May 21-22, 2018
On May 21 and 22, 2018, Rutgers University’s Center for Innovation in Worker Organization (CIWO) held a convening of many of the country’s most eminent strategic enforcement experts. Comprised of scholars, former senior-level Wage and Hour personnel, local and state enforcement practitioners, and community partners engaged in strategic enforcement collaborations, the group came together to share experiences and lessons learned with the goal of laying the foundation for training curricula that advances strategic enforcement with state and local agencies and helps community and worker organizations work more effectively with agencies.
On day one of the convening, each participant shared their distinct perspective on what defines strategic enforcement, and the key challenges state and local agencies face to do it well. The group then developed a list of ideas to serve as the basis for a training curriculum that aims to inspire state and local agency leaders to believe in the efficacy of strategic enforcement and gives them the tools their agencies need to do it successfully.
Day two of the convening highlighted the important role community and worker organizations play in strategic enforcement. In order to develop a separate training for organizations that want to partner with agencies, community and agency partners shared their experiences working on strategic enforcement collaborations, focusing on the structures, processes, accomplishments, and lessons learned. Together, the group identified training elements that outline the strategies and tools community and worker organizations need to effectively engage in strategic enforcement initiatives with agencies.
CIWO and its partners will follow-up this convening by using the ideas discussed over these two days to develop a curriculum for state and local agencies, as well as a distinct but related curriculum for community and worker organizations, both of which will be offered on a regional basis across the U.S.
