THE American Federation of Teachers (AFT), an education sector labor union with almost one million members, bestowed the President’s International Democracy Award to the Filipino Educators Federation of Louisiana (FEFL) July 10 during the AFT convention in Seattle, Washington. FEFL is an association of Filipino teachers based in Louisiana, US.
In 2007, about 300 Filipino teachers were flown to Louisiana for jobs which their recruiter promised would give them a salary of $40,000 annually. However, their recruitment agency, Universal Placement International (UPI) and its Philippine-based counterpart, PARS International, tried to collect fees, commissions and rents from them in return for their US work visas. FEFL has been instrumental in helping the Filipino migrant teachers organize themselves and fight for their rights against the alleged abuses of their recruiters.
According to news reports, the complaints of the Filipino teachers resulted in initial legal victories, including a decision by the Louisiana Workforce Commission ordering UPI to refund up to $1.8 million (about P83.6 million) in fees to the teachers. Another complaint has been filed with the US Department of Labor.
In a letter to FEFL founding president Ingrid Jomento-Cruz, the AFT said: "We have selected your organization for your perseverance in fighting against the abusive treatment of placement agencies, its dedication to promote the rights and welfare of all educators and migrants, and its commitment to the democratic and legal system."
FEFL president Ingrid Jomento-Cruz said that the AFT helped them revisit the Filipino tradition of bayanihan. "It is most impressively displayed in the old tradition of neighbors helping a relocating family by getting enough volunteers to literally carry the house on their shoulders and move it to a new and better location. And believe it or not, the act is done with a happy, festive disposition. We can clearly see the heroes in the community collectively work and sacrifice for each other. In essence, bayanihan is all but one with the spirit of unionism," she said.
The President’s International Democracy Award was created two years ago by AFT "to highlight the continuing struggle for human rights around the world." In giving the award to the Filipino Educators Federation of Louisiana (FEFL), the AFT said its leaders and staff "have witnessed the immense courage you and your colleagues have displayed in the face of great adversity." (AJPress)
( Published July 14, 2010 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. A5 )
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
