Our Fights
Good jobs. Strong contracts.
Paid sick days and family leave.
Funding for excluded workers.
Campaigns That Have Transformed DC
$15 Minimum Wage
Together, legislative leaders in the District, Montgomery County, and Prince George’s County worked in concert to pass minimum wage increases that would take all three jurisdictions to $15 on similar timelines.
Cinder Bed Road Strike Support
On October 24th at 3:00am, 120 Metrobus drivers employed by private contractor Transdev went on strike demanding equal pay for equal work. As soon as the strike began DC JWJ lept into action. Our demand was simple: We stand with workers and so should the WMATA board and DC Council.
DC Just Hours Campaign
In 2015, the DC Just Hours campaign was born, fighting with workers to win scheduling policy changes and full-time hours from corporations, and launching one of the first legislative campaigns to set standards on hours and scheduling.
Downtown Organizing and Building Benefits Campaign
Between 2006 and 2008, DC JWJ supported the first organizing effort among commercial security officers in Washington, DC, supporting them in winning a union at the four largest companies.
Drivers License Access
In 2013, 32BJ and DC JWJ and a coalition of partners worked together to achieve a historic law making District residents eligible for a driver’s license or DC identification card regardless of citizenship or immigration status.
Essential Workers Bill of Rights
Throughout the pandemic DC Jobs with Justice has played a key role in advocating for worker safety. In March of 2021 DC JWJ convened a cross-sector group of labor unions to discuss an additional push for worker protections.
Excluded Workers
Together with immigrant justice organizations and service providers, faith communities, unions, sex worker organizations, and returning citizens organizations, DC JWJ led the Excluded Workers campaign calling for cash assistance for excluded workers.
Federal Shutdown Response
The 2018-2019 federal shutdown was the longest in U.S. history, and hit every part of the DC community and economy. DC JWJ responded early in 2019 to make sure that workers across industries could get back to (paid!) work quickly.
Justice for Janitors
In 2003, most of the janitorial workers in the District of Columbia were working four- or five-hour shifts per night. It was unheard of that they would get health care benefits of any kind. But workers knew that they deserved benefits and were willing to fight for them.
Living Wage Law
In 2005, DC JWJ convened a broad coalition of labor unions, grassroots community organizations, social service providers and faith leaders to pass a law to ensure a base wage of $11.75 per hour for all direct DC employees, and employees of DC contractors.
Organizing Parking Garage Workers With UNITE HERE Local 27
During the spring and summer of 2004, DC JWJ organized community support for parking workers in downtown office buildings seeking to form a union with UNITE HERE Local 27.
Organizing With Peace Walks DC
Peace Walks go to the community, create healing space for trauma that has happened, create forgiveness for what has happened, meet the affected residents where they are with human needs and emotional support in the community.
Paid Sick Days Amendment Law of 2013
After 3 years of advocacy, creative public actions, and public narrative shift around protecting public health, the coalition won the Paid Sick Days Amendment Act of 2013.
Reclaim Rent Control
The Reclaim Rent Control Coalition is a culmination of years of organizing in the District by tenants, organizers, community based groups, unions and legal advocates that have come together to form a united force against displacement.
Respect DC / Large Retailer Accountability Act
DC Jobs with Justice helped anchor the Respect DC coalition, which fought to make sure Walmart could only come to neighborhoods after signing legally binding community benefits agreements that would make sure residents would benefit from new development.
Trabajadores Unidos
In January of 2009, members of the Trabajadores Unidos de Washington, D.C. launched their first campaign against wage theft to address unpaid or under-paid wages, one of the issues workers identified as most pressing.
Verizon Strike With CWA Workers
In the spring of 2016, 39,000 workers at Verizon and Verizon Wireless went out on strike, to stand up against corporate greed and defend good jobs for their families and those that follow.
Wage Theft Prevention Act of 2014
In 2012, DC JWJ and Trabajadores Unidos teamed up with restaurant workers from ROC-DC, building trades unions, and disabled worker advocates from the DC EJC to form the Wage Theft Prevention Coalition.
