Filipino Caregivers File Civil Suit Against Shameless Employer

 Georgia Danan and Balbert Quintas featured by Balitang America

September 3, 2008 – After making many attempts to directly appeal to their former employment agency, Mt. Sinai Homecare, to pay them the wages that they worked for, caregivers Georgia Danan and Balbert Quintas are fed up.  With the support of Pilipino Workers' Center (PWC), the Association of Filipino Workers (AFW) and other community organizations, Georgia and Balbert will file a joint civil suit against the Mt. Sinai Homecare Agency and its CEO, Lovelyn Labadlabad for ignoring the judgment of the Division of Labor Standards and Enforcement (DLSE) that awarded the workers collectively over $25,000 in wages and penalties.

Many efforts have been made to bring Mt. Sinai to the table to resolve this labor issue.  Letters have been written and calls have been made in an attempt to reach out to them, but Mt. Sinai has never responded. On August 14, 2008, over 750 signatures were delivered to the agency’s office by a delegation of workers and community supporters.  The agency refused to open its doors to accept the petition nor to communicate with the delegation.  The petition stated that the signatories supported Georgia and Balbert’s fight to recover their wages.  Even the Mayor of Carson signed the petition.  One petition-signer wrote:

“Economic rights are human rights! We must all take part in efforts like these and the labor movement as a whole if we wish to combat this social injustice and restore the rights of workers. An accumulation of small scale efforts from the community will create profound changes on a national level.”

Senator Cedillo has also made good faith efforts to resolve this labor issue.  Senator Cedillo wrote a letter to Lovelyn Labadlabad and the Mt. Sinai Homecare Agency urging them to engage in dialogue with the workers and offering his staff, Mel Ilomin, as an objective mediator to this dialogue.  This effort was also ignored with no response from Mt. Sinai Homecare Agency.

Therefore, the campaign for justice for Georgia and Balbert will move to its next stage.  PWC held a press conference* September 3 at the PWC Headquarters where the Executive Director of PWC Aquilina Soriano welcomed the press and introduced the following speakers: President of AFW Salvador Lledo, Caregivers Georgia Danan and Balbert Quintas, Principal Assistant of Senator Cedillo Mel Ilomin, Director of the Multiethnic Immigrant Workers Organizing Network (MIWON) Bethany Leal, and Pearl Law Firm Attorney Steven Pearl.

A joint civil suit will be filed by the two Filipino caregivers against Mt. Sinai Homecare Agency.  The Pearl Law Firm, led by Steven Pearl, will be the legal team representing the Filipino caregivers in this law suit.  The lawsuit will be formally filed by the end of this week. In this civil suit, the agency could be liable for paying 3 times the amount awarded by the DLSE since they have failed to comply with the labor hearing decision, as well as other additional penalties

“Of course we need this money to support ourselves and our families, but we are filing this case for more than just ourselves. Georgia and I are trying to make Mt. Sinai learn a lesson so that they do not continue to mistreat other workers by not paying them or paying them below minimum wage,” states Balbert Quintas.

This campaign for Georgia and Balbert is a part of the COURAGE Campaign or Caregivers Organizing for Unity, Respect And Genuine Empowerment, launched by the Pilipino Workers Center.

*To view coverage of the press conference, please view the Balitang America video and Asian Journal article.

UPDATE: COURAGE Campaign

for Georgia and Bobby

August 14, 2008 - With the support of the COURAGE Campaign delegation (made up of PWC and other community supporters), Georgia and Bobby delivered over 750 signatures from community members urging the Mt. Sinai Homecare Agency to uphold workers' rights and pay over $25,000 in backwages awarded to Georgia and Bobby by the Division of Labor and Standards Enforcement (DLSE).

After multiple good-faith efforts to get Mt. Sinai CEO Lovelyn Labadlabad Roldan and owner Frisco Labadlabad to take responsibility and fairly compensate their workers have been completely ignored, the Pilipino Workers Center (PWC) is holding a press conference on September 3rd to announce the latest actions of the COURAGE Campaign. A representative from Senator Gilbert Cedillo's offices will speak about their efforts to help mediate a resolution for this labor issue. Additionally, attorney Steven Pearl from the Pearl Law Firm will speak about launching a new legal strategy that will be launched on September 3rd.

In an effort to find compensation for their long-awaited justice, Georgia and Bobby will file a joint civil suit against Mt. Sinai with the legal consul of the Pearl Law Firm and the support of Pilipino Workers Center (PWC), Association of Filipino Workers (AFW), Multi-ethnic Immigrant workers Organizing Newtwork (MIWON), and other community supporters.

Click Here to Sign Petition to Support the COURAGE Campaign

for Bobby and Georgia!

Two Filipino caregivers, Georgia Danan and Balbert Quintas, are fighting for the most basic workers’ right – to get paid for work they performed. 

Georgia and Balbert both worked as caregivers for Mt. Sinai, a home healthcare agency, in Los Angeles owned by Lovelyn Labadlabad Roldan.  With the help of the Pilipino Workers' Center and the Association of Filipino Workers, they both brought their cases against Mt. Sinai to the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE).  DLSE ordered that Mt. Sinai owes Georgia and Balbert over $25,000 in wages and penalties combined.  However, Lovelyn Labadlabad Roldan still refuses to pay them. 

Ms. Danan and Mr. Quintas’ cases are a part of a larger effort to improve working conditions for caregivers called “Caregivers Organizing for Unity, Respect, and Genuine Empowerment” (C.O.U.R.A.G.E. Campaign).  This campaign highlights specific cases such as Georgia’s case and Balbert’s case to hold employers accountable to workers’ rights.  By participating in the campaign, caregivers can educate themselves about their rights and how to join with other caregivers and Filipinos to protect themselves, to make changes in the caregiver industry, and to become empowered. 

May-Day March 2008

For more pictures Click Here

Join us for

May 1st International Workers March on Super Thursday

MIWON Route begins at 2:00pm - MacArthur Park

Join us to demand:

Legalization for All, Stop the Raids, and Peace and Dignity for all Communities!

"Don't Miss Out on our AFW Meeting!"

Next AFW

General Meeting

7:00pm

Friday, April 25, 2008

153 Glendale Blvd., 2nd Fl.

Los Angeles, CA 90026

(213) 250-4353

Western Union Nails Remitters to the Cross

March 20, 2008 – Holy Week is one of the most sacred times of the year for most Christians. Los Angeles is home to thousands of immigrants that celebrate Holy Week. Also known as the “Lenten season”, this is a time of reflection for the past periods that we have dealt with our family, friends and colleagues. It is the time for repentance for misdeeds we unknowingly have done towards others, and search for ways to appease the offended. 

Our Economy During Holy Week

The US dollar plunged over Palm Sunday weekend to a new record-low of $1.5463 versus the euro Friday. In a time when the effects of a recession are hitting immigrants and people of color the hardest, people are scrambling to save money where they can. The worsening economy is forcing people to spend less and save more. During this Holy Week, immigrants are forced to reflect on America’s weakening economy and understand who is at fault when poor people become poorer. 

Western Union, a Modern-Day Robber

Our modern times have the same characters as those during the time of Christ. Take the case of WESTERN UNION (WU), a money transfer institution that fattens their executives with benefits derived from transactions that involves many low income workers who send money to their families abroad. Western Union charges anywhere from $16 to several hundred dollars to send our hard-earned money back to our home countries. 

The irony of the situation when one deals with Western Union, is the fact that the more you increase the amount you send, the rate of their fee increases. On the other hand, the public is the unwilling captive customers and being led by the nose by Western Union, that whatever it says has become the guiding rule for the public to follow.Western Union has become a modern-day robber, stealing from the poor and benefiting from everyone’s misery. In fact, the CEO of Western Union, Christina Gold, made $16.5 million in 2006. The company’s community reinvestment has increased only to $0.49 per every $100 in profit from $0.41. This is far below what companies like Wal-Mart ($2.30) and Ben & Jerry’s ($7.50) reinvest in communities.

Western Union Continues to Crucify Customers

In the Lenten drama, the characters have repented and asked for forgiveness. However, Western Union is unwavering and instead it has continued to deal a deadly blow on its customers.

Jesus was crucified only once, and the crucifixion is commemorated every year. However, when we deal with Western Union for the entire year, it is like being nailed to the cross over and over again, and the hurt is unceasing with the thought that we are being robbed of our hard earned dollars. 

During this Lenten Season, we demand Western Union to stop stealing from our communities. We want Western Union to lower their fees and to sign our Community Benefits Agreement to give back to our communities.

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For more information, contact Pilipino Workers' Center (213) 250-4353 or pilworker@pwcsc.org