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| Contacts: | Aquilina Versoza Pilipino Workers Center aqui@pwcsc.org , (213) 422-3341 |
| | Hannah De Castro-Abinuman Pilipino Workers Center hannah@pwcsc.org, (213) 336-1111 |
May 10, 2019
Pilipino Workers Center, California Domestic Workers Coalition Launch California Homecare Agency Labor Violations Tip Line
LOS ANGELES, CA – On Friday, May 10, 2019, the Pilipino Workers Center (PWC), along with the California Domestic Workers Coalition, announced the launch of the “California Homecare Agency Labor Violations Tip Line,” which allows domestic workers, consumers and other homecare agency owners in California to anonymously report alleged labor violations and illegal or unethical practices of homecare agencies.
The California Homecare Agency Labor Violations Tip Line (213) 267-4741, and online at bit.ly/homecaretipline, is a voluntary, anonymous tip line operated by the California Domestic Workers Coalition. Callers are invited to report private homecare agencies in the state of California that they believe to be in violation of relevant labor laws, including but not limited to minimum wage, overtime, sick time, licensing requirements, workers compensation, employee or company misclassification, and anti-retaliation law.
“We have to regulate the homecare industry to ensure that workers have safe workplaces and receive fair pay. It is essential for us to provide various means for them to be able to assert their rights and protect themselves from abusive employers,” says Aquilina Soriano Versoza, Executive Director of Pilipino Workers Center.
The majority of domestic workers in California are immigrant women, and many are the primary breadwinners in their families. Unfortunately, domestic workers are uniquely vulnerable to labor abuse because of their historical exclusion from basic labor protections and because they typically work one-on-one in the isolation of the private homes of their clients. As a result, labor violations such as wage theft and misclassification are frequent within the domestic work and homecare industry.
Because of the fear of losing their primary source of income and the fear of retaliation based on immigration status, especially within the current political climate, many domestic workers opt not to speak up or file a report.
“I used to be afraid too, I used to be silent and did not want to take action. But when I spoke up, I learned that I was not alone,” says Josephine Biclar, PWC worker leader. “There is a community ready to support people like us. If we are united, we can make a big difference in each other’s lives.”
Through the California Homecare Agency Labor Violations Tip Line, domestic workers, consumers and other agency owners will be able to make anonymous reports without fear or concern of retaliation. The tip line will also enable the Pilipino Workers Center and the California Domestic Workers Coalition to identify homecare agencies that are believed to not be in compliance with labor laws. The data that will be generated from the tip line will be shared with the Labor Commissioner’s office and will support the Pilipino Workers Center’s work to implement th the Domestic Worker Bill of Rights and make domestic worker rights a reality in their everyday lives.
“Domestic workers are leading creative strategies to stand up for their rights and say no more exploitation; no more wage theft,” states Megan Whelan, Communications and Logistics Manager of the California Domestic Workers Coalition. “Across the state, we celebrate the launch of the California Homecare Agency Labor Violations Tip Line as an important new tool to address existing barriers of compliance with labor protections and to support workers to be able to take action to assert their rights, report violations and share information about non-compliant agencies.”
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The Pilipino Workers Center (PWC) is a non-profit organization and worker center located in Historic Filipinotown, Los Angeles, that works to address the immediate needs of Filipino workers and their families and build their leadership to take collective action on issues that affect them the most. The Pilipino Workers Center is a leader in the California Domestic Workers Coalition. For more information about the Pilipino Worker Center please visit: www.pwcsc.org.
The CDWC is a statewide coalition consisting of organizations working to advance the dignity and respect for Domestic Workers and their families. The organizations that are a part of our steering committee include: ALMAS of the Graton Day Labor Center, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, Filipino Advocates for Justice, Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Network, Instituto de Educacion Popular del Sur California (IDEPSCA), Mujeres Unidas y Activas, Pilipino Workers Center, and The Women’s Collective of Dolores Street Community Services. For more information about the Coalition please visit:www.cadomesticworkers.org