Bonjour. Mabuhay.
Justice still prevails...
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THE Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) recently ruled in favor of ten Filipino teachers working in Louisiana in a case against a Manila-based recruitment agency, PARS International Placement Agency, and its partner agency, California-based Universal Placement International (UPI). POEA Administrator Carlos S. Cao Jr. canceled the licenses of these agencies after they were found guilty of overcharging of fees.
According to the allegations, PARS and UPI set up illegal contracts and charged exorbitant fees for teachers to come to the US on H-1B visas. The teachers were forced to pay $16,000 up front as placement fees and were promised $40,000 salaries. They were required to sign over 10% of their monthly salary for two years and to pay for housing provided by UPI. Teachers unable to pay the fees up front were directed to loan companies by UPI, which charged exorbitant interest rates. The migrant teachers were also threatened with deportation if they complained.
The owners of PARS and UPI, Emilio V. Villarba and Lourdes Navarro, were put in POEA’s list of people with derogatory records. UPI was prohibited from participating in the overseas placement programs of the government. Refunds amounting from $4,583.33 to $7,169.33 were awarded to the 10 complainants.
Other legal suits in America have been filed against Universal Placement International which include a case filed by the Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT). Allegations involve multiple violations of state and federal laws and were brought forward by LFT. In August 2010, UPI faced a class action lawsuit filed in federal court by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the labor union American Federation of Teachers for defrauding and illegally trafficking 350 teachers from the Philippines to teach in Louisiana public schools since 2007.
Attorneys for the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT) say the union is asking that the teachers’ contracts with the California-based recruiter be voided, and that the recruiter be criminally prosecuted under state law.
Lourdes “Lulu” Navarro, a Filipino and president of the recruiting company, is already a convicted felon. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Navarro was convicted of ripping off the Medi-Cal program in California to the tune of $1 million. She served a year in jail in Southern California, but turned up in New Jersey in 2003, where she pleaded guilty to money laundering.
“We welcome the victory of the brave Filipino migrant teachers of Louisiana.
This comes in the wake of earlier awards by the Louisiana Work Commission (LWC) to the teachers for violation of labor laws in the US by their US-based recruiter. Hopefully illegal recruiters will learn a lesson from the courageous fight put up by the teachers,” stated Judy Ann Miranda, secretary-general of Partido ng Manggagawa (PM), which is assisting the Filipino migrant teachers.
“We encourage other teachers who have been similarly victimized by PARS and UPI, or other illegal recruiters to come out and fight for your rights. We will support you and through perseverance, you will surely win as the precedent of the Louisiana teachers have shown,” Miranda added.
(www.asianjournal.com)
OTHER NEWS:
Justice still prevails...
==============================
THE Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) recently ruled in favor of ten Filipino teachers working in Louisiana in a case against a Manila-based recruitment agency, PARS International Placement Agency, and its partner agency, California-based Universal Placement International (UPI). POEA Administrator Carlos S. Cao Jr. canceled the licenses of these agencies after they were found guilty of overcharging of fees.
According to the allegations, PARS and UPI set up illegal contracts and charged exorbitant fees for teachers to come to the US on H-1B visas. The teachers were forced to pay $16,000 up front as placement fees and were promised $40,000 salaries. They were required to sign over 10% of their monthly salary for two years and to pay for housing provided by UPI. Teachers unable to pay the fees up front were directed to loan companies by UPI, which charged exorbitant interest rates. The migrant teachers were also threatened with deportation if they complained.
The owners of PARS and UPI, Emilio V. Villarba and Lourdes Navarro, were put in POEA’s list of people with derogatory records. UPI was prohibited from participating in the overseas placement programs of the government. Refunds amounting from $4,583.33 to $7,169.33 were awarded to the 10 complainants.
Other legal suits in America have been filed against Universal Placement International which include a case filed by the Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT). Allegations involve multiple violations of state and federal laws and were brought forward by LFT. In August 2010, UPI faced a class action lawsuit filed in federal court by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the labor union American Federation of Teachers for defrauding and illegally trafficking 350 teachers from the Philippines to teach in Louisiana public schools since 2007.
Attorneys for the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT) say the union is asking that the teachers’ contracts with the California-based recruiter be voided, and that the recruiter be criminally prosecuted under state law.
Lourdes “Lulu” Navarro, a Filipino and president of the recruiting company, is already a convicted felon. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Navarro was convicted of ripping off the Medi-Cal program in California to the tune of $1 million. She served a year in jail in Southern California, but turned up in New Jersey in 2003, where she pleaded guilty to money laundering.
“We welcome the victory of the brave Filipino migrant teachers of Louisiana.
This comes in the wake of earlier awards by the Louisiana Work Commission (LWC) to the teachers for violation of labor laws in the US by their US-based recruiter. Hopefully illegal recruiters will learn a lesson from the courageous fight put up by the teachers,” stated Judy Ann Miranda, secretary-general of Partido ng Manggagawa (PM), which is assisting the Filipino migrant teachers.
“We encourage other teachers who have been similarly victimized by PARS and UPI, or other illegal recruiters to come out and fight for your rights. We will support you and through perseverance, you will surely win as the precedent of the Louisiana teachers have shown,” Miranda added.
(www.asianjournal.com)
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