Labor/Community Strategy Center

Labor/Community Strategy Center

The Labor/Community Strategy Center is a Los Angeles–based activist organization that unites labor organizers, community activists, and civil rights advocates to pursue social justice, tenant rights, and community control of policing. It connects coalitions across unions, neighborhood associations, and immigrant rights movements while engaging with municipal officials, media outlets, and legal advocates to influence policy and public discourse.

History and founding

Founded in the early 1990s amid debates following the 1992 Los Angeles unrest, the organization emerged alongside movements and institutions such as the United Farm Workers, Service Employees International Union, Amnesty International, ACLU, and local chapters of the Black Panther Party legacy. Its early work intersected with campaigns related to the Rodney King incident, the Los Angeles Police Department, and municipal policy battles involving figures like Tom Bradley and Richard Riordan. The center built relationships with neighborhood groups active in the aftermath of events like the 1992 Los Angeles riots, the O.J. Simpson trial, and immigration protests tied to legislation such as the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 and initiatives influenced by the National Immigration Forum. Over time it aligned with national networks including the Labor Notes collective, the Center for Community Change, the National Lawyers Guild, and coalitions formed around leaders like Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez.

Mission and programs

The organization's stated mission focuses on tenant organizing, workers' rights, anti-police brutality advocacy, and community-based economic development, connecting efforts similar to those of ACORN, SEIU Local 1877, United Auto Workers, and the Occupy Wall Street movement. Programs have included tenant unions modeled after campaigns by Cesar Chavez, worker centers inspired by New Sanctuary Movement efforts, and youth leadership training that echoes initiatives from YouthBuild USA and The Advancement Project. It has promoted alternatives to traditional policing comparable to proposals from Campaign Zero, restorative justice pilots akin to projects by Mediators Beyond Borders International, and community land trusts in the vein of National Community Land Trust Network. Educational programs referenced organizing strategies associated with Saul Alinsky, research collaborations with scholars linked to UCLA, and advocacy tactics used by organizations such as Color Of Change and Black Lives Matter.

Organizational structure and leadership

The center's governance has featured a small central staff, volunteer boards, and affiliated local chapters, functioning in a manner similar to structures used by Nonprofit Quarterly-profiled groups and national federations like the National People's Action network. Leadership has included prominent community organizers who have interacted with leaders such as Angela Davis, Noam Chomsky, Cornel West, Tom Hayden, and labor figures like Cesar Chavez allies and SEIU strategists. It has partnered organizationally with entities including the LAANE network, the California Immigrant Policy Center, legal partners such as the ACLU of Southern California, and faith-based groups connected to the United Methodist Church and Catholic Charities USA.

Campaigns and advocacy

Campaigns have ranged from tenant defense drives that recall actions by Tenants Union movements and ACORN, workplace campaigns resonant with Fight for $15 demands and United Farm Workers strikes, to policing alternatives inspired by national debates sparked by events like the Michael Brown shooting and the rise of Black Lives Matter. The center has organized demonstrations, legal clinics, and direct actions similar to tactics used in protests at sites like City Hall (Los Angeles), rallies associated with the Immigrant Rights March circuits, and coalitions that partnered with national entities such as MoveOn.org and Daily Kos. International links have referenced solidarity with movements tied to Zapatista Army of National Liberation, labor solidarity actions with Solidarity (Polish trade union), and campaigns paralleling advocacy by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

Controversies and criticism

The organization has faced criticism from municipal officials, landlord associations, and police unions reminiscent of disputes involving the Los Angeles Police Protective League and business alliances like the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. Critics have invoked contentious debates similar to those surrounding groups such as ACORN and factions within the Democratic Socialists of America, raising questions about tactics compared to those used by Direct Action Network activists and legal concerns echoed in disputes involving Civil Rights Corps. Media coverage and op-eds in outlets comparable to Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, Nation (magazine), and The New York Times have reflected polarized assessments, and legal challenges have mirrored precedent issues addressed by courts that considered matters involving the First Amendment and civil liberties organizations like the ACLU.

Category:Organizations based in Los Angeles