Thread: Mexican consulates educating workers on rights

Mexican consulates educating workers on rights

By KATE BRUMBACK, The Associated Press
11:57 a.m. August 28, 2009

ATLANTA — Mexican consulates around the country plan to launch an effort next week to educate their citizens on their labor rights when working in the United States.

The "Semana de los Derechos Laborales," or "Labor Rights Week," will feature events in 11 of Mexico's 50 consulates in the U.S., including Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Diego, Dallas, New York, Chicago, Phoenix and Houston.

"We believe that this is an area of information that our community is in great need of," said Salvador De Lara, consul general in Atlanta. The consulate in Atlanta gets at least five to 10 complaints a week from workers whose labor rights have been violated, he said.

The most common complaints, he said, are lack of overtime pay, sums promised before a job is done that either aren't paid or get reduced once the work is done, and unsafe working conditions.

A language barrier can make it difficult for some workers to assert their rights and the situation is even more difficult for illegal immigrants because employers may threaten to report them to authorities if they complain, De Lara said.

"We're talking about a community that, in many ways, is very vulnerable," he said.

The consulates are modeling their labor rights week after the Binational Health Week organized by federal and state government agencies, community-based organizations and volunteers throughout the U.S. and Canada each October to improve the health and well-being of Latinos in the two countries through workshops, insurance referrals, and medical screenings.

Mexican consulates regularly discuss worker rights issues when workers contact them with a concern or come in to take care of other paperwork, but this initiative is the first coordinated national effort on labor rights.
During the Labor Rights Week, Aug. 31 through Sept. 4, the consulates will try to get out the word about laborer's rights through leaflets, posters, forums and other events.

After the one-week push, consular officials hope to expand the program to the rest of Mexico's consulates and to repeat the one-week concentrated effort several times a year.

De Lara bristled at a suggestion by critics that people here illegally aren't entitled to workplace protections.

"To cancel labor rights is the first step to canceling human rights," he said.

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/ ... dex=156951

They have the RIGHT TO LEAVE also...

The illegals have no labor rights, PERIOD! Where the crap did the consultates get the idea that they did is beyond me.

Just drove by a Mexican consulate this morning and the parking lot was full. My little boy asked me why was there a big Mexican flag flying in America? I didn't even know where to begin!

I hope employers of illegal aliens take note and stop hiring any illegal aliens (and fire the ones they currently employ). If not, they WILL lose their businesses.

Very easy to do by people who are already criminals. The payoff for illegal aliens would be tremendous...easy money and "victim" visas.

It ain't cheap labor if you lose it all.

If the illegal aliens sue their employers for back overtime pay and discrimination maybe they can put the companies that hire illegal aliens out of business and they can return to their home countries with enough money to start their own business and help their country and get out of ours.

Unfortunately, closing these companies that hire illegals will also throw Americans out of work--not what we need right now. If one illegal manages that with all our borders still open wide, there will be no end to the new "workers coming here for a better life." A precedent we should not even dream of setting, and who says the illegals will go home with their wealth, as they may try it all again and again at some other businesses.

Originally Posted by vortex

Unfortunately, closing these companies that hire illegals will also throw Americans out of work--not what we need right now. If one illegal manages that with all our borders still open wide, there will be no end to the new "workers coming here for a better life." A precedent we should not even dream of setting, and who says the illegals will go home with their wealth, as they may try it all again and again at some other businesses.

If businesses that hire illegal aliens start getting sued other companies will stop hiring illegal aliens. Any company that hires illegals deserves to be put out of business so that companies that play by the rules will get more work for their employees.

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Originally Posted by vortex

Unfortunately, closing these companies that hire illegals will also throw Americans out of work--not what we need right now. If one illegal manages that with all our borders still open wide, there will be no end to the new "workers coming here for a better life." A precedent we should not even dream of setting, and who says the illegals will go home with their wealth, as they may try it all again and again at some other businesses.

If businesses that hire illegal aliens start getting sued other companies will stop hiring illegal aliens. Any company that hires illegals deserves to be put out of business so that companies that play by the rules will get more work for their employees.

Exactly

Nope. Have to disagree here. The only reason a company should go out of business is if they get raided for hiring illegals, something dictated by US laws, not workers' rights lawsuits by illegals and anyone thinking of suing the government should be vetted that their papers are still in order.
For example, a company hires 10 illegals and 40 with legal permission to work here, should that company be closed so those legal workers be in the food bank line, because of some illegal alien lawsuit? No one is going to hire the legal workers as they have been tainted by working for a company that employed illegals. And our job market shrinks daily, so why give the right to illegals to destroy our economy more than they have already done?