Domesticas del Valle

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Gerard Lester
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January/February 2015 Voz de los trabajadores y las trabajadoras Domesticas del Valle ABOVE: Domesticas del Valle is a new committee made up of current and former domestic workers organizing to

It is standard not to consider the workand workers- who maintain our homes, care for them, and care for our most loved ones; our children and aged family members.

1 January/February 2015 Voz de los trabajadores y las trabajadoras Domesticas del Valle ABOVE: Domesticas del Valle is a new committee made up of current and former domestic workers organizing to advance domestic workers rights and gain respect for domestic workers. Our homes are central, dear, and special to our families, to our lives. It is standard not to consider the workand workers- who maintain our homes, care for them, and care for our most loved ones; our children and aged family members. Domestic workers are isolated, invisible, and atomized leaving most with a feeling of futility, powerlessness, and in many instances, worthlessness. Domestic Workers care for our homes and family, who cares for Domestic Workers? We do. (FVWC) is dedicated to support excluded, unprotected, low-wage workers. To cultivate support, education, advocacy, and organizing among domestic workers a special committee has materialized under the Workers Center. The Domestic Workers Committee-Domesticas del Valle is organizing to bring domestic workers to the forefront and center in the struggle for labor justice. Domesticas del Valle is a special workers committee dedicated to domestic workers struggle. I belong to this committee of domestic workers, to Domesticas del Valle, we ve had enough of wage theft Josefina, domestic worker member of FVWC from Brownsville, TX. Domestic workers are paid below minimum wage, a reality of large sectors of workers in the Rio Grande Valley. Employers of domestic workers are engaging in superexploitation, paying domestic workers in many instances less than $2 an hour. The National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) has reported nearly a quarter of domestic workers are paid below the minimum wage. Sareth, a domestic worker member of FVWC and organizer with Domesticas del Valle, states she hopes with this Domestic Worker Committee they can organize to get employers to pay fair wages for the sacred work they do of providing care for families, preparing meals, and cleaning homes among other inside FVWC at the front lines of workers rights struggle in 2014 PAGE 3 RGV Construction Industry plagued with wage theft PAGE 4 Immigrant Rights Fight not over yet PAGE 6

Traditionally domestic workers are women, and in the US, these women are usually immigrants, specifically Mexican and Central American immigrants in the Rio Grande Valley who suddenly find they are

2 Jan/Feb 2015 Out of the Shadows And Into the Streets continued from page 1 duties. State and federal law mandates most domestic workers in Texas, regardless of documentation status, be paid the minimum wage. Traditionally domestic workers are women, and in the US, these women are usually immigrants, specifically Mexican and Central American immigrants in the Rio Grande Valley who suddenly find they are working in unfamiliar landscapes. Suddenly a woman will arrive to the U.S. and be a domestic worker, said Sareth, Especially when folks cross over to the US without permission to work, the first thing they do to make money a majority of the time is clean houses. Like most jobs, the workload is decided upon by the employer, but many domestic workers are usually the sole employee, meaning that looking to coworkers for support in getting tasks done or negotiating with the boss is unlikely. The majority of employers want you to do different tasks at once and they get mad if you don t finish, said Garcia. You ll work from seven in the morning until seven at night and usually you re in big houses which increase the workload. The employers will abuse the person making them do different tasks in one day in a short amount of time. One of the factors for this abuse is due to working in informal settings without contracts to detail what the job description is. This means that employers can continuously add more and more tasks without increasing pay leaving many domestic workers overworked with almost nothing to show for it. To further our work Domesticas del Valle has affiliated with the NDWA, a national organization made up of over 42 affiliates to make work environments respectful and include domestic workers in labor protection laws. Domesticas del Valle hopes to continue to reach the countless domestic workers that support the Rio Grande Valley, who allow other workers to work by taking care of their children, homes, and parents. If all of us who are domestic workers at people s homes unite, then, there will be a movement, and we will fight, and we will win states Marcy, FVWCmember in Brownsville, If you d like to join the struggle for a workplace with dignity for domestic workers or would like more information about Domesticas del Valle, visit fuerzadelvalle. o r g / c a m p a i g n s / domestic-workers/, domesticasdelvalle@gmail. com or call If all of us who are domestic workers at people s homes unite, then there will be a movement, and we will fight and we will win. Marcy, member of Fuerza del Valle Workers Center 2

Jan/Feb 2015 2014: A Year of Struggle A look in the year of the work accomplished at Fuerza del Valle Workers Center In 2014 Fuerza del Valle Workers Center (FVWC) was on the front lines of struggle

Fuerza del Valle was created by the Equal Voice Network and the South Texas Civil Rights Project to combat labor abuse educating, organizing, and advocating with affected workers with an end of

As compañero Jorge, FVWC member in Brownsville, states It s important for us to change the atmosphere of exploitation and make examples of abusive employers for society; we are building community

Over 500 workers attended these orientations and presentations. The Workers Center documented over 200 labor abuse incidents, the majority being wage theft.

In 2014 FVWC participated with the Women s Studies Committee at STC in McAllen. Over 1,000 assisted the two day conference.

The conference had as its principal theme the plight of Domestic Workers, which in many situations are victims of human trafficking.

3 Jan/Feb : A Year of Struggle A look in the year of the work accomplished at Fuerza del Valle Workers Center In 2014 Fuerza del Valle Workers Center (FVWC) was on the front lines of struggle defending labor rights. Fuerza del Valle was created by the Equal Voice Network and the South Texas Civil Rights Project to combat labor abuse educating, organizing, and advocating with affected workers with an end of cultivating our leadership and constructing community power. We want to transform our situation of exploitation and labor oppression into a dignified workplace with just wages and treatment. As compañero Jorge, FVWC member in Brownsville, states It s important for us to change the atmosphere of exploitation and make examples of abusive employers for society; we are building community support to create a better valley. Our educational efforts were in ardent vigor in 2014 with over 80 orientations on labor rights and presentations in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV). Over 500 workers attended these orientations and presentations. The Workers Center documented over 200 labor abuse incidents, the majority being wage theft. With talks at popular areas FVWC presented to over 2,000 people in Texas on our campaigns in defense of working families. We continue to educate ourselves for workers defense. In 2014 FVWC participated with the Women s Studies Committee at STC in McAllen. Over 1,000 assisted the two day conference. Various police officers, FBI agents, border patrol, students, and social workers attended the human trafficking workshops offered at the conference. The conference had as its principal theme the plight of Domestic Workers, which in many situations are victims of human trafficking. Fuerza del Valle members actively participated and supported campaigns to win back stolen wages. Sister organizations of the Equal Voice Network, such as ARISE, Mano A Mano, and LUPE, unions like IBEW and SEIU, and peoples lawyers supported our efforts, building necessary community support in the process. Thanks to our constant struggle FVWC won back over $50,000 for working families in 2014, making FVWC responsible in facilitating the winning back of wages of over $250,000 in the last four years. The struggle continues, we need your knowledge, enthusiasm, and energy to move forward and give more strength to the movement for economic justice. Join FVWC, become a member and participate in the committees, actions, and mobilizations. Every Tuesday we host wage theft orientations in San Juan, Alton, and Brownsville. Get in touch with us at (956) for more information. The planning for our work and direct action was done mainly through Workers Committees. We have three popular spaces with constant meetings. Join your nearest Committee; we are in Brownsville (for the people in Cameron County), Alton (for the people on the West Side of Hidalgo County), Alamo (for the people in East and Central Hidalgo County). In 2014 we initiated a special committee for domestic workers, Domesticas del Valle. Become a member of FVWC and participate in the struggle for a dignified life. 3

Jan/Feb2015 Wage Theft Epidemic in the Rio Grande Valley Construction Industry One in five construction workers reports being a victim of wage theft, and conditions for workers are probably worse in

T Austin s Division of Diversity and Community Engagement and the Workers Defense Project, one in five construction workers became a victim of unpaid labor in the previous year.

Over 200,000 working families were left without a week, two weeks, three weeks sometimes more worth of wages.

4 Jan/Feb2015 Wage Theft Epidemic in the Rio Grande Valley Construction Industry One in five construction workers reports being a victim of wage theft, and conditions for workers are probably worse in the Rio Grande Valley Wage Theft in Texas is out of control. According to a study put out by U.T Austin s Division of Diversity and Community Engagement and the Workers Defense Project, one in five construction workers became a victim of unpaid labor in the previous year. In an industry with almost a million workers, over 200,000 workers in the Texan Construction Industry were victims of wage theft. Over 200,000 working families were left without a week, two weeks, three weeks sometimes more worth of wages. The epidemic in Texas has forced communities to begin organizing in self-defense and in a struggle to transform our society into a more just one for working families. Fuerza del Valle Workers Center (FVWC) in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) is one of five workers centers in Texas at the front lines combating bad employers and building community power in the process. Texas is being built literally on fraud, theft, labor exploitation, and on abuse. How much longer will we allow the construction of our state to be generated by unpaid labor and worker exploitation? Working families in the Rio Grande Valley are hurting as a result of bad practices, insufficient prosecution of bad employers, lack of resources for governmental institutions in charge of hours and wage violation investigation, and a broken immigration system. ABOVE: FVWC members and supporters from LaUniondelPuebloEntero, Minority Affairs Council, IBEW rally with the Cement Workers Committee to win back unpaid wages. ABOVE: FVWC members and supporters rally in Pharr to demand respect and payment for unpaid wages. Dozens of cement workers were not paid at several construction sites throughout the RGV. ABOVE: FVWC construction worker members and allies begin a march against wage theft to demand payment for work performed. 4

Jan/Feb2015 Wage theft is considered criminal activity ABOVE: FVWC members and allies support construction workers in the struggle for respect and dignity.

For example in the previous year we received complaints from 43 cement construction workers of unpaid labor, some as much as four weeks in unpaid wages, and working in the coldest part of the South

5 Jan/Feb2015 Wage theft is considered criminal activity ABOVE: FVWC members and allies support construction workers in the struggle for respect and dignity. To learn how you can join the movement, visit us at fuerzadelvalle.org or find us on Facebook. In the RGV Construction Industry, wage theft follows state trends and perhaps worse. For example in the previous year we received complaints from 43 cement construction workers of unpaid labor, some as much as four weeks in unpaid wages, and working in the coldest part of the South Texas Winter. Some worked nonstop for an astonishing 24 hours just to finish the job on time under pressure from the employers. In total this case of unpaid labor involved over 60 workers, wage theft topping $75,000, four different school districts in Cameron and Hidalgo County and a car dealership in Pharr. Why? How is it our schools where our children get educated are being constructed with unpaid labor? Who is responsible for guaranteeing dignified wages, or in this case any wages. Businesses and schools at the end of the day, society at large, benefit from the construction of the buildings, structures within which they operate; the general contractors and subcontractors reap their share of this multimillion dollar construction industry. Working men and women who fall victim to these practices, who literally construct our state with their hands, are left out in the cold, with their families, to face economic uncertainty. Many go on to get payday loans or auto loans, or sell their vehicles or belongings to pay rent and living expenses. Some are not as fortunate and are evicted and face harsher economic challenges. In Brownsville the new luxury apartments, Bella Vista Apartments on Ruben M. Torres Blvd., were constructed by Peterson Construction Inc. (General Contractor) and Rodz Painting, under subcontractor Rey Rodriguez, of whom FVWC has had previous complaints. Many workers from this project came to FVWC to complain that they did not receive full payment for their work. Rodriguez and many other subcontractors out there are repeat offenders who should be prosecuted and put out of business if we intend on curbing the impunity in the Texas workforce. We received complaints by ten painters who claim there were more painters and sheetrock workers who also did not receive weeks of pay. According to the workers over $10,000 has been denied to working families. In Los Fresnos, TX (also in Cameron County) nine carpenters came to the workers center reporting over $16,000 in unpaid wages. This is a HUD site, meaning the Housing and Urban Development has invested in it; a federal entity is tied to the construction of these buildings and under their noses widespread wage theft and safety violations have been reported. What does it take for HUD, DOL, and other federal agencies to do a diligent investigation and guarantee every worker gets every penny they have worked hard for? What if it was their checks denied instead, would wage theft then be an issue to tackle and eliminate? At this site Galaxy Construction is the General Contractor and receives contracts to other HUD sites in the RGV and throughout Texas. Donovan Smith is the site manager. Under Galaxy Construction was Pete Coronado, who is known to cheat workers out of wages but still is in the industry doing business, and has not been prosecuted theft of service. Wage Theft is a crime, the practice of not paying for work rendered is a crime in Texas. The Texas Penal Code classifies unpaid labor as criminal activity and if it exceeds $1,500 it is a state felony, yet so many employers are not prosecuted for their felonious activity. We need to build a better Texas, one where working families do not have to live without wages for work performed, one where working families are respected and the value of work is upheld. Wage Theft is a crime, the practice of not paying for work rendered is a crime in Texas according to the criminal code If so why are so many criminals not being prosecuted?we continue to build and fight for better workplaces in the construction industry and other industries. Join Fuerza del Valle in our efforts. 5

Immigrant Rights are Human Rights Jan/Feb 2015 About At the end of November, President Obama finally made good on his promise to extend the existing deferred action program and provide deportation

While we rejoice and support the end of deportations, we are angry, frustrated, brokenhearted and willing to fight to protect immigrant and refugee communities.

as children temporary deportation relief. Parents of citizens or residents will also receive the same benefit (DAPA) in the spring of 2015, which is needed to keep families together.

While defending programs like DACA and DAPA is a priority in the face of anti-immigrant legal and legislative attacks, it is urgent to continue to push for legislation to defend immigrant families

We have to stay in the struggle so everyone in the United State who is currently living in fear of deportation, and in fear of getting separated from their families gets the same protection states

6 Immigrant Rights are Human Rights Jan/Feb 2015 About At the end of November, President Obama finally made good on his promise to extend the existing deferred action program and provide deportation relief for millions of immigrants who have made the U.S. their home. This move comes as he s presided over 2 million deportations. While we rejoice and support the end of deportations, we are angry, frustrated, brokenhearted and willing to fight to protect immigrant and refugee communities. The program of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is to be extended, taking effect sometime in February 2015, granting an additional 290,000 young people who were brought to the U.S. as children temporary deportation relief. Parents of citizens or residents will also receive the same benefit (DAPA) in the spring of 2015, which is needed to keep families together. Those who qualify can also receive driver s licenses as well as work permits. While defending programs like DACA and DAPA is a priority in the face of anti-immigrant legal and legislative attacks, it is urgent to continue to push for legislation to defend immigrant families and workers. We have to stay in the struggle so everyone in the United State who is currently living in fear of deportation, and in fear of getting separated from their families gets the same protection states Yvette Salinas, LUPE Community Organizer and Fuerza del Valle supporter. As advocates and members of the immigrant community we need to continue to build on the vast victories we have achieved through incessant campaigns and direct actions such as the ones undertaken by the National Day Laborer Organizing Network in its Not1More Campaign. We must ensure policymakers continue to provide relief for the large sector left out of executive action deportation relief. We must continue to demand respect for all our human rights. As we acknowledge the president s role to move forward with an executive action what cannot be remised is the fact that this latest move leaves out more than half of the 11.7 million undocumented people living in the U.S. and the over 2 million deported immigrants and refugees. We must remind society and legislators that immigrants are our neighbors, our friends our lovers; immigrants are us. We are working families and without us the U.S. economy will not function. There are close to a million construction workers in Texas, half of them undocumented. The Texas construction industry will not work without us, the immigrant community. It is up to an organized community to secure safety, workers rights, and family unity. Join our efforts at the Workers Center, call us at (956) or fuerzadelvalle@gmail.com. is the newsletter of Fuerza del Valle Workers Center. It serves to share our victories and stories with the community. We would like to share your stories of struggle and resistance to create a better community now and in the future and share with the community the message that when we fight, we win. es el boletin de Centro de Trabajadoras/es Fuerza del Valle. Existe este boletín para compartir nuestras victorias e historias con la comunidad. Nos gustaría compartir sus historias de lucha y resistencia para crear una comunidad mejor ahora y en el futuro y compartir con la comunidad el mensaje de que cuando luchamos, ganamos. For more information visit us at: call us at: send us an at: fuerzadelvalle@gmail.com search for Fuerza del Valle on Facebook on Twitter on Instagram 6

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