Latin@s At Work
In this issue:
- Learn more about Latin@s At Work Program.
Latin@s At Work
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Maribel and Maria are two Latina domestic workers who, along with other Latina immigrants, regularly worked 10 to 15-hour shifts five to seven days a week cleaning, cooking and performing other household duties for their employers but never received any overtime pay.
Their employers demanded that they work with few or no breaks and sometimes overnight without rest.
These courageous women are part of a wage and hour lawsuit LatinoJustice PRLDEF recently filed in federal court against their former employers. Maria and Maribel are just two of the many Latino workers standing up for their rights and those of other workers who have been cheated out of proper pay and have endured egregious workplace abuse out of fear of retaliation.
This case generates from LatinoJustice’s Latin@s at Work (LAW) Project, which offers workshops, legal advocacy and support for the thousands of Latinos – many of them immigrants – who have been the victims of workplace abuse and exploitation, including wage theft, sexual harassment and safety violations.
Did you Know?
According to a report released by the U.S. Department of Labor in April 2012, Latinos comprise 15% of the U.S. Workforce. New Latino immigrants are among the fastest growing portion of the workforce and 84% of these are wage and hour workers earning a median salary that is only 71% of their white counterparts.