José Oliva (labor leader)

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José Oliva was born in Xelaju, Guatemala, on November 15, 1972 to Myriam Gonzalez a popular educator in that war-torn nation. As a result of Jose’s mother's involvement in social justice issues, they were forced to flee Guatemala in 1985 after several of Jose’s family members were tortured and disappeared by that country’s military regime. Jose became involved in Casa Guatemala, a solidarity organization early on after graduating from college. At Casa, Jose worked with inner-city Latina high school students teaching electronic media as a means of organizing, through a program he created while directing the Guatemala Radio Project.

Soon after, Jose did a variety of research focused on the Latino community in Chicago at the Midwest Latino Research Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago under the direction of Dr. Aida Giachello. He then was called to be Executive Director of Casa Guatemala where he began to organize day-laborers in Chicago’s street corners. As a result of his work in the street corners, Jose came across the Chicago Interfaith Committee on Worker Issues, which was also doing day-labor organizing. Jose saw the value of working with and through communities of faith to organize workers for better wages and conditions in their workplaces.

Currently Jose is Coordinator of the Interfaith Worker Justice National Workers' Centers Network. At the Center Jose has created a program that blends elements of popular education with direct action organizing, with the goal of “allowing workers to shape their own lives”.

Jose has received the Chicago Fire Hispanic Heroes Award, the Public Allies Tomorrow's Leaders Today Award and the Community Renewal Society's 35 Under 35 Award in 2007. Jose also served on Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevic's Panel on Workplace Safety.