About Us

In 2001, over 50 community-based organizations, immigrant advocates, unions, health care providers, university-based researchers and educators, and local and state agencies came together to form WISH. The Coalition’s main goals are to:

• develop strategies and policy recommendations to improve working conditions and reduce work-related injuries and illnesses among California’s immigrant workforce.
  
• develop a network of organizations that are providing training and support around health and safety issues. The network will serve to share strategies, build skills and develop and exchange materials and other information.

Since it’s formation, the coalition has developed a report “Improving Health and Safety Conditions for California’s Immigrant Workers,” organized a conference to discuss the policy recommendations and obtain broader input, provided training to members, served as a forum to exchange strategies and information, and worked jointly to implement some of the recommendations related to language access barriers for immigrant workers.

A Steering Committee provides overall guidance and direction for the focus of the Coalition’s work. The Steering Committee is comprised of: Asian Law Caucus, Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality, California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, San Francisco Central Labor Council and San Mateo Central Labor Council. The Coalition is staffed by the Labor Occupational Health Program at UC Berkeley.

WISH Network

WISH developed a member directory for members to learn about each other’s work and be able to exchange strategies, materials and resources on health and safety. Click here to open the membership directory page.

WISH also established a list-serve for members to exchange pertinent information about immigrant workers’ health and safety.