 22, 2020 — While restaurant owners around the country beg lawmakers to offer them financial relief and assistance to comply with legally mandated orders to temporarily close their dining rooms in an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus, only a few national chains are doing anything to ensure all of their hourly workers physically and economically survive the pandemic.
SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 — An overhanging sign still reads “Bizarre” and the first two vowels are still flipped quixotically, but the rolling gate has remained shut since early June. The bartenders are now suing the shuttered bar. “I don’t know how they’ve been able to get away with it, but they never paid their employees,” one bartender told Bushwick Daily wishing to stay anonymous. They had joined five other coworkers in a lawsuit, filed in federal court earlier in August, demanding over $100,000 in unpaid wages. “The owners made it a living hell to work there,” they said.
APRIL 25, 2019 — Balentine is one of two Black workers who filed racial discrimination charges against Walmart this week, alleging that the company’s background check policies had a disparate impact on African Americans in the Elwood facility. Between 100 and 200 other African American workers may have been affected, according to Chris Williams, an attorney with the National Legal Advocacy Network, which filed the complaint with the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
MARCH 26, 2019 — Williams filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), arguing that the workers’ non-economic strike about discrimination and unfair treatment is protected under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the law governing private sector employees’ collective bargaining rights. He said this situation is a “pretty clear-cut violation” of NLRA Section 8(a)(1) prohibiting interference with the right to organize and Section 8(a)(3) concerning adverse actions like a lockout.