Justice Campus
Garment Worker Center’s Vision for the Future
Garment Worker Center is excited to announce the beginning of a historic chapter for our organization, the creation of a new home for GWC, the Justice Campus. In Summer 2024, GWC successfully purchased the property for a new headquarters, made possible through a grant from the State of California, championed by Senator Maria Elena Durazo. In a coordinated effort between our staff and a worker-led committee, we explored and selected a property which would not only alleviate the current capacity challenges of GWC’s offices, but also open opportunities for a grander vision of our organization’s future.
Our Vision
The Justice Campus will be composed of a number of functional spaces, each serving different elements of GWC operations and our vision for the property. Primary spaces and renovations include:
- Large Meeting Hall: This space will house GWC all-member meetings and community gatherings. As the heart of the Justice Campus, it will be a well-equipped meeting space with modern audio and visual capacity, and a kitchenette.
- Wage Justice Clinic: Dedicated offices for GWC’s Legal Clinic which provides a private, essential space to facilitate high volume case work for wage and retaliation claims.
- Food bank: A large food pantry equipped with an industrial refrigerator, facilitating our food distribution program to address food insecurity within the garment workforce.
- Offices for GWC Program Staff: Modern, well-equipped offices for GWC staff to plan and implement campaigns, labor rights education, leadership development, legal services, and workforce development.
- LA Fashion Renaissance Staffing Co-op: A home for a worker-owned, worker-run staffing agency to serve as a pipeline to highroad garment jobs. This space will also house a worker-driven skills lab.
- Outdoor Greenspace: Our vision to convert a vacant parking lot into a welcoming greenspace in which we can host outdoor gatherings and events, and foster community through a shared community garden.
- Child Care and Playground: An addition to our facilities that increases support for parenting workers and strengthens community for the many families throughout our membership.
- Affordable Office Space: For community-oriented tenants such as small nonprofits and collectives, positioning the Justice Campus to truly serve as a hub for community empowerment.
Invest in the Justice Campus Today!
The Justice Campus represents a bold step forward in our commitment to the growth of GWC and empowering workers throughout our community. By supporting this project, you are not only investing in the future of our organization, but also the garment worker community. Together, we can fulfill our vision of advocacy, education, and solidarity that will make a lasting difference in the lives of countless individuals. We invite you to join us in this crucial endeavor and help us turn the vision of the Justice Campus into a reality.
YOU CAN SUPPORT GWC’S VISION FOR THE JUSTICE CAMPUS WITH A DONATION HERE.
Credit: David Gonzalez Rojas Architect (http://a-teatro.com)
Justice Campus Development Timeline
GWC has organized our current implementation plan for the Justice Campus into several phases. These phases are designed to thread together essential infrastructure improvements for operations with our aspirational plans encompassed in the full vision. This includes a ‘Phase 0’, which focuses on foundational needs necessary for GWC’s staff and membership activities.
Phase 0 – In Progress
Installation of basic utilities, including a security system, and a restroom renovation to expand accessibility capacities on the property
Office furniture, IT and wifi installation.
- Installation of a kitchenette, pantry, and installation of an industrial refrigerator for our food distribution program to support food-insecure workers and their families.
- Installation of basic utilities, including a security system, and a restroom renovation to expand accessibility capacities on the property.
- Office furniture, IT and wifi installation.
- Installation of a kitchenette, pantry, and installation of an industrial refrigerator for our food distribution program to support food-insecure workers and their families.
Phase 1
- Renovation of the main elevator; an essential infrastructure need to ensure accessibility for members and staff with mobility challenges.
- Creation of the workforce development and worker-owned cooperative workshop; a core component of GWC’s workforce development vision, including a training space with modern garment production equipment for skill building and worker-led training classes.
- Development of the outdoor greenspace and community garden; this outdoor space will convert a concrete parking lot into a welcoming green space dedicated to wellness, open-air worker meetings, and a community garden for fostering connections
- Renovation of the main elevator; an essential infrastructure need to ensure accessibility for members and staff with mobility challenges.
- Creation of the workforce development and worker-owned cooperative workshop; a core component of GWC’s workforce development vision, including a training space with modern garment production equipment for skill building and worker-led training classes.
- Development of the outdoor greenspace and community garden; this outdoor space will convert a concrete parking lot into a welcoming green space dedicated to wellness, open-air worker meetings, and a community garden for fostering connections.
Phase 2
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- Renovation of GWC offices, including a remodeled main conference room, entrance lobby space, staff kitchenette, and automated parking lot gate.
- Build-out of small meeting spaces and non-communal office spaces.
Creative, engaging children’s space and playscape for garment workers’ children.
- Renovation of GWC offices, including a remodeled main conference room, entrance lobby space, staff kitchenette, and automated parking lot gate.
- Build-out of small meeting spaces and non-communal office spaces.
- Creative, engaging children’s space and playscape for garment workers’ children.
DONATE TODAY TO THE JUSTICE CAMPUS
CAPITAL CAMPAIGN!
Credit: David Gonzalez Rojas Architect (http://a-teatro.com)
GWC recognizes that we occupy land originally and still inhabited and cared for by the Tongva, Tataviam, Serrano, Kizh, and Chumash Peoples. We honor and pay respect to their elders and descendants — past, present, and emerging — as they continue their stewardship of these lands and waters. We acknowledge that settler colonization resulted in land seizure, disease, subjugation, slavery, relocation, broken promises, genocide, and multigenerational trauma. This acknowledgment demonstrates our responsibility and commitment to truth, healing, and reconciliation and to elevating the stories, culture, and community of the original inhabitants of Los Angeles County, along with the communities of the indigenous groups from Mexico and Central America within LA’s garment workforce.
As part of our land acknowledgment, GWC commits to Kuuy Nahwá’a (Guest Exchange) to the Tongva Taraxat Paxaavxa Conservancy.