UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Advancing Immigrant Worker Rights through Labor-Community Coalition: Comparative Case Studies on Strategy of the CLEAN Carwash Campaign A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Social Welfare by Mindy Minyi Chen 2017 © Copyright by Mindy Minyi Chen 2017 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Advancing Immigrant Worker Rights through Labor-Community Coalitions: Comparative Case Studies on Strategy of the CLEAN Carwash Campaign by Mindy Minyi Chen Doctor of Philosophy in Social Welfare University of California, Los Angeles, 2017 Professor Yeheskel Hasenfeld, Co-Chair Professor Edward T. Walker, Co-Chair Since 2008, a coalition known as the CLEAN Carwash Campaign has been organizing car wash workers in Los Angeles. How did CLEAN manage the divergent interests of its coalition members and strategize? What is it about CLEAN that led the labor-community coalition to achieve gains for carwasheros when conventional wisdom dictates that low wage immigrant workers were too vulnerable to be unionized? Given the dearth of empirical research into how social movement coalitions strategize and how campaign strategies link to outcomes, this dissertation seeks to add to the understanding of social movement strategies by examining the CLEAN Carwash Campaign to answer the following three questions: ÿ What are the strategies used by the CLEAN Carwash Campaign? ÿ How are CLEAN’s strategies determined? ÿ How do strategies relate to outcomes? ii For the dissertation research, I conducted comparative case studies of four local campaigns undertaken by the CLEAN Carwash Campaign in two distinct regions of Los Angeles—the Westside and South LA. A two-by-two case study design across two victorious and two failed cases was used to understand CLEAN’s campaign strategy development and subsequent outcomes. Findings suggest that strategy setting is influenced by a complex array of structural factors including interaction with targets, workers, and allies that shape available tactical options. Outcomes of victories and losses demonstrate the challenges for campaign leadership in pursuing choices that take advantage of target vulnerabilities, foster worker ownership and commitment in organizing, rally community and coalition support, and capitalize contextual political opportunities. iii The dissertation of Mindy Minyi Chen is approved. Laura Abrams Alfreda P. Iglehart Yeheskel Hasenfeld, Committee Co-Chair Edward T. Walker, Committee Co-Chair University of California, Los Angeles 2017 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: Introduction…………………………………………………………………………....1 Background of the CLEAN Carwash Campaign………………………………………….4 Problem Statement and Research Questions………………………………………………7 Examining Strategy through Comparative Case Studies……………………………...…..9 Purpose and Significance of Study……………………………………………………... 14 Chapter 2: Literature Review……………………………..…………………………………...…16 Basics of Coalition Dynamics and Collaboration………………………………………..16 Theoretical Background on Strategy and Its Determination……………………………..19 Toward a Comprehensive Model of Social Movement Strategy Setting………………..27 Chapter 3: Theoretical Framework………………………………………………………………29 Situating CLEAN within a Strategic Action Field………………………………………30 Strategy Setting as Skilled Social Action………………………………………………..38 Chapter 4: Methodology…………………………………………………………………………41 The Comparative Case Study……………………………………………………………41 Data Collection and Analysis……………………………………………………………45 Chapter 5: Victory and Loss in the Westside .…………………………………………………..59 The Sikders………………………………………………………………….…………...62 The Damavandis……………………………………………….………………………...74 Chapter 6: Victory and Loss in South LA………………………...……………………………..87 Vermont Car Wash……………………………………..………………………………..89 Thee Spot Car Wash………………………………………………...………………….101 Chapter 7: Comparison of Cases……………………………………………………………….113 Target Characteristics……………………………………………………….…………115 Worker Organizing………………………………………………………………….…124 Coalition and Community Support…………………………………………………….129 Political Opportunities…………………………………………………………………134 v Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………...136 Chapter 8: Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………..139 Summary of Key Findings……………………………………………………………...140 Lessons for Organizing…………………………………………………………………142 Social Welfare Implications…………………………………………………………….146 Epilogue and Concluding Thoughts ……………………………………………………148 Appendix………………………………………………..………………………………………152 References………………….…………………………………………………………………...155 vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I gratefully acknowledge the guidance of Edward T. Walker. Without Ed’s brilliant mentorship and thoughtful supervision, this dissertation would never have taken shape. I am also grateful for the support of Yeheskel ‘Zeke’ Hasenfeld. Zeke’s enthusiasm for my research encouraged me to overcome self-doubt and writers’ blocks. Many thanks go out to the community partners, organizers, and carwasheros of the CLEAN Carwash Campaign, who so generously gave their time and provided me access to the campaign so I can learn from their courageous work. Finally, I extend my deepest thanks to my family in California and Pennsylvania, who cheered along the way; and to my daughter Gwenllian and my partner Steven, whose love and patience made it all possible. vii CURRICULUM VITAE EDUCATION PhD Candidate University of California, Los Angeles, CA Expected June 2017 Department of Social Welfare Dissertation Title: Advancing Immigrant Worker Rights through Labor-Community Coalition: Comparative Case Studies on Strategy Setting within the CLEAN Carwash Campaign Dissertation Committee Members: Yeheskel ‘Zeke’ Hasenfeld (Co-Chair), Edward T. Walker (Co-Chair), Laura Abrams, Alfreda P. Iglehart MSEd University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 2009 Psychological Services AB Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 2002 cum laude in Anthropology FELLOWSHIPS AND GRANT AWARDS 2016-2017 Dissertation Year Fellowship, UCLA 2015-2016 Luskin Graduate Fellowship, UCLA 2014-2016 David and Marianna Fisher Fellowship, UCLA 2014 Diversity Scholar, Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations Voluntary Action 2013 Penn Social Impact Doctoral Fellowship, University of Pennsylvania 2013 Network for Social Work Management Research to Practice Institute, Rutgers University 2012-2014 UCLA Luskin Community Partnership Grant 2012 UCLA Institute of Research on Labor and Employment Small Grant 2012 Graduate Summer Research Mentorship Award, UCLA 2010-2014 Eugene V. Cota-Robles Fellowship, UCLA 2008-2009 Graduate Assistantship, University of Pennsylvania PUBLICATIONS Backer, T., Konselman, J., Guihama, J., & Chen, M. 2012. State of the Nonprofit Sector in the San Fernando Valley-2011. Encino, CA: Valley Nonprofit Resources. Burnes, T. & Chen, M. 2012. Multiple identities of transgender individuals: Incorporating a framework of intersectionality to gender crossing. In R. Josselson & M. Harway (Eds.), Navigating Multiple Identities: Race, Gender, Culture, Nationality and Roles. Oxford University Press. Hasenfeld, Z., Chen, M., Garrow, E., & Parent, B. 2013. Spread Thin: Human Services Organizations in Poor Neighborhoods. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Center for Civil Society. viii Hasenfeld, Z., Kil, H.J., Chen, M., & Parent, B. 2012. Stressed and Stretched: The Recession, Poverty, and Human Services Nonprofits in Los Angeles. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Center for Civil Society. PEER REVIEWED CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS Chen, M. 2014. “Advancing Immigrant Worker Rights Through Collaboration: A Case Study of Strategy Setting Process within the CLEAN Labor-Community Coalition.” Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action, Denver, CO. Chen, M. 2014. “CLEAN Away Injustice: How a Social Movement Coalition Arrives at Its Strategies.” Society for the Study of Social Problems, San Francisco, CA. Chen, M. 2013. “Explaining Worker Center Presence in 2011.” Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action, Hartford, CT. Kil, H. and Chen, M. 2013. “The Geographical Distribution of Nonprofit Human Service Organizations (NHSOs) and the Community Need for Human Services.” Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action, Hartford, CT. Chen, M. 2013. “Explaining Worker Center Presence in the United States: a Cross Sectional Analysis of 2011.” West Coast Nonprofit Data Conference, Berkeley, CA. Chen, M. 2013. “Worker Centers as Hybrid Social Movement Organizations.” In H. Cordero- Guzman (Chair), Social Movements and Immigration. UCLA Low Wage Workers and Organizing Conference, Los Angeles, CA. Chen, M. and Burnes, T.R. 2011. “The Multiple Identities of Transgender Individuals.” In R. Josselson (Chair), The Challenge of Navigating Multiple Identities. Oral presentation at the Symposium of American Psychological Association Annual Convention. Washington, D.C. RESEARCH EXPERIENCE Principal Investigator 2013-present Dissertation Research: Advancing Immigrant Worker Rights through Labor-Community Coalition: Comparative Case Studies on Strategy Setting within the CLEAN Carwash Campaign Graduate Student Researcher 2011-2016 UCLA Center for Civil Society, Los Angeles, CA Supervisor: Yeheskel ‘Zeke’ Hasenfeld, PhD Graduate Assistant 2008-2009 University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA Supervisor: Caroline Watts, EdD ix CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION “All over America, workers are organizing in all kinds of ways…We heard that people want to be part of our movement too, but it’s too hard to join. We have to change so that our unions and union movement are open