Workers’ Education and Rights Collective

The Workers' Education and Rights Collective (WERC-CÉDT) is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering workers through legal education, information, and advocacy support. Based in Ottawa, the collective focuses on four critical areas: labor, employment, human, and environmental rights. Their mission is to create a community where all individuals, particularly vulnerable and marginalized workers, including low-income earners, Indigenous peoples, and racialized communities have the resources and knowledge necessary to understand and exercise their rights both individually and collectively.

WERC-CÉDT serves a broad range of workers, including residents of Ottawa and those under federal jurisdiction across Canada. Their current initiatives include the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA) Project, which provides plain-language guides, workshops, and one-on-one legal information sessions to help self-represented individuals navigate discrimination complaints. Additionally, the organization conducts community consultations and research to identify legal gaps in the workplace, ensuring their programs remain responsive to the evolving needs of the workforce they support.