Making a Difference: Austin's Workers Defense Project

"As WDP volunteers, Timms and Tzintzún started off by filing intakes and wage claim cases with workers who weren't getting paid and educating people on street corners about their rights to fair treatment and safe working conditions. Then they decided to kick things up a notch — by making the Workers Defense Project an independent organization.  "We had no money, we had no experience," remembers Tzintzún. "It was just me and Emily ... and the organization almost collapsed but both she and I are incredibly stubborn and can take on a lot of stress. So we struggled for a very long time and then we were able to make the organization more successful ... (Now) we're financially stable and pretty well-coordinated," she adds with a smile, "which is really impressive for me, because it was so torturous to get here."  Now WDP has 900 low wage worker-members, 40 volunteers, and will have a staff of 14 and a new office in Dallas by the end of the year. At least half of their board of directors is workers and all board meetings are conducted in Spanish. Workers also participate in organizing events and committees, and WDP is working on creating more staff positions for worker-members, as well." - Austin American Statesman, July 23, 2012.