 A wheelchair attendant at Los Angeles International Airport, Dionicia Robinson knows the potential cost of speaking out. She says it cost her a promotion when as a dispatcher for wheelchair attendants she complained about the addition of extra duties without a pay increase and was immediately reassigned.
Looking for another way to address her concerns, Dionicia joined the CCHD-funded Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE) and went to City Hall to demonstrate in favor of a living wage. "LAANE is right there. They walk the walk with us," she says.
LAANE can now point to an agreement that gives nearly 5,000 airport workers a "living wage" of $8.76 an hour without benefits. The settlement agreement, which included retroactive pay, gave passenger security screener Juana Zatarain a chance to give money to her church, assist a sister in Mexico who supports a family and cares for Juana's disabled younger sister, and pay off credit card debt. Now Juana and her husband Erasmo Valenzuela are saving money and hope to buy a house
"In my job, I work with people who have many, many problems. They worked hard, but some decided to quit their jobs rather than work to change things. I didn't want to quit. I decided to stay here and work to make it better. LAANE changed our lives," Juana says.
LAANE achievements...
LAANE has stood up for many workers' rights:
- A LAANE–designed ordinance was passed by the Los Angeles City Council, giving health benefits, paid–time off, and anti–retaliation assurances to 10,000 low-wage workers.
- Meticulous LAANE research triggered a City Council reevaluation of the way economic development projects are selected and administered.
- A Living Wage campaign in Santa Monica organized 3,000 service employees in the city's tourist industry.
Success stories:
• Find out how you can help
• Take the Poverty Quiz
• Take a tour of this forgotten state
• Email a friend about povertyusa.org
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