Ain’t I a Worker?!: Gendered Labor and the Worker as Political Subject in Workers’ Center Organizing

Title of Article: Ain’t I a Worker?!: Gendered Labor and the Worker as Political Subject in Workers’ Center Organizing
Author: Laura Y. Liu
Source: Women's Studies Quarterly, Vol. 45, No. 3/4, PRECARIOUS WORK (FALL/WINTER 2017), pp. 137-153
Publisher: The Feminist Press at the City University of New York
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/26421128

Labor precarity has become a significant issue in postindustrial contexts, with nonstandard work dominating various industries.
This paper discusses how grassroots labor organizers, particularly within workers’ centers, have focused on understanding the relationship between work and family.
Through the lens of organizing experiences in early 2000s New York City, notably in Chinatown, it illustrates how community organizing efforts have led to a broader conceptualization of work, recognizing both productive paid work and reproductive care work.
These developments have transformed the perception of the worker as an inherently political subject connected to multiple overlapping social contexts.

The discourse surrounding labor precarity highlights the proliferation of nonstandard work arrangements affecting a wider range of traditionally protected workers. This condition has particularly impacted women, migrants, and workers of color.
Guy Standing (2015) introduces the concept of the “precariat,” defining a social class suffering from job insecurity and lack of conventional labor protections. The precariat divides into two segments:
- Transformative Vanguard: Educated individuals equipped with cultural capital who can become engaged political agents.
- Nostalgics: Migrants and minorities who often experience feelings of deprivation and are politically passive except during acute crises.

Critiques arise regarding the oversimplification of the marginalized workers’ political engagement, often neglecting their active roles and the nuances of their struggles.
The paper seeks to challenge the presuppositions of precarity, extending the examination to include those historically engaged in precarious labor, primarily women, migrants, and people of color.

Workers’ Centers: These centers strive to unify marginalized worker groups, differing from traditional unions in that they serve both community and workplace functions, providing services while advocating for workers' rights.
Chinese Staff and Workers’ Association (CSWA): The first workers’ center established in 1979 to address the needs of immigrant workers, initially focused on the restaurant sector but has since expanded to various industries.
National Mobilization Against Sweatshops (NMASS): Formed by youth members of CSWA to broaden representation and advocate for a diverse range of workers. Both organizations collaborate on multiple campaigns addressing issues faced by low-income, precarious workers.

The author's research at CSWA and NMASS from 2001 to 2002 utilized participant observation to understand organizing strategies and member experiences, particularly focusing on the