WORKERS' CENTER
Primero de Mayo.
The Primero de Mayo Workers' Center, an area of COPAL led by immigrant workers, elevates the voice and leadership of our community that seeks to build a society where we can work and live a dignified life.
The Center focuses its efforts on four areas of support:
Labor Defenders
We accompany workers affected by wage theft and labor abuse to obtain justice.
Labor Leadership
We accompany our members to develop their skills as agents of social change
Knowledge is Power
We offer professional development opportunities in the areas of GED, computer classes, English, and OSHA.
Job and Career Exploration
We offer support to people who are looking for a job or exploring short-term training.
In May 2021, COPAL launched the South Minneapolis-based Workers’ Center Primero De Mayo to organize with frontline Latino workers to recover lost wages, pursue employment discrimination cases, apply for unemployment benefits, and connect to career training and placement services.
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In May 2021, COPAL launched the South Minneapolis-based Workers’ Center Primero De Mayo to organize with frontline Latino workers to recover lost wages, pursue employment discrimination cases, apply for unemployment benefits, and connect to career training and placement services.
Too often, immigrants face barriers to settling down and working towards a better life, suffering from oppressive institutions and exploitative working conditions.
Today in Minnesota, immigrants not only are facing these systemic barriers, but are also disproportionately affected by the health and economic effects of COVID-19. As the pandemic develops, studies show that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities are most negatively impacted as a result of the pandemic, with African and Latino communities at the top of this list. While these groups faced precarious economic disparities long before the arrival of the pandemic, the current health crisis has shone a light on how much these conditions have worsened.
All these factors have driven ACER and COPAL, two community-led organizations, to develop two Workers’ Centers based in Brooklyn Park and Minneapolis to address the immediate and long-term economic challenges of the African and Latinx communities. In the spirit of collaboration and solidarity, ACER and COPAL have been reaching out to unions, community organizations, government agencies, as well as community leaders and individuals to shape and partner in this endeavor.


ACER
ACER

COPAL
COPAL
COPAL is a Latinx-led grassroots organization that creates communal democracy across several impact areas to build racial, gender, social and economic justice across community lines.
To help our neighbors weather this crisis, these Workers’ Centers will focus on connecting our communities to jobs and workforce trainings, educate and advocate for worker’s rights, and develop systems to support the equitable creation of wealth for individuals and small businesses. The Centers will be an ongoing resource to support people during the crisis, as well as to help people get back to work once the crisis has passed.

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