NMASS Offices Move to 345 Grand Street

The longtime Lower East Side workers advocacy group called National Mobilization Against Sweatshops (NMASS) recently succumbed to some of the very forces they aim to combat. NMASS was forced from its 59 Hester Street location thanks in large part to the nearby 55 Hester condo development, which itself came at the expense of Gertel’s Bakery.  We learned that rents increased to $5,000 per month.

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Instead, the organization reportedly dipped into its coffers in order to purchase the storefront at 345 Grand Street. The new office is a bit larger, and is now open. The staff is friendly and eager to help.

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[Photo Credit: Israelity]

NMASS was founded in 1996 by young working people.  Their primary goal is to take “back the right to control our work, our health, our time and our lives.”

In its first few short years NMASS played a leading role in forcing the scandal of sweatshops to the forefront of national and international consciousness. We’re getting people to see that sweatshop conditions exist right here in the United States. Sweatshop conditions, such as long hours have spread to every corner of our economy. We’ve begun to popularize the idea that long hours are the key issue facing U.S. workers.