Tompkins County Workers Center Inc

The living wage advocacy program educates the public about the cost of living and the challenge to selfsufficiency that low wage earners face without a living wage. This program promotes development of a social contract that all working people deserve a livable wage in exchange for their labor. Our certified living wage employer program recognizes any enterprise that voluntarily pays all employees at least a living wage.

Any person who feels they may have received unfair or illegal treatment at work may contact the workers' rights hotline by phone, email or social media. Due to the covid pandemic, we continued to provide our hotline services primarily by phone and video meetings. Most users of the hotline are residents of tompkins county, ny, and the surrounding fingerlakes and southern tier regions. Worker advocates for the hotline educate workers about their rights at work and organizing or communication skills that help users become better advocates for themselves or others, with an emphasis on building a workforce with greater self agency and knowledge of rights. The workers' center may act as a mediator to help resolve conflicts or help workers prepare complaints to regulatory agencies when necessary. Hotline advocates encourage concerted action between coworkers whenever possible and may provide informational resources and help coordinate community support when workers' seek to organize a union.

Tompkins county workers' center contracts with two small charitable organizations, mutual aid tompkins and the tompkins county immigrant rights coalition, who do not have their own 501(c)3 designation and need a fiscal sponsor in order to solicit and receive tax deductible contributions for their work. We accept donationsand/or grants to support the mission and activities of the organizations we sponsor, maintain those funds in separate savings accounts and record them in restrictedaccounts in our accounting system. The organizations may request a payout of funds on a monthly (or longer) basis by submitting a written request specifying theamount they would like to receive up to the amount available and stating how the funds are to be used. As long as the request is consistent with charitablepurposes, supports their mission and adheres to any donor restrictions, we issue a payment in the form of a grant. Tcwc charges an administrative fee for theseservices. Each fiscally sponsored organization is required to submit, at minimum, an annual report listing the funds received, how the funds were spent and programaccomplishments which is then reviewed by staff for compliance.

Other expenses include software and fundraising expenses, and salaries allocated to these services. Other revenues include amounts received for rental spaces and adminstrative task