| ‘I’m here to help my children survive’ |
|
|
|
| by Angel Garcia and Sam Drew, Poor News Network | |
| Tuesday, 19 June 2007 | |
 The Emeryville Woodfin Suite manager called ICE, the immigration cops, on his own workers to avoid paying them a living wage. This theatrical marriage was meant to symbolize these two organizations: one created by the U.S. government, one by an extremely rich individual as a corporation, each full of greed and corruption, joining together to prevent the Woodfin Hotel workers from asserting their right to a living wage. A large crowd had gathered to watch the “ceremony” at the Oakland Federal Building in protest of the Woodfin Suites’ manager for deliberately calling ICE against his own employees. The reason: The Woodfin employees had demanded a living wage and workers’ rights. “I’m standing strong with Woodfin workers in the fight for back pay,” said Leslie Littleton, under the bright blue Oakland sky as the crowd cheered in agreement. As an inmigrant worker myself, I have experienced this kind of abuse and I know all too well how often this tactic is used against low-income migrant families. Families that simply want a better opportunity to provide a decent life for their children, something we can’t get in our own countries. We will do anything to survive and put food on the table. As Teresa Molina, an inmigrante reportera for POOR Magazine, said: “I am not here to take away jobs from others. I’m here to help my children survive.” To survive in this country, we need workers’ rights, a living wage and respect from our employers. We are simply asking to be treated as equal human beings and not like slaves simply because we are undocumented. Everyone at the protest had gathered to fight for these basic human rights. I spoke with Señora Luz Dominguez, who told me that when the employees started asking for two weeks back pay, many were fired. “We’ve been fighting very hard to get the money we are owed,” she said. Her voice lowered to almost a whisper as she added, “It’s very sad to see the way they are using immigration against us.” Samuel Hardage, the hotel manager, did not seem to have a problem hiring undocumented workers until they demanded their rights. According to John Frieke, a city councilmember of Emeryville, unlike three other hotels – the Marriot, the Four Points Sheraton and the Holiday Inn – the Woodfin Suites have refused to abide by Measure C, a living wage and workers’ rights ordinance for all hotels in the area. In addition, the Woodfin Suites did not ask for verification of their workers’ social security numbers until September 2006 after workers had complained to City Council that the hotel wasn’t abiding by Measure C. Many feel that the sole reason for the hotel’s actions was the workers’ complaints. The hotel then started taking serious legal action against workers’ protesting. Frieke said when he went with three workers to speak with the manager, for an unknown reason the manager wasn’t in the office. “The next thing we know the Woodfin is seeking a restraining order against us. But the judge wouldn’t hear it. Thank God for an independent judiciary,” said Frieke. A spokesperson from Barbara Lee’s office also spoke at the post wedding speak-out about her commitment to see justice for the Woodfin workers. As I listened to the speakers, I began to wonder who the real criminals were, the undocumented workers surviving with pride and dignity or these companies who are working together to systematically abuse hardworking people. We are workers who are very important to the economy of this country and we’ve all been working hard for years, even decades, with no rewards, no benefits and no rights. Like the Woodfin employees, I too think it’s time we collect. Angel Garcia is an inmigrante and poverty scholar and staff writer at POOR Magazine. Sam Drew is a race and poverty scholar and staff writer at POOR. Both scholars are graduates of POOR’s Race, Poverty and Media Justice Institute. Read more about issues of poverty and race written by the people who face them daily at www.poormagazine.org. |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|