After workers and activists from Fuerza Laboral gave David Civetti a 6am wake up call last August, he agreed to meet with the 8 workers who claim that his company owes them for work they completed but were never paid for. Civetti, the CEO of Dependable and Affordable Cleaning Inc, met the workers at the Fuerza Laboral offices, said organizer Raul Figueroa, but maintained he owed the workers nothing, became frustrated, and left. Hence the need for a second action, this timed aimed at Civetti’s offices in the neighborhood next to Providence College.
Fuerza maintains that on May 26-29, Civetti’s company “assigned a group of workers to clean apartments located in the area surrounding Providence College. The workers say that Civetti assigned workers to the houses that needed cleaning and supplied them with company tee shirts and cleaning supplies. After the job was completed, 8 workers were not compensated for those 4 days, 11 hours a day.” Civetti claimed that the people who cleaned his apartments were hired by subcontractors, and that the the subcontractors owe the money, not him.
On Thursday about a dozen workers and activists showed up at Civetti’s offices near Providence College, and began leafleting houses and passing students. Organizer Raul Figueroa carried a megaphone and broadcast the workers’ complaints to the neighborhood. Once the workers arrived at Civetti’s offices, Fabian, one of the workers, called Civetti on the phone and asked him to come down and pay him the money he is owed. When Civetti would not commit to do so, the protest continued.
Eventually, as can be seen towards the end of the third video below, Civetti agreed by phone to meet with the workers at the Fuerza Laboral offices for a second time. According to Fuerza organizer Raoul Figueroa and Mike Araujo of RI Jobs with Justice, Civetti agreed that he did owe the workers their unpaid wages at this meeting. He has agreed to pay the workers on Friday.
This story will be updated.
UPDATE: Raoul Figueroa has informed me that the employees have been paid.
]]>Members of the Coalition to Pass the Community Safety Act (CSA) spoke out before Thursday night’s Providence City Council meeting about the importance of empowering local communities on policing.
“Providence needs the Community Safety Act because without it we feel unsafe,” said campaign coordinator Vanessa Flores-Maldonado in a statement. “The Coalition hopes that a public hearing will speak loudly to the need of an ordinance that seeks to hold police accountable when they harass and brutalize our community.
The Coalition, which is comprised of local community organizations and members, had previously submitted a petition on July 1 to have the city council hold a public hearing before going on their August break. However, the 90+ signatures submitted took 3 weeks to verify and no public hearing was scheduled within the 14 days required by the City Charter.
Malcus Mills of DARE (Direct Action for Rights and Equality) introduced three speakers, Dan, representing PrYSM (Providence Youth Student Movement), Wayne Woods of DARE, and Justice, speaking for RI Jobs with Justice.
Dan spoke about the gang database used by the Providence Police Department. If a youth is placed on the gang database list, they have no ability to remove their name or even check to see if their name is on the list. This may result in loss of job and educational opportunities in the future.
Right now, said Dan, the police, “judge people by their appearance, their race, gender etc, and they will say you are guilty… because they think you are part of a gang.”
Wayne Woods spoke of being profiled and pulled over on the East Side of Providence. After being removed from his car, searched, and then waiting for 20 minutes as his car was searched by police, he and his friend, both black men, were sent on their way. The police told the men, “To go home and take it easy.”
If the CSA were passed, said Woods, the car could only have been pulled over for probable cause and the police would have to issue a receipt to people they detain, outlining the conditions of the probable cause.
“A big part of why the CSA needs to be passed is so that we can hold people accountable to what they’re doing,” said Justice, representing Jobs with Justice. “Civil servants and law enforcement should be accountable just like other working people, and we need to be able to protect the people of Providence, we need to be able to protect the youth of color in Providence.”
The Providence Community Safety Act is a city-wide proposed ordinance that aims to hold police accountable and make communities safer. Developed by community members and organizations who are frustrated with police harassment and lack of accountability, the CSA has 12 key points that outline how police officers should interact with community members. These points range from video recording to traffic stops to the gang database.
]]>“These workers are fighting for a fair shake,” said Mike Araujo of RI Jobs With Justice, “not just for themselves but for everyone that cares for our family members when they need help.
Last year Bannister House workers helped save the historic nursing home from being closed down. Bannister House was founded in 1890 as a “Home for Aged Colored Women” in Fox Point to provide care for African-American women, many of them retired domestic servants.
Today workers are demanding a living wage and affordable benefits. The workers are unionized under SEIU 1199.
]]>To remind her of her promise, members of RI Jobs With Justice, Fuerza Laboral, English for Action, the Providence Student Union and others rallied at the State House outside the House chambers, demanding that their voices be heard and that promises be kept. As Speaker Nicholas Mattiello puttered about inside the House chambers, metaphorically polishing his gavel and preparing for the new legislative session, advocates for licenses were lead in chants by Juan Garcia and shouted the Speaker’s name.
Mattiello ignored the protesters.
Overlapping with the “Licenses for All” rally was a “No Tolls” rally. This rally was made up primarily of conservative anti-tax groups. This coalition was protesting against the proposed truck tolls, which the tax groups feel are a slippery slope to car tolls. There was some friction when members of the anti-toll rally took issue with the undocumented workers agitating for licenses, with one angry man leading a small group in screaming, “Go home!” over and over again.
Later those rallying for licenses chanted, “We pay taxes!”
Speaker Mattiello told Gene Valicenti on WPRO that he didn’t, “expect to be moved” by the toll protest, and he seemed equally unmoved by the Licenses for All rally. One wonders what does move the Speaker if our democratic process and exercise of our First Amendment rights are so inconsequential.
Time running out for Raimondo to keep undocumented resident driver’s license promise
Coalition demands driver’s licenses for all, regardless of immigration status
]]>Rick Salamé, writing on behalf of all the filmmakers, said, “We have Moira Walsh to thank for everything good about the documentary. She is an inspiring person and a powerful worker-leader. We hope her resilience, bravery, and strength can energize many more people as it has energized us. We hope we have done her, and everyone fighting for One Fair Wage, justice. And we look forward to seeing real justice soon.”
You can watch the entire film here:
The film features a host of front line activist stalwarts such as Michael Araujo, Evan McLaughlin, Adrienne Jones, Casey Sardo, Jesse Strecker and Keally Cieslik.
“We made this documentary to bring attention to an unjust and painfully under-talked-about policy we have in Rhode Island and most other US states,” said Salamé, “The subminimum wage is a deeply flawed way of paying people: it makes it nearly impossible for workers to plan their lives; it exposes workers, especially women workers, to unnecessarily high rates of sexual harassment from customers and employers; and by asking every customer to decide on the worth of their server, it exposes workers’ livelihoods to racist, classist, and sexist prejudices.”
People looking to join this fight are encouraged to reach out to RI Jobs With Justice on their website or on Facebook, and also the Restaurant Opportunities Center, at their website or Facebook page.
]]>The workers organized through Fuerza Laboral / Power of Workers, a community organization that builds worker leadership to fight workplace exploitation, and RI Jobs with Justice, a coalition of community and labor groups. In June 2015, former Teriyaki House workers filed a complaint with the US Department of Labor regarding their unpaid wages. The employees who filed the complaint had worked at the restaurant for up to three years, between 72 and 85 hours per week. During that time, they were only getting paid between $450 and $600 a week. The restaurant management discounted two hours of lunch/break each day when workers were actually given only 15 minutes to eat their lunch and took no other breaks.
The Christmas theme was especially poignant, as unpaid workers will be foregoing many aspects of Christmas that many who celebrate the holiday take for granted. “Christmas is an important time to be with family and buy gifts for your children, but we won’t have money this holiday,” says former Teriyaki House employee Fidel de Leon, “By stealing our wages, Teriyaki House stole Christmas from us and our children.”
During the action, a man who identified himself as the manager of the restaurant stood nearby with his cellphone, filming those who spoke out about the wage theft they experiences. his actions seemed intended to intimidate the former workers, and he laughed as speaker’s asserted the facts of their case. Later, the same man exited the restaurant a second time. This time he attempted to force a worker to lower his protest sign so that the cellphone camera could capture the worker’s face.
“I worked first 6 days a week, 12 hours a day but I was only paid $514 a week, which comes out to only $7/hr without any overtime,” says Vicente Lobos, one of the former Teriyaki House workers taking action today. “I’m very happy that the DOL has reached an agreement with Teriyaki House to pay us, and we want Teriyaki House to know that we will make sure they come through with this payment. I need my money now, I cannot wait any longer than I already have.”
Teriyaki House workers are part of a greater push to organize workers all along the food chain through Food Chain Workers RIsing, led by Fuerza Laboral and other members of RI Jobs with Justice. The workers’ struggle against wage theft at Teriyaki House is also part of a larger national campaign with Jobs with Justice to pressure the US Congress to pass the Power Act. The Power Act would expand protections for undocumented workers who are organizing for their rights in the workplace.
See also:
Nearly three hundred workers representing over a dozen different unions, as well as family members, gathered outside the Verizon offices on Washington Street in Providence to rally in support of 900 IBEW 2323 members who are entering their second month of working without a contract. When the contract with Verizon expired on August 1st at midnight, 39,000 IBEW & CWA, from Massachusetts to Virginia, were affected.
Even as Verizon demands cuts in job security, health care and retirement security, and even seeks to eliminate benefits for workers injured on the job or caring for a sick family member, the company “made over $18 billion in profits over the last 18 months–$1 billion per month–and paid its top executives $249 million over the last five years,” according to a press release.
Meanwhile, here in Rhode Island, “many of our neighborhoods are suffering from neglected phone and internet services… Verizon has even refused to build their new high-speed internet lines, FiOS, in low income communities, communities of color, and rural areas, again claiming poverty as the reason they can’t put people to work doing much needed repairs.” Workers see these areas as growth opportunities for Verizon, and are eager to “string the lines.”
After IBEW workers David Fontaine and Bill Dunn opened the event with “The Star Spangled Banner,’ a steady stream of union officials and one state representative took the stage, promising to support workers in their bid to negotiate a fair contract. Over all their message was simple: Stay strong, organized labor has your back, and we can win this fight.
Below is the video of the speakers.
Dan Musard, IBEW 2323
Jim Riley, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 328
RI State Representative Ken Marshall
Chris Buffery, Asst Business Agent, IBEW 2323
Maureen Martin, AFL-CIO
Michael Sabitoni, Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council
Matt Taibi, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 251
Frank Flynn, Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals
Paul MacDonald, Providence Central Labor Council
Michael Daley, IBEW 99
Mike Araujo, RI Jobs With Justice
Steve Murphy, Business Manager, IBEW 2323
]]>Labor leaders and activists reacted positively to Governor Gina Raimondo‘s announcement yesterday that a “new Workplace Fraud Unit within the Department of Labor and Training‘s (DLT) Workplace Regulation and Safety division recently reached a settlement with a company that admitted to violating worker protection laws. Cardoso Construction LLC agreed to pay more than $730,000 in back wages, interest and penalties. This is the first significant action of this new unit.”
According to the press release, “DLT officials found the violation on a drywall job at the University of Rhode Island. After investigating, they determined that the company should have characterized the workers as ’employees,’ but they were mischaracterized as ‘independent contractors.'”
Cardoso Construction will, “pay a total of $351,812 in back wages to the workers, pay DLT an identical penalty of $351,812, and pay a fine of $27,000 – $1,000 per worker – for violating the state misclassification law.”
In a statement, the RI AFL-CIO wrote, “Big News and a very important step forward with a clear and strong message from Governor Gina Raimondo and DLT Director Scott Jensen that employers perpetuating fraud and deception will not be tolerated in the State of Rhode Island any longer.”
Jesse Strecker, executive director of RI Jobs With Justice, told me, “Seems to be a great step forward as far as I can tell. The DLT has definitely suffered from underfunding in the past, and it’s great to see some more resources being directed to wage and hour violations and miss-classification, all of which are hugely pervasive problems.”
Wage theft allegations have been made against several local restaurants in Rhode Island. Fuerza Laboral has protested outside Gourmet Heaven several times over the last year and protested outside the home of Cafe Atlantic owner Juan Noboa.
In the Governor’s press release, the seriousness of misclassification was outlined:
When employers misclassify employees as independent contractors, they harm workers, hurt other companies that play by the rules, and cheat taxpayers. By misclassifying workers, companies:
• Deny employees access to critical benefits such as Unemployment Insurance (UI), workers’ compensation insurance, overtime pay, and family and medical leave;
• Hurt law-abiding employers who play by the rules but are unfairly under-bid for work; and
• Cheat taxpayers by lowering tax revenues and robbing UI and workers’ compensation funds of much-needed dollars.
To combat this, the Governor has outlined a “four-point action plan”:
1. Using existing funding to create a new Workplace Fraud Unit to focus DLT’s efforts on dishonest companies
2. Coordinating state agency efforts and pooling resources to conduct investigations and bring enforcement actions with maximum impact
3. Enforcing worker protection laws to the fullest extent and spotlighting businesses that cheat
4. Fostering compliance with the law through employer outreach and education
From the Governor’s press release:
“It’s only fair to repay the employees who were underpaid for months on the job, and this agreement will achieve that,” said Raimondo. “Everyone must compete by the same rules on public projects in Rhode Island, and this settlement is sending the clear message that we will be cracking down on abuse.”
“Following the same rules as everyone else is not a barrier to success,” said DLT Director Scott Jensen. “We will continue to protect our community’s investment in our workforce, and we remain committed to helping Rhode Island companies grow their businesses and play by the rules. I also applaud the work of the Joint Task Force on the Underground Economy and Employee Misclassification, who along with the new Workplace Fraud unit, moved this case forward.”
The DLT Director leads this Task Force, which was established in 2014, and consists of DLT, the Office of the Attorney General, Division of Taxation, Department of Business Regulation, Department of Public Safety and Workers’ Compensation Court.
]]>Comité en Acción is leading the charge on getting driver’s licenses for undocumented workers in Rhode Island. Senate bill 391, which “would allow the department of motor vehicles to issue driving privilege licenses and driving privilege permits to applicants unable to establish lawful presence in the United States” has been held for further study, which is General Assembly language for “going nowhere.”
But the fight isn’t over yet.
I spoke to Sabine Adrian and Catarina Lorenzo, two leaders with Comité en Acción who are leading volunteers in a phone banking effort targeting Senate President Teresa Paiva-Weed, who has the power to bring the legislation to the floor for a vote in the Senate.
According to Sophia Wright, “States like Chicago, California, New Jersey and Connecticut, to name a few, have already taken the step towards greater equality by passing similar laws that provide licenses for all, regardless of immigration status.”
During the May 21 public testimony on the bill, said Adrian, those in favor of allowing licenses for all were in the majority. Arguments against the bill almost exclusively focused on what opponents refer to as illegal immigration, but these issues are not really related. Allowing licenses prevents workers from operating a motor vehicle without the required training and testing. iT becomes a safety issue, and a quality of life issue for workers and their families. The licenses allowed under this bill would not usable for the purpose of legal identification.
The Comité en Acción is not the only organization in the fight. They are part of a coalition, Todos Somos Arizona, that includes the Olneyville Neighborhood Association, English for Action, RI Jobs with Justice, RI Jobs with Justice, the American Friends Service Committee, Fuerza Laboral and others.
Those in favor of this legislation can sign this petition at MoveOn.
You could also call Senate President Paiva-Weed and let her know that you support this important bill.
]]>URI President Dr. David Dooley sat quietly as URI Part-Time Faculty United (URI PTFU) partnered with Rhode Island Jobs With Justice to carry signs and speak out at RI’s higher education board meeting Wednesday night against low wages, a lack of job security and a hostile work environment.
PTFU Executive Director Patricia Maguire said negotiations between URI and the part-time faculty have been dragging on for over 2 1/2 years. Rather than bargain in a fair and open way, URI negotiators simply say “we have nothing to offer you.”
Maguire said that her group has been reduced to “begging” for better wages and working conditions. “Any [school] president or the administration, that has received a substantial pay increase, did not have to walk around the university holding signs, asking for it. I’m not even sure they asked for it.”
Kenneth Jolicouer, with 35 years teaching experience in higher education and a host of honors to his credit, said that working conditions at URI have deteriorated markedly over the last few years.
“I had my part-time position taken away in September 2013, because according to administration, I worked too many hours,” said Jolicouer, “15 hours in a staff position plus teaching two classes. This is a position I have held since 1992. As a result my URI pay has been cut by close to 50 percent.”
During Jolicouer’s entire 4 1/2 minutes of speaking, he was ignored by board member Dr. Jim Purcell, commissioner of postsecondary education, who simply messaged with his cellphone the entire time. It was only when Dorothy Donnelly, another educator with years of experience, demanded his attention that Purcell began to feign interest. At the 2m 15s point in the video below, Donnelly asks Purcell for his seat, which he graciously gave up.
“We have about 25 people here supporting us. About half of those are part-time faculty,” said Donnelly, “That’s no surprise. I’m even amazed that they’re here. I thank them for their commitment and their courage, because they are all at will employees.”
“We have been in contract negations for almost three years now,” said Donnelly, “and we have not had contact negotiations since last December.” Donnelly need that these meetings are known for their repeated delays and stalling tactics on the part of URI negotiators.
“Part-time faculty continue to be ignored, exploited and disrespected,” said Patricia Maquire. URI doesn’t believe in the value of the education they are selling, says Maguire. Devaluing the educators devalues the education.
Also speaking was Peter Nightingale, a member of the physics department at URI and Fossil Free RI, there to express solidarity with the PTFU. Nightingale took some time to speak about URI’s lack of interest in divesting from fossil fuels.
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