The 1st edition of the Restaurant Owner’s Manual was created by the Tompkins County Workers’ Center in collaboration with a multitude of community and governmental organizations. The expanded second edition, updated with changes to labor regulation and understanding of best practices in the years since, is a resource for any business owner or manager in […]

(Ithaca) More than seven years ago, workers from Tompkins Community Action (TCA) approached the Tompkins County Workers’ Center (TCWC) through the Workers’ Rights Hotline with serious concerns about how their agency operated and how workers were treated. The workers quickly decided to organize a union and received support from TCWC. The workforce overwhelmingly voted to […]

(Ithaca) On April 17, 2019, non-managerial workers at Ithaca Coffee Company (ICC) informed the ICC owner Julie Crowley (who also owns Triphammer Wine and Spirits), of their intentions to form a union. Workers reminded the owner of their legal obligation to abide by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)and enforced by the National Labor Relations […]

Alternatives Federal Credit Union has announced the updated 2019 Tompkins County Living Wage, calculated through their biennial Living Wage Study which has reached its 25-year Anniversary this year. The Living Wage is now $15.37 per hour for a worker who receives no health benefits at work, up from $15.11 in 2017-18. Alternatives announced the results […]

The Tompkins County Workers’ Center is hopeful that the political shift within our New York State Senate will enable passage of the long-sought-after Farmworker Fair Labor Practices Act (FFLPA)—see details of proposed changes below–to actually become law after many years of frustration. The FFLPA (Senate Bill: S2837/Assembly Bill: A2750) has reached a milestone with 32 […]