Teresa Contreras

Business Organizing Program Manager, One Fair Wage

Teresa is a social justice changemaker in federal and state diversity labor laws with over 10 years of experience. Currently, Teresa oversees the national One Fair Wage High Road Kitchen Campaign. In this role, Teresa has  advocated for an emergency fund for over 20,000 Illinois tipped workers and grants for minority restaurant owners.  This program has given $1,000,000 to Chicago restaurants and over 100,000 free meals to food insecure areas in Chicago. Teresa works alongside community leaders and local and federal representatives to bring awareness regarding labor inequities against underrepresented workers while highlighting progressive restaurant owners. She is also an active 25th Ward community member and Local School Council representative.

Teresa was born in Michoacan, Mexico and immigrated to the US at the age of 9. Growing up as an undocumented woman, her experiences led her to begin organizing at a very young age with the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor which led to her continued involvement in labor union organizing at Unite Here Local 11. Despite many challenges, Teresa pursued a higher education degree and graduated from UCLA with departmental honors and as her graduating class Senior of the Year. Teresa became a law fellow for Munger Tolles & Olson while continuing work on immigrant justice.

The values that inspire Teresa to continue to grow personally and as a professional are advocacy and leadership. She knows that in order to create meaningful change one must not only understand the intricacies our communities face but be ready to do the work. She plans to pursue future education to continue her work as a bridge between the system of politics we live in with the needs of the communities around us.