named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Ain’t I A Woman?!
Grassroots campaign launched by garment workers in 1998 to end wage theft and 24-hour shifts, later expanded to home care workers demanding recognition, fair pay, and control over working time
NMASS Archive Project
Living archive preserving organizational history, political analysis, and campaign materials from 1996 to present to inform current and future organizing
NoMore24 Campaign
Advocacy initiative pushing for passage of the NYC NoMore24 bill to end 24-hour home care shifts and recover stolen wages through legal and public pressure
WorkingPeople4Health Campaign
Mobilization of home care workers and allies to advocate for universal healthcare through support of the NY Health Act
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Worker Rights Advocacy & Wage Protection 5 activities
- Advocating for broader worker rights and policy change through coalitionsParticipates in and organizes coalition events, including May Day rallies and launches, to advance a worker-led, people-first agenda and advocate for policies such as the NY Health Act.
- Exposing labor violations by home care agenciesPublicly investigates and denounces labor abuses by home care providers, including 24-hour shifts, underpayment, and wage theft, with a focus on impacts on Latina workers at agencies like UJCES Home Care.
- Organizing against exploitative garment industry labor practicesLaunched and leads the “Ain’t I A Woman?!” campaign to organize garment workers against exploitative conditions, including 70–80 hour workweeks and sub-minimum wages, with a history dating back to 1998 and targeting companies like DKNY.
- Organizing and advocating against 24-hour home care work shifts and wage theftOrganizes home care workers and leads protests, rallies, and legal advocacy to end 24-hour work shifts and recover stolen wages, including sustained campaigns targeting the New York State Department of Labor and Governor Hochul’s administration. Activities include multi-day protests, hunger strikes, public hearings, and court-ordered enforcement actions.
- Supporting workers in recovering back wages and enforcing labor lawProvides direct support to workers in filing and reviving wage theft complaints, resulting in court orders to reopen closed cases and successful recovery of unpaid wages, including high-profile legal victories such as Zheng v. Liberty Apparel.
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Housing Policy Advocacy & Tenant Organizing 1 activity
- Advocating against real estate speculation and displacement in Chinatown and Lower East SideOrganizes community opposition to luxury development projects, evictions, and rezoning plans that threaten displacement, including campaigns against high-rise towers, the eviction of Jing Fong restaurant, and the sale of Knickerbocker Village to luxury developers.
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Union Member Training & Leadership Development 1 activity
- Conducting education and organizing programs for workersRuns educational initiatives and organizing activities to empower workers, build leadership, and expand the base of organized labor across industries.
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Archival Digitization and Preservation 1 activity
- Digitizing and preserving organizational archivesOrganizes and digitizes historical print, photo, and video materials from the organization’s founding in 1996 to maintain an accessible archive of its campaigns and activities.
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Community Service Office Operations 1 activity
- Operating a worker center for community outreach and organizingRuns a physical worker center open Sunday through Friday (11am–6pm) that serves as a hub for organizing, member mobilization, and community education to expand outreach and promote the organization’s mission.
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Civil Rights Advocacy & Litigation 1 activity
- Participating in reparations advocacy and testimonyEngages in broader racial and economic justice efforts by providing testimony to the New York State Community Commission on Reparations Remedies on the ongoing impacts of slavery and racial discrimination.
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Union Member Communications 1 activity
- Producing and distributing educational and organizing materialsProduces and distributes a regular newsletter titled 'Fighting the Sweatshop Nation' to share updates on campaigns, worker conditions, and organizing efforts, supporting education and mobilization of members and the public.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$173K
Contributions & grants$157K91%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$16K9%
Other revenue$79
expenses
Total expenses$374K
Program expenses94%
Admin / overhead6%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$155K
Grants paid out$96K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.25M
Cash$757K
Investments$0
Liabilities$24K
Net assets$1.23M
Liquid reserves24.3 mo
7 years on record · 2018–2024 · YoY revenue -72.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOANN LUM | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $49K |
board members · 13
- ALVARO RAMIREZ — PRESIDENT
- ANTONIO QUEYLIN — SECRETARY
- CARLOS RODRIGUEZ HERRERA — DIRECTOR
- ELVIA FERNANDEZ — TERM ENDED 04/24
- JOHN ANTUSH — TREASURER
- JULIET EMERSON-COLVIN — DIRECTOR
- LIDIA GOTAY — DIRECTOR
- LOUISE VELEZ — DIRECTOR
- LUZ ESTRELLA — DIRECTOR
- OCTAVIANO VASQUEZ GARCIA — DIRECTOR
- STEPHANIE KRANES — TERM ENDED 10/24
- VICKI NIU — DIRECTOR
- VICTORIA LOPEZ SILVA — DIRECTOR
relationships · 24
Who they work with
- Ain’t I A Woman campaign Partner — Collaborated with the organization to organize rallies and advocate for home care workers’ wage claims.
- Ain’t I A Woman coalition Coalition — Coalition co-founded and led by NMASS to end the 24-hour workday for homecare workers.
- Ain’t I A Woman coalition Coalition — Coalition formed to end the 24-hour workday for home care workers.
- Ain’t I a Woman?! (AIW) campaign Coalition — NMASS is a member of the Ain’t I a Woman?! (AIW) campaign, which advocates for the rights of Black and brown women workers, including home care attendants.
- Antonio Delgado Government — Lieutenant Governor of New York State who issued a statement of support for home care workers protesting labor conditions.
- Antonio Delgado Government — Received statement of support from the Lieutenant Governor of New York State regarding home care workers' labor rights.
- Christopher Marte Government — Joined by NYC Councilmember Christopher Marte in supporting the protest for home care worker wage restitution.
- Coalition to Protect Chinatown and the Lower East Side Coalition — NMASS is a member of the coalition and works with it to advocate for the Chinatown Working Group Rezoning Plan.
- Governor Gavin Newsom Government — Recipient of advocacy campaign urging resistance to federal immigration enforcement and criminalization of workers.
- Governor Kathy Hochul Government — Target of advocacy campaigns and public protests over labor policy enforcement.
- Jessica Ramos Government — Engaged with the Chief of Staff of Senator Jessica Ramos, indicating institutional support from her office.
- NY Health Act Partner — Statewide campaign for universal healthcare that homecare workers are mobilizing to pass, supported by NMASS.
- NYC NoMore24 bill Partner — Legislative campaign supported by NMASS to end 24-hour shifts in homecare.
- New York Community Trust Network — Featured in the New York Community Trust’s Summer 2024 Quarterly for work on ending 24-hour shifts in home health care.
- New York State Community Commission on Reparations Remedies Government — Provided testimony to inform the Commission’s examination of slavery and racial discrimination in New York State.
- Office of Governor Kathy Hochul Government — Targeted the governor's office in a protest demanding enforcement of labor laws and payment of back wages.
- Ron Kim Government — Collaborated with NYS Assemblymember Ron Kim, who publicly condemned Governor Hochul’s inaction on labor law enforcement.
- SWEAT Coalition Coalition — NMASS is a member of the SWEAT Coalition, which advocates for the passage of the SWEAT bill to protect workers' wages.
- The Indypendent Partner — Co-published an op-ed on uniting with newly-arriving immigrants to abolish the underclass.
- United Jewish Council for the Aging (UJCES) Partner — Engaged in advocacy and public accountability efforts regarding labor practices of UJCES Home Care.
- Vittoria Fariello Government — Participated with District Leader Vittoria Fariello in the demonstration for labor law enforcement.
- WorkingPeople4Health Campaign Partner — Collaborates with the WorkingPeople4Health Campaign to mobilize homecare workers for healthcare advocacy
- Zheng Partner — Supported Zheng in legal action against Liberty Apparel.
- nmassworkerscenter@gmail.com Partner — Used as contact point for worker center operations.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Direct Action Advocacy to Force Accountabilitymethodology: direct-action_advocacyBy using public protests and demonstrations targeting government officials, we compel enforcement of labor laws and restitution for workers, because public pressure disrupts collusion between state actors and corporate interests and shifts power toward exploited workers.
- Structural Reform Through Labor-Health and Cross-Sector Solidaritymethodology: labor-health_solidarityBy linking labor exploitation in home care to broader issues of health justice, racial inequity, and overwork across industries, we advance systemic reforms such as split 12-hour shifts and living wages, because framing labor issues as interconnected strengthens coalition power and legitimizes demands in policy arenas.
- Worker-Led Organizing for Collective Powermethodology: worker-led_organizingBy centering workers as leaders in organizing efforts across race, immigration status, and occupation, we build collective power to resist labor exploitation and reclaim control over time and livelihoods, because worker-led movements produce more authentic, sustained engagement and systemic change.