MEMBERSHIP
WFWA provides a chance for workers to speak for themselves
No other interest save the workers’ themselves is served
Half of Americans have no money for emergencies, while one in seven Americans are trapped in a condition of hunger and one in five skip meals to pay for heating bills.
WFWA’s members are the backbone of the local economy: we pick blueberries and strawberries, we produce Christmas wreaths and garlands, tend to the tree and shrub nurseries and do a variety of other vital jobs including hotel and office maintenance, construction, landscaping and childcare, yet often receive wages that don’t cover survival needs for a family.
Who are WFWA members?
Over 40 million U.S. residents live in poverty.
Illustration by Sophia Lauren Franco
Why Join WFWA?
There is strength in numbers, and only through organization can we wield the strength of those who labor into a force capable of eliminating our poverty. If you see the need for change, and want to join an organized effort fighting daily to address the real problems of poverty in our community, call today and set a time to sign up!
According to the Federal Reserve, nearly 40% of Americans could not afford a $400 emergency without selling something or borrowing money.
Sustainable Organization is
Here to Win, Here to Stay with WFWA
An average worker in the bottom 50% would have to work 112 years to earn what someone in the top 1% makes in just one year.
Willamette Valley Workers Benefit Council (WBC)
The Willamette Valley Workers Benefit Council (WBC) is a council of members who take on leadership roles in the organization. Membership decisions are made by consensus by the WBC where delegates agree upon proposed actions of the membership and development of the benefit programs offered by WFWA. Any member or spouse of a member has full voice in membership meetings.
The number of companies that fully depend on “gig” workers to operate increased by 554% between 2014 and 2018. Workers with driver and delivery apps and other “gig” jobs — numbering over 58 million — comprise 36% of the workforce; such work is the primary job for 29% of the workforce.
From the Streets to the Farms:
Uniting Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers
Thousands of migrant farm workers — primarily from small towns in California’s Central Valley — migrate hundreds of miles to Oregon to work in Washington County’s berry harvest. These workers are essential to that harvest, yet often face precarious living and working conditions.
In order to change these conditions, workers need to have organization. WFWA members and volunteers organize resources requested by migrant workers, such as clothing, food, sun protection and cooling equipment, and deliver those resources to the migrant camps through Operation Camp Crew.
Migrant workers join WFWA as members and attend membership meetings to discuss how to expand the self-help, 11-point benefit program and join other organizational activities, thereby learning organizing skills.
