Friday, December 14, 2007 ugnayan.nynj@gmail.com
WHAT: Campaign Launch for Filipina Youth Restaurant Worker
WHEN: Friday, December 14, 2007
TIME: 7:45 pm to 10:30 pm
WHERE: The Five Points, 30 Mott Street, street level
DIRECTIONS: Q/W/R/J/Z/6 train to Canal Street; walk east on Canal; right on Mott Street
BACKGROUND
Adriane is a young Filipina worker who seeks compensation from her former employers, Santiago Manlapaz and Lilia Reyes, owners of the restaurant and bar formerly known as Barrio Fiesta in Woodside, Queens. Adriane worked in the restaurant as a waitress for approximately three years (October 2003 to May 2006). She was 19 at the time she was hired. When she was hired, she did not receive any formal training and was not informed of what her wage would be.From 2003 to 2004, Adriane worked two weekday evenings for 9 hours, and grueling Friday and Saturday shifts for over 12 hours. Throughout her employment, Manlapaz and Reyes paid Adriane $3 per hour, well below the prescribed federal and state minimum wage, and she was not given overtime compensation and additional spread of hours pay. Manlapaz and Reyes also engaged tip stealing. From November 2005 through May 2006, they withheld her entire wage with the exception of $30 flat wage for her weekend buffet shifts, and threatened to terminate her when she complained.
Manlapaz created and perpetuated a hostile work environment by regularly making explicit and lewd comments about the bodies, sex lives and personal relationships of Adriane and the other female waitresses.
Santiago Manlapaz and Lilia Reyes are responsible for their failure to pay Adriane sufficiently and treat her with respect. Adriane, with the support of other Filipino youth and organizations, demands Manlapaz and Reyes to: (1) Pay Adriane in unpaid wages, overtime pay and wage violations; (2) Issue an apology letter to Adriane; and (3) Respect the rights and dignity of all workers.
Adriane’s story is not unique. She is part of a community of educated, skilled youth from the Philippines who are forced to migrate because of a lack of opportunities in the country, and upon arrival in the US are pushed into low-wage service work. This marginalization makes them vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, where young Filipino women are additionally vulnerable to sexual harassment. Unfortunately, even more established Filipino employers seeking to find better economic opportunities in the US can take advantage of and abuse low-wage women service workers.
The US government is complicit. The US benefits from the marginalization and exploitation of Filipino youth working as cheap labor to support the restaurant and service industries, while denying the youth adequate legal protections and avenues to seek justice.
Join the launch for the Justice for Adriane Campaign at Ugnayan’s Third Anniversary Year-End Celebration Magdiwang. Help win the unpaid wages and other damages for Adriane. Expose the working conditions of Filipino youth workers. Uphold the rights and dignity of Filipino youth workers. Struggle for justice, dignity, basic human rights and liberation.
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