The Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa (CWJ) will permanently close after 13 years of community organizing, the organization announced this week, citing a combination of external threats, internal divisions and diminishing financial support.
Founded in 2012, the Iowa City-based CWJ became a key advocate for low-wage immigrant workers in the Iowa City area, focusing on labor rights, housing justice and immigration policy. The non-profit has been led primarily by immigrant workers from Latin America and Africa, supported by a small staff and a network of volunteers, faith groups and unions.
“Today, the exclusions in our laws are growing, the threats to immigrants and organizations like ours are unprecedented, and funding sources are diminishing,” the CWJ board said in a written statement. “Meanwhile, over the past several months, internal divisions have paralyzed our ability to respond to external threats and intensified the risks our vulnerable
activists already face.”
CWJ’s work included organizing campaigns to combat wage theft, recover more than $250,000 in unpaid wages, and raise the minimum wage in Johnson County to $15 an hour. After state-level preemption laws rolled back the wage hike, CWJ rallied more than 150 local businesses to voluntarily uphold the increased rate.
The group also spearheaded the creation of the Johnson County Community ID program, which became the first of its kind in the Midwest, and led efforts to secure relocation support for residents displaced by redevelopment projects in local housing complexes.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, CWJ coordinated distribution of emergency funds to excluded essential workers and assisted hundreds in overcoming language and technology barriers to access benefits.
Board member Loxi Hopkins, who was involved in early planning meetings on behalf of the Diocese of Davenport, reflected on CWJ’s legacy.
“I have felt so privileged to work with the immigrants and refugees
who were the driving force behind this organization,” Ms. Hopkins said. “At a time when some are disparaging immigrants, CWJ has been a vehicle for the caring strength of immigrant leaders who have improved our entire region.”
Although CWJ will no longer operate, many of its former staff and volunteers have moved into leadership positions across local and state non-profits. The board stated members remain committed to supporting other community organizations fighting for equity and justice.
