Chinese Staff and Workers' Association

The Chinese Staff and Worker's Association (CSWA) (traditional Chinese: 華人職工會; simplified Chinese: 华人职工会; pinyin: Huárén Zhí Gōnghuì; Jyutping: Waa4jan4 Zik1 Gung1wui6) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan workers' rights organization based in New York City which educates and organizes workers in the United States so that they may improve their working conditions. It primarily assists workers in restaurants, the garment and construction industries, although it is active among workers in a variety of professions. The organization serves workers from all backgrounds, most of its members are Chinese and most of its efforts directed at employers in Chinatown.

Chinese Staff and Worker's Association
Formation1979
TypeNon-profit NGO
Headquarters New York, New York
Region served
United States
Membership
1,300 workers in various trades
Official language
English and Chinese
Executive Director
Wing Lam

CSWA's Chinese name transliterates as "workers' social club."

CSWA is a worker center, not a labor union. It has often been described as a "pre-union" organization—an organization outside established organized labor but which can or should, over time, become a labor union. However, others point out that CSWA and other worker centers are more appropriately designated "post-union" organizations. CSWA leaders forcefully distinguish their organization from traditional labor unions. CSWA often criticizes labor unions for not advocating effectively on behalf of workers, and has negotiated with or sued labor unions for failing to fairly represent their members.

CSWA has a membership of about 600 workers, although active supporters and volunteers number in the several hundreds. In addition to its headquarters, the organization has centers in Brooklyn and Flushing. CSWA's executive director is its founder, Wing Lam.

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