Raise the Floor Alliance

10/08/2026

This Latina Equal Pay Day, equal work still doesn’t mean equal pay. Latinas make about 53 cents for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men, a gap that can mean the difference between making rent and falling behind.

Latinas are essential to our communities and economy—as caregivers, restaurant and hospitality workers, educators, healthcare workers, and in countless other jobs. Yet workers are being squeezed to do more with less as the cost of living rises, access to programs like SNAP and Medicaid is threatened, and immigrant communities are destabilized through mass immigrant detention and deportations.

Wage inequality is getting worse. Every worker deserves a fair wage, a safe workplace, and the ability to support their family with dignity. This Latina Equal Pay Day, fight for economic justice, defending immigrant workers, and building a future where equal work means equal opportunity.

En este Día de la Igualdad Salarial para las Latinas, un trabajo igual sigue sin significar un salario igual. Las latinas ganan unos 53 centavos por cada dólar que ganan los hombres blancos no hispanos, una brecha que puede suponer la diferencia entre poder pagar el alquiler o quedarse atrasadas en los pagos.

Las latinas son esenciales para nuestras comunidades y nuestra economía: como cuidadoras, trabajadoras de la restauración y la hostelería, educadoras, profesionales sanitarias y en innumerables otros puestos de trabajo. Sin embargo, se está presionando a las trabajadoras para que hagan más con menos, mientras aumenta el coste de la vida, se ve amenazado el acceso a programas como el SNAP y Medicaid, y las comunidades de inmigrantes se ven desestabilizadas por las detenciones masivas y las deportaciones.

La desigualdad salarial está empeorando. Toda trabajadora merece un salario justo, un lugar de trabajo seguro y la posibilidad de mantener a su familia con dignidad. En este Día de la Igualdad Salarial para las Latinas, lucha por la justicia económica, defiende a las trabajadoras inmigrantes y construye un futuro en el que el mismo trabajo signifique las mismas oportunidades.

10/06/2026

Join the Paid Family & Medical Leave Campaign Kickoff & Storytelling Event next week! This event will bring workers together to share their experiences accessing paid family and medical leave and how it has impacted their lives, families, and communities.

There will also be a storytelling workshop to help participants reflect on their experiences and feel prepared to share their stories.

Event Details:
📅 Wednesday, October 14, 2026
⏰ 5:30–8:00 PM
📍 Arise Chicago
✔️RSVP here: https://bit.ly/4hGa3XN

Food and beverages will be provided, along with Spanish interpretation. If participants have other language, accessibility, or accommodation needs, please let us know when registering, and we will work to accommodate them.

10/02/2026

September was a big month for fundraising! At our annual Labor Day event, we had our biggest turnout yet! Thank you so much for coming out to support our work and to honor workers, lawyers and organizers in our community.

We also made lots of new friends at the People Power Party at Maria's Bar hosted by Marz Brewing Company and Public Media Institute. Thank you so much to Lumpen Radio and all the chefs and musicians who made this event incredible! We are so honored to receive proceeds from this event to support our legal work.

Welcome to our new friends joining our community, and thank you for supporting us 🫶

¡Septiembre fue un mes increíble para la recaudación de fondos! En nuestro evento anual del Día del Trabajo, ¡tuvimos la mayor asistencia hasta ahora! Muchísimas gracias por venir a apoyar nuestro trabajo y a honrar a los trabajadores, abogados y organizadores de nuestra comunidad.

También hicimos muchos nuevos amigos en la fiesta «People Power Party» en el bar Marias, organizada por Marz Brewing. ¡Muchísimas gracias a Lumpen Radio y a todos los chefs y músicos que hicieron de este evento algo increíble! Nos sentimos muy honrados de recibir los ingresos de este evento para apoyar nuestro trabajo legal.

Bienvenidos a nuestros nuevos amigos por unirse a nuestra comunidad, y gracias por apoyarnos 🫶

09/14/2026

Catch us at Maria's Packaged Goods & Community Bar this Sunday, for the inaugural People Power Party! We are honored that the proceeds from this event is going toward our work supporting immigrant workers in Chicago.

Join us Sept 20th, 4-8 pm at Maria’s for an evening of music, incredible food from some of our favorite chefs!

This event supports the Public Media Institute’s People Power Fund—a program that supports nonprofits, groups, and organizations advancing local activism, civil liberties, and immigrant rights and defense.

We are grateful for our community and the opportunity to support one another. We hope you’ll join us! The admission includes all the delicious, chef-designed food you can eat and a Marz Community Brewing beverage or b**r.

The program also includes a live episode of Boletín Migrante, Lumpen Radio’s show dedicated to immigrant communities, will feature a live conversation with organizers and advocates on immigrant workers’ rights, labor issues, and current topics affecting immigrant communities in Chicago.

Ticket's available here: https://marzbrewing.bigcartel.com/product/people-power-party

Come party with us!

09/02/2026

Tomorrow! Join us at our annual Labor Day fundraiser at Hairpin Arts Center for an evening of community, connection and celebration.⁠
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This year, Raise the Floor Alliance has been defending Black and Immigrant workers by advancing policies for economic stability and worker safety, defending immigrants' tax data from ICE, winning expungement and sealing cases, fighting for day laborers in city hall, and winning over $200,000 in stolen wages for temp workers.⁠
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This Thursday, we honor individuals and organizations like -Law-Office that live out their duty to uplifting workers. Join us in raising a glass recognizing their leadership and dedication.

Tickets available on our website: https://www.raisetheflooralliance.org/labor-day

08/24/2026

On September 1st, we're partnering with the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice, Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts, Impactforequity for a community conversation about the latest efforts to implement the Pretrial Fairness Act.

We'll share will a few short presentations on the latest reports and ongoing lawsuit followed by breakout groups where attendees will engage with organizers and policy experts on how we can work together to ensure greater access to pretrial freedom.

Event Details:
September 1st
6 PM
Grace Place Episcopal Church
637 S Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60605

Register here: https://bit.ly/4cD5D2e

08/19/2026

We’re thrilled to welcome our newest staff attorney, Jessica Wang!

Prior to joining RTF, Jessica was a fellow at the MacArthur Justice Center, where she litigated cases to advance government transparency, prisoners' rights, and justice for victims of police violence. Jessica received her juris doctor from Georgetown University Law Center. In law school, she participated in the Juvenile Justice Clinic, where she defended young people who were charged with crimes. Before law school, Jessica was a community organizer at KAN-WIN, an Asian American gender-based violence organization in the Chicagoland area.

¡Estamos encantados de dar la bienvenida a nuestra nueva abogada, Jessica Wang!

Antes de incorporarse a RTF, Jessica fue becaria en el MacArthur Justice Center, donde llevó casos judiciales para promover la transparencia gubernamental, los derechos de los reclusos y la justicia para las víctimas de la violencia policial. Jessica obtuvo su título de Juris Doctor en el Centro de Derecho de la Universidad de Georgetown. En la facultad de Derecho, participó en la Clínica de Justicia Juvenil, donde defendió a jóvenes acusados de delitos. Antes de estudiar Derecho, Jessica fue organizadora comunitaria en KAN-WIN, una organización asiático-estadounidense dedicada a la violencia de género en el área metropolitana de Chicago.

07/28/2026

American workers are being squeezed in their wallets and at their jobs. We can't event take our paid leave benefits without the feeling of risking our livelihoods. Work-life balance is about maintaining dignity on and off the job.

The United States is notorious for its endless grind - but it has become worse under Trump

07/10/2026

It’s been a week since the minimum wage went up, so now what?

The law is straightforward: your employer must pay your full wage on time. If caught stiffing their staff, businesses pay even more in fines and damages.

It’s always a good time to start protecting yourself in case you ever have to deal with wage theft.

Record your hours, track your checks, save whatever you can. If the time comes, make sure to have the receipts in order.

Your wage is your right. You have the ability to file wage complaints in Chicago, Cook County, and the State of Illinois. Visit @ cookcountygov to learn more.

Ha pasado una semana desde que subió el salario mínimo, ¿y ahora qué?

La ley es clara: tu empresa debe pagarte el salario íntegro a tiempo. Si se descubre que una empresa estafa a su personal, deberá pagar aún más en multas y indemnizaciones.

Siempre es un buen momento para empezar a protegerte por si alguna vez tienes que enfrentarte a un robo de salario.

Anota tus horas, lleva un control de tus nóminas y guarda todo lo que puedas. Si llega el momento, asegúrate de tener los recibos en orden.

Su salario es un derecho. Tienes la posibilidad de presentar reclamaciones salariales en Chicago, el condado de Cook y el estado de Illinois. Visite @ cookcountygov para obtener más información.

06/29/2026

HEAT ALERT: As record-breaking temperatures climb, so does the risk of extreme heat exhaustion and heat stroke, especially for outdoor workers who need to make ends meet.

Did you know that Illinois currently has NO worker safeguards for extreme heat? Heat illness can be life-threatening and causes debilitating long-term health issues. Extreme heat stress also increases the risk of occupational accidents, including dizziness, fainting, and contact burns.

Extreme workplace heat is preventable with the proper safety standards. Until every employer takes heat safety seriously, it's up to us to look out for one another.

If you're working in the heat:

💧 Drink water often.
🌳 Take breaks in the shade or a cool area.
👥 Check in on your coworkers and watch for signs of heat illness like dizziness, nausea, confusion, or heavy sweating.

Employers should also be taking steps to protect workers by:

✔️ Providing free drinking water
✔️ Scheduling regular rest breaks
✔️ Creating shaded or cooled recovery areas
✔️ Adjusting work schedules during extreme heat
✔️ Training workers to recognize heat illness

Let’s keep our communities safe while we continue fighting for workplace protections.

Si trabaja en condiciones de calor:

💧 Beba agua con frecuencia.
🌳 Haga descansos a la sombra o en un lugar fresco.
👥 Esté atento a sus compañeros de trabajo y vigile los síntomas de enfermedades relacionadas con el calor, como mareos, náuseas, confusión o sudoración intensa.

Las empresas también deben tomar medidas para proteger a los trabajadores:
✔️ Proporcionando agua potable gratuita
✔️ Programando descansos regulares
✔️ Creando zonas de descanso a la sombra o con aire acondicionado
✔️ Ajustando los horarios de trabajo durante las olas de calor extremo
✔️ Formando a los trabajadores para que reconozcan los síntomas de las enfermedades relacionadas con el calor

Mantengamos la seguridad de nuestras comunidades mientras seguimos luchando por la protección en el lugar de trabajo.

Obtenga más información y tome acción en iltemperaturesafety.org