Workers whose rights are violated by the denial of wages and benefits, wrongful discharge, or other abuses and discriminations in the workplace are at risk of losing basic needs such as shelter, adequate food, and medical care for themselves and their families. The Instituto Laboral de la Raza was founded in 1982 to combat these injustices experienced by low-income and minority workers in the Bay Area. The Instituto has continued to work closely with community-based organizations, federal and state agencies, law firms, and labor unions to provide free counseling, workers' rights education, and direct legal services for the working poor and their families.