Our Impact
At the Employee Rights Center (ERC), our impact is measured by the services we provide and by the transformative outcomes we achieve for individuals, families, and communities. ERC has established itself as a trusted resource for workers, immigrants, and underserved community members in San Diego County. Below are some of the achievements that highlight our dedication to justice, empowerment, equity, and wellbeing.
Immigration Program
- Citizenship Applications: Processed 448 applications since September 2021, with a 99% success rate.
- Fee Reductions: Saved $6,460 through reduced application fees since April 2024.
- Interest-Free Loans: Granted $59,955 in interest-free loans since 2021 to support naturalization applications
- Economic Impact: Families experience an 8-11% wealth increase in the first 10 years after obtaining citizenship.
- Savings on Legal Fees: Saved families over $1.1 million in legal fees by providing free application assistance.
Workers’ Rights Program
- Legal Aid: Assisting approximately 600 workers annually.
- Wage Recovery: Helped recover over $1.5 million in benefits and $250,000 in unpaid wages in a single year (2009).
- Collaborations: Established partnerships with local law firms to provide free legal consultations for workers.
- Partnerships: with the County of San Diego to act as the primary information line for the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement (OLSE).
Health & Wellbeing Program
- Health Clinics: Host a monthly clinic since 2020, serving over 1600 individuals annually.
- Medi-Cal Applications: Submitted over 100 Medi-Cal applications in 2023 alone.
- Food Distribution: Monthly distribution events.
Systemic Advocacy
Through our leadership in collaboratives such as OLSE, NAC, and NDLON, ERC has driven systemic change to create fairer workplaces and equitable systems:
- Workplace Justice Fund: Launched to support workers impacted by wage theft and labor violations.
- Anti-Wage Theft Ordinances: Enforced compliance measures for county vendors, ensuring wage protections for workers.
- Citizenship Backlog Reduction: Reduced naturalization backlogs, enabling faster processing for applicants.
- Whistleblower Protections: Secured safeguards for immigrant workers reporting labor violations.
- Championing Disability Access! Ensured people with disabilities can access naturalization services.