{"id":5061070,"date":"2022-10-11T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-11T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rilatinonews.com\/?p=5061070"},"modified":"2022-10-11T10:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-10-11T10:00:00","slug":"labor-issues-are-a-concern-among-central-falls-diverse-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/2022\/10\/11\/labor-issues-are-a-concern-among-central-falls-diverse-workers\/","title":{"rendered":"Labor Issues Are a Concern Among Central Falls&#8217; Diverse Workers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CENTRAL FALLS AND PAWTUCKET, R.I. \u2014 Issues concerning worker\u2019s rights spread across the globe, but in Rhode Island, two cities in particular\u2014Central Falls and Pawtucket\u2014have workers, activists, and organizations advocating for solutions to wage theft, labor exploitation, low wages, and insufficient healthcare.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DHL courier and union member Rasche Brown is one of those workers. Brown attended the Teamsters Local 251 Union strike at the DHL Express ServicePoint in Pawtucket on September 9.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Please Note: The audio of Brown\u2019s interview in the clip below was captured just before the strike had become violent. Police used pepper spray on protestors and five people were arrested and charged. For more on the events of the strike check out <\/em><em>reporting by ABC6<\/em><em>.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video height=\"480\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 720 \/ 480;\" width=\"720\" controls src=\"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/10\/MultimediaFinalRascheBrown.mp4\"><\/video><figcaption>Rasche Brown, a DHL courier and union member, explained the protestor&#8217;s demands and why they personally chose to participate in the Teamsters Local 251 Union strike. Video by James Sadowski.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re fighting for affordable healthcare and fair labor,\u201d Brown said. \u201cWe\u2019re working for peanuts\u2026I have to have open-heart surgery and I can\u2019t have it right now because I need affordable healthcare and working paycheck to paycheck is not helping at all. I\u2019m being dead serious. If you ask anybody they\u2019d say I was supposed to have open heart surgery last Thanksgiving. I can\u2019t afford it and if I don\u2019t get the surgery I\u2019m going to die.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In nearby Central Falls, Community Coordinator David Molina-Hernandez of Fuerza Laboral said two significant issues his organization is trying to end are \u201clabor exploitation and wage theft, especially among vulnerable communities, especially Latino and immigrant communities.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fuerza-laboral.org\/about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fuerza Laboral<\/a> is a local nonprofit organization that advocates for workers\u2019 rights within Central Falls, Rhode Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Central Falls is home to one of the largest Latino populations in Rhode Island. Hispanics and Latinos make up the largest ethnic group in the city at 69.3% of its total population, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/quickfacts\/centralfallscityrhodeisland\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2021 census data<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/DavidMolina-HernandezSmiling-copy-2-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5061090\"\/><figcaption>Fuerza Laboral Community Coordinator David Molina-Hernandez at his work station in Central Falls, RI. <br>Photo Credit: James Sadowski.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/JhonnyMendosaSmiling-copy-1-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5061091\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\"\/><figcaption>Fuerza Laboral Volunteer Jhonny Mendosa is from Venezuela, he\u2019s helping out at the organization while he\u2019s in the U.S. these next few months. Photo Credit: James Sadowski.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Specifically pertaining to who\u2019s more vulnerable to wage theft, Molina-Hernandez said, \u201cIt\u2019s very common in which employers will not pay what\u2019s legal or fair to their employees because they will be undocumented.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Undocumented immigrants, including those that make up the Latino population in Central Falls, are more vulnerable to wage theft due to being afraid of immigration enforcement and thinking they can\u2019t speak up to their employer because they believe they \u201cdon\u2019t have a full book of rights\u201d as a U.S. citizen would, said Molina-Hernandez.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A common situation of labor exploitation and wage theft Fuerza might see is when an employer in a field like construction takes advantage of an undocumented latino employee by not providing sufficient pay for the hours they work, Molina-Hernandez said. The employer might pay for 40 hours when the employee worked 80 hours, all without providing any health insurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Misclassification of employees is an issue too. People that should be considered employees, employers treat as independent contractors so they can avoid paying certain taxes or can fire them without justification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/McKee-1-scaled-e1665362219196-1024x650.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5061076\" srcset=\"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/10\/McKee-1-scaled-e1665362219196-1024x650.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/10\/McKee-1-scaled-e1665362219196-300x190.jpg 300w, https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/10\/McKee-1-scaled-e1665362219196-768x488.jpg 768w, https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/10\/McKee-1-scaled-e1665362219196-1536x975.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/10\/McKee-1-scaled-e1665362219196-2048x1300.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Governor Dan McKee speaks at Teamsters Local 251 Union strike at DHL Express ServicePoint in Pawtucket. \u201cOur number one goal in the state of Rhode Island right now is to increase people\u2019s incomes and that\u2019s why you\u2019re standing here today: benefits and incomes,\u201d said McKee. Photo Credit: James Sadowki.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Central Falls resident Raul Ortega, while not in the labor industry, had experienced a form of wage theft at a car dealership he worked for in Massachusetts.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c[Wage theft] happened to me in a past job where the company wasn\u2019t paying out in overtime what they were supposed to be paying,\u201d said Ortega.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ortega is currently unemployed and said he wants to start his own car dealership.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both Molina-Hernandez and Brown had suggested asking local politicians how much they know about worker\u2019s rights issues in the area and how they might try and help workers in the two cities out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A partial solution RI State Senator Jonathon Acosta and RI State Representative Joshua Giraldo mentioned for worker\u2019s rights issues was supporting the development of cooperatives in the state.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cooperatives are \u201cbusinesses owned by \u2018member-owners\u2019\u201d and they are \u201cdemocratically controlled by their member-owners and unlike a traditional business, each member gets a voice in how the business is run. Services or goods provided by the co-op benefit and serve the member-owners,\u201d according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uaa.alaska.edu\/academics\/business-enterprise-institute\/coop-development\/what-are-cooperatives.cshtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">University of Alaska Anchorage<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think the cooperative bill is one way, it\u2019s one step but it\u2019s also about making sure that we have the bureaucratic capacity to enforce the labor regulations that we have on the books,\u201d <em>RI State Senator Jonathon<\/em> Acosta said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/10\/Jonathon-AcostaEditedCut.mp3\"><\/audio><figcaption>RI State Senator Jonathon Acosta <em>(Democrat, District 16 Central Falls, Pawtucket) discussing his thoughts on how supporting co-ops can help with labor issues in Rhode Island.<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI was a big supporter of the bill put forth from the attorney general\u2019s office that would make wage theft a felony\u2026I feel like it really compliments the initiative I have,\u201d <em>RI State Representative Joshua<\/em> Giraldo said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/10\/Joshua-GiraldoEditedCut.mp3\"><\/audio><figcaption><em>RI State Representative Joshua Giraldo (Democrat, District 56, Central Falls) discussing his support of bill S 2775 to make wage theft a felony in Rhode Island; it is currently classified as a misdemeanor.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ortega said he thought Acosta supporting the development of co-ops was a good idea. \u201cThat\u2019s definitely the right move to do,\u201d said Ortega. \u201cIt\u2019s an equal thing. Everybody gets a piece of the pie.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWith co-ops, since everybody\u2019s their own bosses and their own workers, you will be fighting labor injustice in that way,\u201d said Molina-Hernandez.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Co-founder and Executive Director of LUNA Community Care Casey Gallagher supported the idea of developing cooperatives throughout the state. LUNA is the first disabled workers cooperative in the United States, Gallagher said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn a workers cooperative, we\u2019re able to really teach everybody the basics of the business and work off of people\u2019s strengths, but also take care of one another,\u201d said Gallagher.&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/LUNAStaffBestPic-copy-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5061080\"\/><figcaption>LUNA Community Care Co-founder\/Executive Director Casey Gallagher (far left), Co-founder\/Worker-Owner Tara L. Boulais (mid-left), Worker-Owner Jeremiah Rainville (mid right), and Worker-Owner Sy Bedrick (far right). <br>Photo Credit: James Sadowski.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>In this audio slideshow, Gallagher provides more info on LUNA Community Care. The cooperative held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday, September 26, to celebrate the full opening of its programming, which includes classes, support groups, and special interest clubs, Gallagher said.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt is really a space where all disabled workers have equity\u2026 to give and receive support to one another, engage in special interests, [and] meet other community members,\u201d Gallagher said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Introducing LUNA Community Care\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PP54h_sTE4k?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption>In this audio slideshow, Gallagher provides more info on LUNA Community Care. The cooperative held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday, September 26, to celebrate the full opening of its programming, which includes classes, support groups, and special interest clubs, Gallagher said. Video by James Sadowki.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Publisher\u2019s Notes:<\/strong> This story is from Rhode Island Latino News\u2019 partnership with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rwu.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Roger Williams University<\/a> in supporting students\u2019 community-driven elections coverage, possible by grants from the <a href=\"https:\/\/centerforcooperativemedia.org\/democracy-day-sign-up-to-join-a-national-collaboration-open-to-all-u-s-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Center for Cooperative Media&#8217;s Democracy Day<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanpressinstitute.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">American Press Institute<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>CENTRAL FALLS AND PAWTUCKET, R.I. \u2014 Issues concerning worker\u2019s rights spread across the globe, but in Rhode Island, two cities [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5061092,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","ghostkit_customizer_options":"","ghostkit_custom_css":"","ghostkit_custom_js_head":"","ghostkit_custom_js_foot":"","ghostkit_typography":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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FALLS AND PAWTUCKET, R.I. \u2014 Issues concerning worker\u2019s rights spread across the globe, but in Rhode Island, two cities [&hellip;]","authors":[{"term_id":6019,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"james-sadowski","display_name":"James 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