Labor | VivirLatino

Archive for the ‘Labor’ Category

As Workplace Deaths Decline, More Latino Workers Die

5:27 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Controversia| Immigration| Labor| Texas| society · Comments Off

20 Jul 2009

danger_at_work Language barriers, non-affiliation with unions and the exploitation of undocumented immigrants appear to be the contributing causes for the rising number of Latinos who die while performing their jobs every year. Even more disturbing is the fact that the number is rising as stats for workers in general is falling. People’s Weekly World reports

The number of Latino workers who die on the job has risen 76 percent since 1992, even as the total number of workplace deaths has declined, federal statistics show.

In 1992 the number of reported Latino deaths on the job was 533. In a 2007 tally, the latest available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 937 Latino workers died while working.

Overall fatalities throughout the U.S. fell from 6,217 to 5,657 within the same period.

Dangerous jobs are spelling death for Latino immigrants in Texas. PWW reports that workers there are dying falling off roofs and being crushed by heavy machinery, among other heinous accidents…which reminds me of this unspeakable incident.

As ICE raids continue across the country and more workers are forced into hiding (if you don’t exist, you have no advocate), expect more of these deaths, not less, and this won’t change until President Obama does something about this terrible situation.

Via / People’s Weekly World

Majority of Latino Seniors Still Working

10:58 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Labor| Lifestyle| society · Comments Off

16 Jun 2009

senior-citizen-1 The vision many of us have of abuelito playing cards with his buddies or abuelita at home looking after grandkids has officially been disproven. A new study shows that the majority of U.S. Latinos over 50 are doing anything but lazing around the casa: they are still part of the workforce.

Seventy percent of U.S. Hispanics over the age of 50 are in the work force according to the report “Hispanic Workers 50 Plus” presented at the conference “Diversity and Aging in the 21st Century: The Power of Inclusion,” organized by AARP. Seventy six percent of them are immigrants and 62 percent are U.S.-born. Very few of these workers have health benefits. They also tend to have few absences from work. On average, these workers earn $30,357 per year, less than their white and African American counterparts, who earn an average of $50,595 and $36.429 respectively.

Very interesting statistics. If you’re into this sort of thing (I am), check out the full report here. It provides datapoints on a variety of topics, such as the education and health of older Latino workers.

Via / New America Media

Undocumented Worker Loses Arm in Workplace Accident, Boss Throws Arm in Trash

5:40 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Bolivia| Labor| Spain| World| society · Comments Off

11 Jun 2009

241016 Here at VL we’ve heard all sorts of stories about worker abuse from all over the world. Quite often, the victims in these cases are undocumented workers. This story from Spain just might be the worst I’ve seen yet. When a Bolivian immigrant worker in Valencia, Spain, lost his arm in an accident at the bread factory where he worked, his employer threw the arm in the garbage. Bolivia’s El Deber reports:

The accident occurred the 28th of May when the employee, Franns Rilles, a 33 year-old Bolivian, was working the night shift in an industrial bakery in Real de Gandia, in the Mediterranean region of Valencia.

According to the regional secretary of CCOO [Spain's most powerful workers Union], Josep Antoni Carrascosa, after the accident, the bakery’s owner drove the injured man towards a hospital in Gandia “but at about 2 km from the medical center he left him to his own devices”.

Shortly after, the owner “returned to the factory, cleaned up the blood and threw the arm into a trash bin,” according to the Union, which will sue the owner [on behalf of the victim].

Yet another story that tests our faith in humankind.

The victim had been working 12-hour shifts at the company for 2 years, where he earned the equivalent of $32 per day.

Via / El Deber

At least 35 killed in fire at Mexican day care center

11:12 am By la Macha · Labor| mexico| youth · 1 Comment

8 Jun 2009

Tragedy occurred over the weekend in multiple places. One of the most notable was this fire that killed 35 and hurt countless others at a daycare center in Mexico.

And from the BBC News:

Reports say the fire started in a tyre depot next to the state-run centre.

President Felipe Calderon said that the fire was a “painful tragedy for all Mexicans”.

“I have ordered the federal prosecutor to carry out investigations as soon as possible to help us know exactly what happened and how, and to determine the corresponding responsibility,” he said.

More than 140 children are reported to have been at the centre when the fire began.

This is just so horrible. And it made me remember the “ground zero” kid (remember him?) and how *his* home was next to a pig factory. It reminded me of all the lives that were lost back in the late 1800’s/early 1900’s here in the US that basically kicked the labor movement into high gear.

Why were people working in such conditions? Why is it considered ok to have some children grow up surrounded by toxins that kill?

There are no answers yet–and given the Calderon government’s past history with transparency and accountability, I hardly expect them. I wish nothing but strength and healing for the people dealing with this tragedy–and may Calderon be on the right side when these families begin raising hell in the name of their loved ones.

Puerto Rico en la Marcha : Over 100,000 March Against Layoffs, Form New Coalition

6:00 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Activism| Justice| Labor| Politics| Puerto Rico · 5 Comments

8 Jun 2009

On Friday, June 5th, more than 100,000 persons marched in San Juan to protest the recent firing of some 10,000 workers by pro statehood Governor Luis Fortuño and his Law 7 which would privatize every remaining bit of the public sector economy.The law also allows the government to disregard contracts already signed with labor unions. The march and protest was called The People’s Assembly. The People’s Assembly declared that it was in permanent session and would start organizing activities in the 78 municipalities.

Wapa TV has a video report here.

At the head of this movement are Labor organizations. The pro independence and Left organizations created an alliance called All Puerto Rico With Puerto Rico. It includes the Independence Party, Movimiento Independentis Nacional Hostosiano, Socialist Front, Movimiento socialista de Trabajadores, Communist Refoundation, Movimiento Al Socialismo, and the Popular Democratic Party.

Pero artist and actors also represented, including Calle 13 and Cultura Profetica.

For me it’s really interesting to see all of these somewhat unlikely forces working together against Fortuño and under the banner that Puerto Rico as a nation, with it’s own distinct culture, deserves better than what the pro-statehood governor is bringing.

El Nuevo Dia has a photo gallery of the rally here.

Rising from the Rails: How A. Philip Randolph and the Pullman Porters Helped Pave the Way for the Civil Rights Movement

11:41 am By la Macha · Labor · Comments Off

11 May 2009

From Democracy Now! comes this amazing story about the Pullman’s Porters.

Saturday was National Train Day. This year, Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station hosted an event honoring the Pullman porters, the African-American men who worked long hours as attendants on the luxurious sleeper trains operated by the Pullman company from 1868 to 1969.

The first porters George Pullman hired after the Civil War were former slaves. In the 1920s, over 20,000 African-Americans worked for the Pullman company, making it one of the largest employers of African-American men.

Today, there are only about 40 surviving Pullman porters, four of whom were at the event in Philadelphia this Saturday.

The Pullman porters played an important but unsung role in the history of this country. In 1925 they formed the first Black labor union under the stewardship of A. Philip Randolph called the “brotherhood of sleeping car porters.” They helped pave the way for the Civil Rights movement and are also credited with building the Black middle class in this country.

Of course, things are not perfect for black workers–black lesbian women and black trans people in particular are chronically and systematically underpaid/underemployed/unemployed. But it’s always amazing to me to see how unions could actually improve things–actually made a difference.

I think it’s wonderful that the current white house supports and protects labor–but now labor needs to work on unionizing the people who need it most: women, youths, non-U.S. citizens.

Supreme Court Decision Helps The Future Somewhat, Doesn’t Change the Past

10:06 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Immigration| Justice| Labor| Politics · 4 Comments

5 May 2009

social_security_626_article Yesterday, the Supreme Court issued a decision that could change how undocumented immigrants are treated under the law, specifically in reference to the use of social security numbers.

Today, almost a year since it was used to deport nearly 400 Latino immigrants after the ICE raid in Postville, the Supreme Court issued its decision on Flores-Figueroa vs. United States. Justice Breyer authored the opinion which explained that for aggravated identity theft, the defendant must have known they were misappropriating an actual person’s identity…Ignacio Flores-Figueroa was a Mexican immigrant working in an Illinois steel facility. Unbeknownst to him, the papers he had procured bore the name and number of an actual person. When he was caught, Ignacio pled guilty to the immigration charges but refused to accept the aggravating sentence of identity theft. While the 8th Circuit upheld the conviction, the Supreme Court’s decision today means that Ignacio will serve less time before he is deported.

Images from NYC May Day 2009 Immigrant Rally & March

3 May 2009

You may have noticed that I didn’t post on Friday, May Day. It wasn’t cuz I was being lazy. I was in Union Square, NYC with my daughters, at the May Day Rally and March for Immigrants.

The number of people at the rally this year was much smaller than last year, and I’m sure the sudden downpour didn’t help. Pero the energy of the people that were there was strong, especially the many Latino workers and community members who were there, singing, chanting, and dancing.

I put together this little slideshow cosita con musica de Lila Downs. And yes, that is amigo Kaieating an empanada during the march. And yes those are my chicas at the end.

Enjoy.

P.S : i have some video clips that I will share soon as well.

Were you at any May Day Immigrant events? Tell us.

GABRIELA USA Honors Working Women World-Wide

5:36 pm By la Macha · Labor · Comments Off

1 May 2009

sent via email

For Immediate Release
May 1, 2009

Reference: Raquel Redondiez, Chair, GABRIELA USA, 415-244-9734

GABRIELA USA Honors Working Women World-Wide and
Calls for Renewed Struggle for Comprehensive Immigration Reform

The women of GABRIELA-USA will march in four cities on May 1, 2009 to honor and celebrate the perseverance, hard work, and economic and social contributions of working women everywhere, on International Workers’ Day. We join the wide range of immigrant communities coming together in the US to march for a change in working conditions and immigrant legislation. We understand that it is the labor of working women throughout the world that sustains families and keeps bankrupt economies, like the Philippines, afloat. We honor the work of all women, and especially recognize the victories and milestones achieved by women’s movements, such as that of GABRIELA Philippines who this year celebrates its 25th anniversary of fighting to advance working conditions and basic rights of Filipino women.

Given the economic crisis of U.S. led imperialism that has caused the massive job loss for millions of people, the collapse of the housing bubble, and major cuts to social spending, without a doubt, working women and their families will bear the brunt of this systemic crisis. We recognize that this crisis, caused by capitalist and imperialist greed, will accelerate forced migration of women from developing countries to the U.S. The crisis, manifested in continued harsh working conditions, will follow migrant working women in their first world destinations.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., the incredible unemployment rate and desperate competition for jobs will surely be exploited by corporations in order to push down wages and pit immigrant workers against other workers. Already, immigrant families are subjected to the terror of middle-of the night ICE raids and unjust deportation of parents or children. Hundreds of families are torn apart because of the raids or the broken immigration system backlogs that prevent the re-unification of tens of thousands of families.

On this May 1st, GABRIELA USA calls on all women and their families to continue the struggle against forced migration and for comprehensive immigration reform in the U.S. We join the working men and women of the broad immigrant rights movement to demand from the Obama administration an end to the raids and deportation that are tearing apart our families! We need family reunification and not deportation, bail-out for families and not for corporations, economic opportunities and social services for all working people!

NO TO RAIDS, DETENTIONS, AND DEPORTATIONS!
SWIFT FAMILY REUNIFICATION NOW!
SCRAP THE IMMIGRATION BACKLOG!
BAIL-OUT THE WORKERS, NOT THE BANKS!
END ALL NEOLIBERAL TRADE POLICIES!

GABRIELA USA is the Sisters of Gabriela Awaken (SiGAw) in Los Angeles, Babae in San Francisco, Pinay Sa Seattle in Seattle, and Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment (FiRE) in New York City.

May Day protests/celebrations throughout Europe

12:27 pm By la Macha · Labor · Comments Off

1 May 2009

maydayattacks As May Day activities heat up here in the U.S., Europe is already in the thick of things. France, of course, is in the workers rights lead–managing to bring out tens of thousands (as compared to–um, NONE where I live).

From the BBC News:

Some 300 rallies are taking place across France, which has already seen strikes by hospital staff, fishermen and university staff, among others.

Across the country, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in cities such as Marseille, Bordeaux and Grenoble, ahead of a major demonstration in Paris.

This year’s traditional Labour Day in France comes against a backdrop of mounting social tension, reports the BBC’s Paris correspondent Emma Jane Kirby.

There is a growing perception that little has been done to protect the ordinary person’s job and wages, while executives from banks bailed out by the government have enjoyed generous pay-offs and bonuses, she says.

The country’s eight main unions have urged people to come out and protest in their third such day of action this year.

Violence erupted in Istanbul as hundreds of left-wing and trade union groups tried to pass through police checkpoints into the city’s main Taksim square.

The protesters had been refused permission to hold rallies in the square but, as in previous years, they chose to ignore the ban, reports the BBC’s David O’Byrne in Istanbul.

The marchers took to the back streets after they were met with police water cannon, and hurled stones and other missiles at police who responded by firing tear gas.

When capitalism exists as a world wide economic structure, it doesn’t make much sense to me to have an ununionized work force. Make no mistake, unions have their problems–they aren’t the perfect solution to all the problems works face. But they’re the best thing the worker has right now–and workers are *entitled* to the protection (however limited) unions can bring them.

Solidarity forever!

Older Entries

Newer Entries

AmeRICAN: Calle 13 is a bad luck charm brought on Puerto Rico ex-Boxing Champion Miguel Cotto a BEATING by Pac [...]

Maegan La Mala: I don't think so [...]

Maegan La Mala: I was thinking about this...how the two are connected [...]

Maegan La Mala: Well I certainly don't condone an eye for an eye politics and don't think that that kind of "justice [...]

Raymond Lee: This is an outrage, again a young gay man attacked and killed and the fact that they where gay or bi [...]

VivirLatino