About us
Who We Are
The Worker Justice Center of New York’s (WJCNY) mission is to pursue justice for those denied human rights with a focus on agricultural and other low–wage workers, through legal representation, community empowerment, and advocacy for institutional change.
WJCNY‘s 25 staff members work with 5,000+ workers and their families each year, reaching dozens of counties across New York State. Our programs integrate to support a largely rural population with legal, human trafficking, outreach, and advocacy programs through direct service, education, consultation, and referrals. With offices in Kingston, Rochester, and Westchester County, we are able to respond to the unique needs of low-wage and agricultural workers across the state.
WJCNY’s guiding vision is a world where every worker should be treated with dignity and respect, and free from coercion. We believe everyone should have access to high quality legal services and the education and tools needed to advocate for themselves. WJCNY works to assist the low-wage worker population in building power, advocating for their needs, and holding bad actors accountable. WJCNY’s guiding vision is a world where every worker is treated with dignity and respect, free from coercion and reprisals. We believe everyone should have access to high–quality legal services and the education and tools needed to advocate for themselves. WJCNY works to assist the low-wage worker population in building power, advocating for their needs, and holding bad actors accountable.
Our History
The Worker Justice Center of New York (WJCNY) was created in 2011 as a 501(c)(3) through the merger of Farmworker Legal Services of New York (est. 1981) and the Workers’ Rights Law Center (est. 2003).
The New York State Bar Association originally established Farmworker Legal Services of New York (FLSNY) in the late 1970s to address the unmet need of legal representation for migrant and seasonal farmworkers. The organization was incorporated in 1981 as a statewide program and, for over thirty years, represented migrant and seasonal farmworkers in civil matters throughout New York State. FLSNY recovered millions of dollars for victims of wage theft and other forms of employment abuse through the efforts of a dedicated staff. During that period, FLSNY created nationally recognized projects aimed at reducing domestic violence and human trafficking in the agricultural community.
The Workers’ Rights Law Center (WRLC) was founded in 2003 by former FLSNY attorneys. As more and more non-farmworkers were calling the FLSNY office in the Hudson Valley seeking help with issues of wages theft and workplace abuse, these attorneys realized there was a need for legal services and legal education for non-agricultural low-wage workers as well. The WRLC was created to address this need. In the ensuing years, WRLC successfully litigated a large volume of cases on behalf of workers throughout the Hudson Valley.
In 2012, FLSNY and the WRLC merged to form WJCNY, serving both farmworkers and non-agricultural low-wage workers. Today WJCNY continues 45 years of work in these fields by providing essential legal services and case management support services to low-wage workers facing labor and employment abuses, as well as through preventive efforts, outreach to workers, training to service providers, and advocacy at the local, state, and national levels.