The city’s new Labor Rights Education Program has awarded a combined $40,000 to two social justice organizations — Georgia Stand-Up and Partnership for Southern Equity — in an effort to promote fair labor practices.
The program, announced Friday by Mayor Andre Dickens and the Atlanta Department of Labor and Employment Services, tasks both organizations with providing education and awareness campaigns for workers and business owners.
The initiative “reflects the city’s commitment to creating a fair, safe, and inclusive working environment for everyone,” Dickens said in a statement. “This initiative will allow our community to be educated and ensure all business owners and employees understand their rights and are empowered to exercise those rights.”
Running from this month through December, the program will include workshops, informational sessions, and resource distribution regarding fair labor practices, workplace safety and other labor issues.
Georgia Stand-Up serves as a coalition of leaders dedicated to justice for labor unions and economic development. Created in 2004, the group has partnered with organized labor efforts such as the Delta airlines workers picket and advocated with elected officials in the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, according to Georgia Stand-Up’s website.
Partnership for Southern Equity advocates for racial equity and prosperity across Atlanta and the south. Its website features previous work with Atlanta City Council in 2016 promoting a referendum that encouraged MARTA and the Beltline to consider housing and jobs in their expansion.
Funding is divided evenly between the two groups. Dickens’ administration officially established Atlanta’s first Department of Labor July 2023.
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