by DC Jobs with Justice | Nov 17, 2014 | Campaigns, Immigrant Rights
IMPORTANT UPDATE: Less than a week after winning their case at the NLRB, Tito workers won their election to bring a union to Tito Contractors after more than a year of organizing. A group of men and women in Washington, D.C., who have been organizing to expose abuse and form a union just won their case before a National Labor Relations Board administrative law judge. As a result, many employees who were illegally fired and retaliated against by Tito Contractors will get their jobs back. The judge’s ruling will help prevent employees at Tito Contractors from further retaliation and marks another milestone for these brave immigrants in their campaign to stand up for better jobs. A number of immigrants employed at Tito Contractors were interested in the idea of forming a union to help change the culture of exploitation at their company. In 2013 Tito’s employees began meeting with their local painters union, IUPAT District Council 51. The workers reported to IUPAT organizers that they were cheated out of overtime and routinely intimidated. IUPAT began an organizing drive, but shortly thereafter Tito’s management started to retaliate. According to Tito’s workers’ testimony presented under oath at the NLRB hearing, supervisors threatened that they would report them to immigration officials, withheld necessary equipment and even terminated several employees. In the face of this retaliation, IUPAT organizers witnessed a palpable wave of panic among the men and women of Tito who feared they could lose their jobs or be deported and torn from their families if they continued to organize. The story of too many organizing drives stops here. But IUPAT organizers...
by dcjwjeditor | Mar 7, 2013 | Actions & Events, Immigrant Rights, Projects, Trabajadores Unidos de DC / United Workers of DC, Wage Theft
Chants of “la lucha – sí, la lucha – sí” (the struggle -yes, the struggle – yes) echoed off the DC Council chamber walls as more than 50 workers and community activists packed the Wilson Building on Monday, March 4th to demand more protections for workers against wage theft. DC Jobs with Justice, United Workers of DC, and the DC Wage Theft Coalition accompanied workers as they presented Councilmember Marion Barry with a giant paper bill for outstanding unpaid wages. The bill totaled more than $260,000, yet only represented the wage theft claims of about 40 workers, a small number of the many more victimized by wage theft in Washington, DC. Pledging to seek justice for the workers, Councilmember Barry quoted Frederick Douglass: “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never has and it never will.” With that, the group filed into the performance oversight hearing for the Department of Employee Services. Witness after witness testified about the inability of the Office of Wage-Hour to protect workers who struggle to recover their rightfully owed wages. United Workers of DC President Carlos Castillo explained, “Without significant changes, going to the Office of Wage-Hour to file claims often becomes a waste of time, of money, and of opportunity to find a good option for daily work for a day laborer.” Moved by this and the many other testimonies from workers and advocates, Councilmember Barry vowed to investigate the workers’ claims, to explore new resources, systems, and funding for the Office of Wage-Hour, and to consider proposing legislation to protect workers against wage theft. Coming off a tremendous victory at popular Georgetown restaurants,...
by dcjwjeditor | Dec 7, 2012 | Guest Blog, Immigrant Rights, Trabajadores Unidos de DC / United Workers of DC, Wage Theft
Guest Blog Post from Barbra A. Kavanaugh December 4, 2012 Everyone knows what theft is, but I am constantly surprised by how few people know what “wage theft” is. Simply put, wage theft is when employers refuse to pay employees the wages they have earned, either by denying them the minimum wage, overtime or frequently, simply not paying them at all. Every week, more than two-thirds of low-wage workers experience at least one incident of wage theft. At a time when many Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, for many of the clients we see, even just one incident of wage theft can result in unpaid rent, car repossession or homelessness. One of the most common ways that employers steal wages is by misclassifying their employees as independent contractors to avoid paying the legally required minimum wage and overtime pay. Workers who are wrongly labeled as independent contractors are cheated of many of the legal protections afforded to employees – including minimum wage and overtime. No matter what an employer calls a worker, the law determines whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor. Although there is no hard and fast rule, the more control an employer has over the circumstances of a worker’s employment, the more likely it is that the worker should be considered an employee, and not an independent contractor. For example, if an employer controls the hours that someone works, where they work and provides their equipment, that person is not likely to be an independent contractor. Too often, employers take advantage of workers’ ignorance on this issue, and deny rightful wages, overtime, breaks,...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Apr 28, 2010 | Immigrant Rights, Projects, Trabajadores Unidos de DC / United Workers of DC
Condemning Arizona’s new immigration law program as “racist and perverse,†dozens of labor, community and immigrant rights activists spoke out forcefully yesterday about the dangers of collaboration between local police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). rnrn“Programs like this are effectively pushing America back to the days of slave patrols,†said Ron Hampton, Executive Director of the National Black Police Association, at a press conference and rally outside DC City Council. “Secure Communities” – which is close to being implemented in the District by Police Chief Cathy Lanier – involves local and state police in federal immigration enforcement, which opponents say will lead to racial profiling and the erosion of transparency, accountability and due process. rnrn“I have hopes that Chief Lanier will not implement this perverse program,†said DC Councilmember Jim Graham (D – Ward 1, at right). “If, however, Chief Lanier refuses to back down, I will produce legislation that will prevent this program and I need the support from every one of you!†he added as the crowed cheered “No More Arizonas†and waved signs reading “No Racial Profiling!†rnrnJaime Contreras – Metro Washington Council, AFL-CIO Executive Board member and Area Director for SEIU 32BJ – said, “We will not stand by and watch as our community is targeted. This is not backwards Arizona…this is Washington DC, the capital of freedom. I hope that Chief Lanier comes to her senses and we will stand strong next to Jim Graham and the community in opposing this bill.†rnrnThe press conference marked the national kickoff of “Uncovering The Truth†– a week long national campaign in more than ten...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Oct 3, 2008 | Actions & Events, Immigrant Rights, Projects
WHAT’S UP WITH VENEZUELA? Participatory Democracy or Democracy as Usual?rnrnA National SymposiumrnrnFriday, April 18 – Sunday, April 20, 2008. rnHoward University, Washington, DCrnrnSpeakers include:rnrnBERNARDO ALVAREZ HERRERA, Venezuela’s ambassador to the U.S.rnrnSTEVE ELLNER, author of Rethinking Venezuelan Politics and several books on the Venezuelan labor movementrnrnGONZALO GÓMEZ, National Association of Free and Alternative Community Media (ANMCLA)rnrnGREG WILPERT, VenezuelanalysisrnrnJorge Guerrero, Network of Afro VenezuelansrnrnMark Weisbrot, Center for Economic Policy ResearchrnrnFernando Vegas Torrealba, Tribunal Supremo de JusticarnrnrnPanel Discussions:rnrnVenezuela 101: From Capitalism to Socialism in the 21st CenturyrnrnAgents of Change, Part 1: Workers and Peasant MovementsrnrnAgents of Change, Part 2: Social/Ethnic Popular MovementsrnrnThe Economy, Energy and the EnvironmentrnrnPopular Democracy: What is it?rnrnTraditional Democracy: How Does it Fare in Venezuela Today?rnrnInternational Relations: Venezuela Becomes a Player and a TargetrnrnFor more information and online registration, visit rnrnhttp://www.vensolidarity.org/ rnor call the Alliance for Global Justice at 202-544-9355. rnrnPre-register before March 15 at the discounted price of $35. rnrnRegistration after March 15 is $50. Ask about our student...
