Lilia Garcia-Brower has spent the last six years as California’s Labor Commissioner, during which time her office has handled over 70,000 wage claims and recovered millions for workers facing wage theft and labor violations.
Her commitment to championing workers’ rights is underscored by recent significant legal victories, such as a $5.9 million fine imposed on Amazon for labor violations at its warehouses in Moreno Valley and Redlands.
Garcia-Brower’s passion for worker advocacy was nurtured during her upbringing in East Los Angeles, a community she describes as being filled with love and pride despite often being associated with negative stereotypes.
Having witnessed social injustices and resource limitations firsthand, particularly impacting her own family, she knows the struggles faced by the working class.
Her mother worked at a local garment shop where paychecks frequently bounced, while her father, a dedicated union member, experienced workplace retaliation. The family endured significant stress as a result.
After earning her degree, Garcia-Brower started her career as a college counselor in South Central Los Angeles, where she was confronted with the hardships of first-generation Latino and Black students.
These students were often met with suspicion and security checks, rather than support as they sought educational opportunities.
Most families she worked with were engulfed in poverty, presenting a significant barrier to achieving their educational aspirations.
Despite having a caseload of nearly 300 students, she found that traditional outreach methods were often ineffective.
Garcia-Brower took matters into her own hands, going door to door to speak with parents and encourage them to explore options such as financial aid and scholarships.
Some parents rejected her efforts, insisting they were too busy to engage with her.
However, her perspective began to shift significantly in 2000 when she joined the Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund (MCTF), a group dedicated to monitoring labor rights in the janitorial sector.
Through her work there, she uncovered widespread abuses, including wage theft and retaliation, which were severely impacting low-wage workers excluded from labor protections.
Her role at MCTF allowed her to transform from a mere employee to an agent of change, empowering workers with knowledge about their rights and building robust legal cases against workplace exploitation.
Garcia-Brower pointed out that the organization recovered over $80 million for workers while transitioning numerous jobs from the informal economy into a more formal structure.
California Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, who has collaborated with Garcia-Brower for almost two decades, praised her steadfast commitment to equity and social justice for all workers in her communication with Boyle Heights Beat.
In 2005, a significant MCTF investigation into immigrant janitorial contractors serving California supermarket chains unveiled severe wage theft and labor abuses, leading to a class-action lawsuit supported by MALDEF.
This lawsuit ultimately secured a $22.4 million settlement benefiting about 2,100 janitors, primarily of Mexican descent.
In 2014, Garcia-Brower initiated the “Ya Basta” campaign aimed at combating sexual violence within the janitorial industry.
Initially, she considered providing workers with practical self-defense tools, such as pepper spray.
However, a crucial discussion with collaborators highlighted that a more comprehensive approach promoting self-defense through empowerment was necessary.
This insight led to the launch of self-defense classes for women in the janitorial industry, which began as one class but soon expanded into a wider movement, equipping local trainers and forming community networks across MCTF chapters.
Her dedication to addressing the needs of women facing harassment in the workplace has been commended by collaborators like Barbara Kappos, who noted Garcia-Brower’s deep care for individuals who come to her for support.
In her capacity as Labor Commissioner, Garcia-Brower has maintained a robust partnership with the East Los Angeles Women’s Center.
Early on, she launched the “Reaching Every Californian” outreach campaign, which includes the Workplace Rights Ambassador Project (WRAP), targeting non-labor-focused organizations to help them identify potential labor violations and assist exploited workers.
“I don’t want them to be on hold in our information line; I want them to call a live body to build a relationship with someone who can respond to their issues,” she stated enthusiastically.
Collaborators consistently describe Garcia-Brower as a change-maker who listens empathetically while taking decisive action.
Sandra Henriquez of CALCASA emphasized that many feel overwhelmed by their circumstances, but Garcia-Brower is different in that she moves to make a difference.
Presently, although Garcia-Brower lives near downtown Los Angeles, her roots in East Los Angeles remain steadfast.
She and her wife have established a family, enrolling their daughter in school in the neighborhood to ensure her experience mirrors that of Garcia-Brower’s grandparents.
“To this day, in every worker, I see my father’s calloused hands,” she shared, highlighting her deep personal connection to her advocacy work.
Garcia-Brower affirmed her mission, stating, “I’m not here to make fancy promises. I’m committed to leaving this world with ongoing work towards healing generations affected by slavery and exploitation.”
“Somos curanderas, curanderas del alma, de la mente para la trabajadora el trabajador,” she concluded, underscoring her dedication to nurturing the spirit and well-being of workers.
image source from：boyleheightsbeat
