Thou Shalt Not Steal

By Jeanette Smith, South Florida Interfaith Worker Justice, Member of Florida Wage Theft Task Force 

Today marks one year since Miami-Dade County publicly declared a Day Against Wage Theft. Wage theft, or the nonpayment of wages earned, affects us all. Families suffer when earnings are too low to meet basic needs. Local businesses and economies are denied vital stimulus that would flow from the additional spending of workers had they been paid their earned salaries. Honest businesses are undermined by unscrupulous competitors who practice wage theft. Government at all levels is affected, as they are denied tax revenues generated by higher earnings and when many working families must resort to public programs to survive.

Last year, our County adopted an unprecedented ordinance to protect workers from wage theft, the first one in Florida and model legislation for many other communities throughout the country. Thanks to it, in only one year the County’s Wage Theft Program collected over $350,000 in unpaid wages through conciliation, and since January, over $415,000 has been awarded to workers through administrative hearings.

The victims of wage theft have ranged from construction workers to teachers to home health care workers and others. Claims have been as low as sixty dollars and as high as thousands of dollars. Mayor Carlos Gimenez recently lauded the program as “an effective tool for promoting economic security and dignity”. With the over one million dollars in claims still pending, it is obvious that wage theft is an epidemic in our community.

2010: A look back before moving ahead

Oh what a year it was! From walking, to fasting to storming the halls of congress, 2010 was a year of remarkable achievements, physical and emotional tests and unparallel success.

We kicked off the year with the Trail of Dreams. On January 1^st, 2010 four undocumented students began their journey from Florida to Washington D.C.  For 1,500 miles, Felipe Matos, Gaby Pacheco, Carlos Roa and Juan Rodriguez sloughed through rain, snow and  Ku-Klux Klan strongholds where hate crimes happened frequently. Finally, the walkers entered Alexandria, Virginia in July. “For the first two blocks there were mothers on both sides of the street,” said Juan Rodriguez, “Many of them would say things like ‘We’ve been following you for months. You’re in the same situation as my son and I feel like you’ve been walking for him.’ It was a powerful moment.”  From Alexandria, the walkers and over 2,000 people walked to Washington D.C., bringing their message of justice for undocumented students to Lafayette Park in front of the White House, where an additional 6,000 people waited with open arms, hearts, music, dance, banners and chants.

In solidarity with the walkers and with people facing deportation throughout the nation, January 1^st marked the beginning of the Fast for our Families at St. Ann’s Mission in Naranja, Florida, near Homestead. Jenny Aguilar, Wilfredo Mendoza, Jonathan Fried, Sebastian Cano, Francisco Agustin and Anonymous Faster vowed to only consume liquids and not eat any solid food until the Obama administration suspended the deportation of immigrants with American families and U.S. Citizen children or spouses and until Janet Neapolitano, the Secretary of Homeland Security came to South Florida to meet the fasters and listen to their demands. The Fast culminated with a March on the Department of Homeland Security in Washington D.C. on January 26^th, the day before President Obama’s State of the Union address.

Then on January 12, 2010 a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti. An estimated 316,000 people died, 300,000 were injured and 1,000,000 were made homeless.  Following the devastating event, the U.S. government granted TPS to Haitian nationals living in the country. The TPS would extend for a period of 18 months regardless of their previous status. This came on the heels of a campaign that began after two hurricanes hit Haiti in the summer of 2009.

Fast forward to March, we partnered with Reform Immigration for America, RI4A to march on Washington D.C. With only two weeks on the clock, we filled up 43 buses with people from across the state of Florida and took to the streets of the nation’s capital at the March for America “Floridians made up one of the largest delegations on this historic day,” said Juan Pablo Chavez, former Florida state director with the Reform Immigration FOR America campaign and FLIC community organizer, “We were determined to represent our state. We achieved our goal.”

Yet another victory surfaced around the same time. Miami-Dade County became one of the first county’s in the nation to implement a wage theft law. Pushed by the South Florida Wage Theft Task force and Comissioner Natacha Seijas, the Wage Theft Ordinance is designed to make it easier for employees to take legal action against employers who do not pay or under pay them.

Throughout the course of our activity here in Florida, our brothers and sisters in Arizona faced an insurmountable legal hurdle known as SB1070. The law not only affected latinos living in Arizona but was a foreshadowing of things to come here in Florida. Armed with love and energy, the DREAM walkers gave an “extra mile” and went to Maricopa County to meet with Sheriff Joe Arpaio. During the National Day of Action, members of FLIC and Students Working for Equal Rights (SWER) were present in Arizona for the Move the Game protest, where SB1070 opponents unfurled banners and used their bodies to tell baseball team owners that the All-Star game should be relocated to a different state. FLIC continued to support Arizona-based campaigns, including Promise Arizona, the Boycott on local events and the Sound Strike, where bands were petitioned not to perform in Arizona. However, despite all the voices that came out against the racist laws, legislation in other states began to draft copycat bills. As a result, FLIC hosted the Frontline States meeting, where representatives from California, Louisiana, Arizona, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina and of course, Florida came together to share and strategize  organizing plans to counteract versions of anti-immigrant bills popping out across the nation.

And let’s not forget how much we fought for out DREAMs! Beginning in September, DREAMers across the state held a week of action to pressure Senator George LeMieux to cast a “yes” ballot in favor of a cloture vote for the DREAM Act. We held vigils outside the senator’s regional offices, we rallied at Miami Dade campus, we used our bodies to create a human billboard that was seen from the sky asking Sen. LeMieux to pass the DREAM Act. In November, the DREAM Act passed the House vote, but students continued to relentlessly pressure their senator. Our communities came together to fight for inclusion at a DADT/DREAM Act protest with SAVE Dade on Miami Beach. While the Senate failed to fulfill the DREAMs of nearly 2.1 million undocumented youth throughout the nation, the amazing and inspirational actions and support garnered for the bill showed us what we can do when we dare to DREAM.

The fight only kept intensifying though! A new majority congress was elected into office and Florida elected a new governor. With this change in leadership, Public Hearings were scheduled throughout the state for people to voice their concerns over issues affecting the state, including proposed anti-immigrant laws similar to Arizona’s SB1070.  We told our representatives that WE ARE FLORIDA!

The 5th Annual FLIC Congress was the dénouement of our journey. We came together to renew, reenergize and reconnect. We expanded our intellect, we used our bodies to express our struggles, we healed from violence and we Baby-sharked. Students and farmworkers connected and although we said goodbye to some old friends, we emerged with a new sense of clarity and purpose. And just like that, public hearings and DREAM act votes interspersed in between, December 31st rolled around the corner.

2010 seems like it was miles ago, and 2011 is the long road ahead.  At every stop along the way we laughed, cried, celebrated and fought with joy. With your support we made the struggle beautiful and we spread love faster than they could spread hate. Things are picking up speed and we’ve never been more ready for what’s to come! Bring on 2011!

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2010: Una Refleccion antes de seguir adelante

¡Que año mas increible hemos tenido!  Desde caminar 1,500 millas hasta asaltar las salas del congreso, el 2010 fue un año de logros notables, pruebas físicas y emocionales y éxitos sin precedentes.

Empezamos el año con el Camino de los Sueños. Empezando el 1 de enero de 2010, cuatro estudiantes indocumentados comenzaron un viaje de 1,500 millas desde Florida a Washington DC. Felipe Matos, Gaby Pacheco, Carlos Roa y Juan Rodríguez emprendieron su viaje a través de la lluvia, la nieve y bastiones del Ku-Klux Klan donde los crímenes de odio ocurren con frecuencia. Al final de su odisea, los caminantes entraron en Alexandría, Virginia, en Julio. “Durante las primeras dos cuadras habian madres de ambos lados de la calle”, dijo Juan Rodríguez, “Muchos de ellos dijeron cosas como: Hemos estado siguiendo su historia por la tele durante meses. Ustedes están en la misma situación que mi hijo y me siento como que han estado caminando por él. Fue un momento de gran emoción.” Desde Alexandría, los camindarores y más de 2.000 personas se dirigierón a Washington DC, su mensaje de justicia para estudiantes indocumentados. Pararon en de Lafayette Park, en frente de la Casa Blanca, donde una contigente de 6.000 personas adicionales esperaban con los brazos y sus corazones abiertos, música, danza, banderas y cantos.

En solidaridad con los caminantes y las personas que enfrentan deportaciónes alrededor del país, el 1 de enero marcó el comienzo del ayuno para nuestras familias en la Misión de Santa Ana en Naranja, Florida, cerca de Homestead. Jenny Aguilar, Wilfredo Mendoza, Jonathan Fried, Sebastián Cano, Agustín Francisco y un ayunador Anónimo prometierón consumir solamente líquidos y no comer ningún alimento sólido hasta que la administración de Obama suspendiera la deportación de inmigrantes con familias, conyuges o niños que son ciudadanos de EE.UU. y hasta que Janet Neapolitano , la Secretaria de Seguridad Nacional, visitara el sur de la Florida para cumplir las demandas de los ayunantes. El ayuno culminó con una marcha en el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional en Washington DC el 26 de enero, el día antes del discurso del Estado de la Unión del Presidente Obama.

Luego, el 12 de enero de 2010 un terremoto de magnitud 7,0 golpeó a Haití. Se estima que 316.000 personas murieron, 300.000 resultaron heridas y 1.000.000 perdieron su hogar. Después del evento devastador, el gobierno de EE.UU. concedió el TPS a los ciudadanos haitianos que viven en el país. El TPS se les garantizó por un período de 18 meses, independiente de su condición legal previa. Esto ocurrió poco después de que una campaña fue lanzada después de dos huracanes  que azotaron Haití en el verano del 2009.

Avanzando a Marzo, nos aliamos con la Reforma Migratoria para América, RI4A, para marchar sobre las calles de Washington DC. Con sólo dos semanas en el reloj, logramos llenar 43 autobuses con gente proveninete de todo el estado de la Florida y salieron a marchar en la capital de la nación en la Marcha por la América “La Florida tuvo una de las delegaciones más grandes en este día historic,” dijo Juan Pablo Chávez, ex-director estatal de la Florida con la Reforma de la Inmigración, PARA campaña Latina y el organizador de la oficina de FLIC comunidad, “Estábamos decididos a representar a nuestro estado. Hemos alcanzado nuestro objetivo.”

Surgió una nueva victoria en esta misma época. Miami-Dade se convirtió en el primer condado de la nación que puso en práctica una ley de robo de salarios. Promulgado por el South Florida Wage Theft Task Force, y la comisionada Natacha Seijas, la ordenanza sobre robo de salarios está diseñado para facilitar el procedimiento para acciones legales a los empleados contra los empleadores que no pagan sus saldos completos o saldos minimos.

A lo largo de nuestra actividad aquí en la Florida, nuestros hermanos y hermanas en Arizona se enfrentaron a la SB1070. La ley no sólo afecta a los latinos que viven en Arizona, pero fue un presagio de lo que vendrá aquí en la Florida. Armados con amor y energía, los caminantes dieron una “milla adicional” y fueron al Condado de Maricopa para reunirse con el alguacil Joe Arpaio. Durante el Día Nacional de Acción, los miembros de la oficina de FLIC y estudiantes de Trabajo para la Igualdad de Derechos (PODER) estuvieron presentes en Arizona para protestar el campeonato de beisbol, donde los opositores de la SB1070 desplegaron pancartas y usaron sus cuerpos para mostrarles los propietarios de los equipos que el juego deberia ser reubicado en un estado diferente. FLIC continuó apoyando las campañas con sede en Arizona, incluyendo PROMESA Arizona, el Boicot de eventos locales y la Huelga de Sonido, donde  se le pido a grupos musicales que no llevaran a cabo conciertos en Arizona. Sin embargo, a pesar de todas las voces que se pronunciaron en contra de las leyes racistas, la legislación de otros estados comenzaron a elaborar proyectos de ley imitando la de Arizona. Por ende, FLIC fue anfitrión de la reunión de Estados de Primera Línea, donde los representantes de California, Louisiana, Arizona, Tennessee, Virginia, Carolina del Norte y, por supuesto, de la Florida se reunieron para compartir estrategias y planes para contrarrestar los proyectos de ley anti-inmigrante emergiendo a través de la nación.

Y no nos olvidemos de lo mucho que salimos a luchar por nuestros SUEÑOS! A partir de septiembre, soñadores de todo el estado celebraron una semana de acción para presionar al senador George LeMieux a emitir un voto en favor de del debate para el DREAM Act. Llevamos a cabo vigilias frente a las oficinas regionales del senador, nos reunimos en Miami Dade Wolfson Campus, utilizamos nuestros cuerpos para crear una valla humana que se vio desde el cielo. En noviembre, la Ley DREAM pasó la votación de la Cámara, pero los estudiantes continuaron la presión implacable de su senador. Nuestras comunidades se unieron en la lucha por la inclusión en una protesta DADT / DREAM Act con SAVE Dade en Miami Beach. Mientras que el Senado no logró cumplir los sueños de cerca de 2,1 millones de jóvenes indocumentados en todo el país, las acciones sorprendentes e inspiradoras y el apoyo obtenido para el proyecto de ley nos mostró lo que podemos hacer cuando nos atrevemos a soñar.

La lucha sólo intensificó! Un congreso nueva mayoría fue elegido en la oficina y Florida eligió a un nuevo gobernador. Con este cambio en el liderazgo, las audiencias públicas se programaron en todo el estado para que la gente expresar sus preocupaciones sobre cuestiones que afectan al Estado, incluidos los proyectos de ley anti-inmigrante similar al SB1070 de Arizona. Le dijimos a nuestros representantes que SOMOS LA FLORIDA!

El 5 º Congreso Anual de FLIC fue el desenlace de nuestra jornada. Nos reunimos para renovar, revitalizar y volver a conectar. Ampliamos nuestro intelecto, utilizamos nuestros cuerpos para expresar nuestras luchas, fuimos sanados de la violencia y cantamos la cancion del “Baby Shark.” Los estudiantes y los trabajadores del campo fomentaron vinculos significativos y aunque les hemos dicho adiós a algunos viejos amigos, salimos con un nuevo sentido de claridad y propósito. Y todo esto con las audiencias públicas y los votos DREAM Act intercalados.
Parace como si dejamos al 2010 millas atras y que el 2011 se extiende enfrente de nosotros. En cada parada a lo largo de nuestro camino recordamos la manera en que se rió, lloró, se celebró y luchó con nobleza. Con su apoyo hemos hecho creado un movimiento y logrado difundir el amor más rápido de lo que podrían propagar el odio. Nunca hemos estado tan preparados para lo que está por venir! Que venga con todo el 2011!

Miami peeps: Come celebrate the achievem

Miami peeps: Come celebrate the achievements of the South Florida Wage Theft Task Force this Thursday!! http://ow.ly/17TtE

Labor Pains: How Our Broken Immigration System Hurts All Workers

*Re-posted from Immigration Impact*

By TYLER MORAN

While most employers are law-abiding, some unscrupulous employers have a secret weapon for keeping down wages and working conditions—our broken immigration system. Bad apple employers hire undocumented immigrants, subject them to unsafe working conditions, pay them less than the market wage, or don’t pay them at all. If undocumented workers file a labor complaint or try to form a union, the employer will threaten them with deportation or even call DHS to have the workers deported. Then the workers are whisked into detention or out of the country before they can seek remedies for the labor violations. Most employers don’t get punished for their misconduct, which puts unscrupulous employers at a competitive advantage over law-abiding employers.

Why is this bad for all workers, including U.S. citizens? Easy-to-exploit undocumented immigrants under the constant threat of deportation are forced to accept sub-standard working conditions. This spills over to authorized workers who must also accept these conditions or risk losing their jobs. This also undercuts union organizing. Undocumented coworkers have fewer legal avenues for redress of labor violations and far less incentive to participate in collective efforts to improve conditions at the workplace.

A recent report by the National Employment Law Project found a slew of labor and employment law violations in low-wage industries in three of the nation’s largest cities:

* At least 26% of workers surveyed were paid less than the legally required minimum wage the previous week, 60% of whom were underpaid by more than $1 per hour.

* More than a quarter of workers surveyed worked more than 40 hours the previous week and 76% of whom were not paid the required overtime rate.

* 41% of workers surveyed had illegal deductions taken out of their paychecks for reasons such as damage, loss, work-related tools or materials.

* 43% of workers who filed a complaint to their employers or attempted to form a union suffered illegal retaliation from their employers—such as being fired or suspended, cut wages and hours and threats of deportation.

* Of the 8% of workers surveyed who filed a serious injury claim, 50% experienced illegal employer reactions.

The Drum Major Institute argues that all workers benefit from a strengthening of workplace rights for immigrants. In fact, they find that undocumented workers’ ability to improve their own working conditions would benefit all workers by making jobs more desirable, which translates into more jobs that can support a middle-class standard of living. The Immigration Policy Center also reports that lack of legal status makes unauthorized workers extremely vulnerable to abuse by unscrupulous employers, and at the same time jeopardizes the competitiveness of those employers who try to follow the law.

As immigration reform hovers on the horizon, we should learn a lesson from the failure of our current broken immigration system and ineffective worksite enforcement policy. Not only does current policy fail to address the economic incentive that employers have to hire undocumented workers, but it has allowed unscrupulous employers to gain an unfair advantage and use immigration law to drive down the wages and working conditions of all workers.

Worksite enforcement will be part of comprehensive immigration reform. However, the real answer to “enforcement” at the worksite is making sure all workers can exercise their labor rights, increasing enforcement of labor and employment laws, and closing the gaping loophole that allows immigration enforcement to trump labor law enforcement. Policymakers need to take on this critical issue. Otherwise, the employment rights of all of us are at risk.

Tyler Moran is Policy Director at the National Immigration Law Center.

FLIC videos!!

Check out these wonderful videos, produced by our friend Cristian Ortez:

South Florida Wage Theft Task Force

February TPS Rally