Even late on a Friday afternoon, the ample spaces of El Centro de Igualdad y Derechos in Southwest Albuquerque is aflutter with activity including youth groups, focus groups, meetings and staff connecting with individuals coming through the doorways bathed in the New Mexican afternoon sun.
Among all this activity is a dedicated group, the Worker’s Committee, that has a vision to organize and fightback.
“It’s hard to integrate new people, really hard for me,” explains Placida, who is nothing short of a charismatic organizer. “And we used to fight with management before more than now.”
“It can’t be anything if they [the management] don’t change. But it has really changed. It’s not like how they used to treat us before.”
But despite her reported challenges, Placida and her co-workers have won a set of demands at the Coors Ave. hotel where she works as a housekeeper. For a year now they have won fixed schedules for workers, a system to give ample notice to change a worker’s schedule, lightened work load (cleaning three rooms per hour—previously there was no maximum), reduced accidents and injuries, regular days off, set on-call days and overall improved work conditions for the housekeeping staff, including training for new staff and ongoing training to set standards.
“Now there aren’t lists of over 20 something rooms to clean,” explained Placida.
It’s this committee and individual efforts that are supported by the Worker’s Committee that are stepping up the campaign against wage theft, thought to be nothing less than rampant in New Mexico especially impacting immigrant communities.
At least once a week El Centro has someone walk through its doors with a wage theft case.
“What I was going to ask now that we are focusing on wage theft is that there is a lot of disrespect and a lot of time they try to squash our efforts. This happens at a lot of work places,” said Felipe, one of the members.
“Wage theft is against the law and workers have certain rights and we are working with all to put an end to it,” explained staff organizer Mauricio Segovia about the efforts. “Some are doing it maliciously and are repeat offenders. What we have been doing over the last two years, we provide the workers affected with an orientation and then integrate them into the membership. The Worker’s Committee is a real support for each other.”
One of the recent cases involved an employer who hired a laborer to lay cement and ended up only paying half of the agreed amount.
“Sometimes there are individual cases or cases of many workers. We also take on discrimination cases, sexual harassment and OSHA violations,” added Mauricio.
“We are organizing in the community to make systemic change that directly impacts the Latino immigrant community—first generation or recent immigrants. We inform members of their rights and advance the call for their rights on all levels,” explained Mauricio.
Education and recruitment
Like any serious activists in the U.S., or anywhere, the discussion shifted to recruitment and promotion on Facebook and other social media.
“There’s the possibility of more ‘likes’ being an individual on Facebook,” explained Mauricio through several examples. “But we can create a group too.”
“I think Instragram for sure,” said Manuel Sanz, who works on the blog that has regular educational materials on worker’s history (Visit www.encuentronm.org).
The meetings shifted to a discussion and presentation by Manuel on the history of May Day in the U.S.
“These Haymarket protesters were mostly immigrant workers in the fight for the 8-hour day,” explained Sanz. “They erased it from the history of the U.S.”
“They went to work in the sun and came home under the stars,” commented Placida.
“All these people died, so that I could work an 8 hour day,” reflected Christian.
The discussion on May Day was not an academic exercise by a long shot. Education and strategic promotion is central to the Worker’s Committee efforts to expand and recruit other workers who can organize and fight for better conditions at the work place and to stand up to wage theft.
In the coming weekends the group took on assignments to do outreach at several churches on Sunday morning.
“The times listed on the sheet are when we are meeting if you are not going to attend Mass,” explained Mauricio.
“I will be coming out from Mass so look for me,” called out Sergio, one of the members of the committee.
They will also be doing recruitment and educational work at several busy stores frequented by immigrant populations in addition to targeting four different churches.
Placida and Manuel are also recording a public service announcement that will air on the Spanish speaking RadioLobo KLVO 97.7 FM .
El Centro and the Worker’s Committee is no small-time effort. Already the center has 2500 members and an enthusiastic core to expand efforts to push back wage theft that is all too common in New Mexico’s largest city.
To join in with efforts contact elcentronm.org or call 505.246.1627
