Los Angeles Fellowship is Action Packed

Monday, August 10th, 2015

Raise the Wage city Hall- “William Kellogg celebrates the LABWC victory with fellow staff members, Sherri Bell, Lanita Morris and Ryan Martinez on June 3rd after the city council voted to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour and protect against wage theft with the newly created Los Angeles Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement (OLSE).

Immediately upon his arrival at the Los Angeles Black Worker Center, William Kellogg was thrust into action as the Center was participating in a march to City Hall. Soon after, he quickly established himself as knowledgeable in matters of employment discrimination and was soon advising numerous members on their rights and expectations when communicating with government agencies. “The members I have come in contact with have opened my eyes to problems in my city that I had only heard about but never witnessed,” he said of the experience.

William’s fellowship provided him the opportunity to meet with the Director of the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing discussing strategies on fighting employment discrimination. He also spoke before the Los Angeles City Council about anti-discrimination law.

William found incredible value in his fellowship this summer, which he coincidentally completed during two landmark decisions in Los Angeles – the raising of the city’s minimum wage to $15 per hour, and the criminalization of wage theft. “This opportunity has been more than I could imagine,” he said. “None of these experiences were expected, but I'm so very fortunate to have them as I shape my future career.”