NEWS

Left: CoFiA members at the Palisades Park Health Fair

Right: Board member Suzanne Broffman at Leonia Day

CoFiA was recently invited to participate in events in Palisades Park and Leonia. In Pal Park, we had a table at the annual Health Fair where we were able to introduce the community to our work and display some of the beautiful fabrics hand-woven by women in the collective in Cajola, Guatemala. Angelica worked very hard to let Guatemalan families in Pal Park know about the Fair, and a good number of people came with their children. Many tables had nice giveaways which were much appreciated.

On the next day we had a table at the Leonia Day Fair, an event we have participated in for several years. This was held outdoors on a lovely day and again the crafts from Guatemala added a festive air.

CoFiA staff member Elias Garcia recruited a large group of eager workers for this spring’s OSHA training. This training is very important because on successful completion workers are awarded an Occupational Safety and Health Administration certificate, which can be shared with potential employers. The course instructs students in what their rights are, how to stay safe on the job, what they can do if an employer asks them to do dangerous work without safety gear, and more. They are also provided specific information on on-the-job topics such as scaffolding, day wall installation, electrical issues, and much more.

With Elias’ help CoFiA has been able to provide this training for several years and a growing number of workers are now working more safely and are able to demand more consideration from employers. This self-confidence also helps them stand up to employers who refuse to pay for work completed. A good combination with the work of the Wage Theft Committee! There is no charge for the training program.

One of the trainers for this series was Diana Mejia.

Even though many of the workers in the area are back at regular or full-time jobs, we are still able to find people to assist homeowners on special projects. The photos here are of a job done by skilled masons at a home in Teaneck. The owner is very pleased! To request a worker, send us an email at info@communityoffriendsinaction.org.

CoFiA member Dr. Hung-en Sung will discuss the problem of wage theft at a seminar at the Palisades Park library on June 6, 2014, at 7:30. Dr. Sung, a Professor of Criminal Justice at John Jay College, recently completed a research project based on interviews with 280 workers in Palisades Park. The results of the research were published as a chapter entitled, “Tyrannizing Strangers for Profit: Wage Theft, Cross-Border Migrant Workers, and the Politics of Exclusion in an Era of Global Economic Integration,” in OUTSIDE JUSTICE: IMMIGRATION AND THE CRIMINALIZING IMPACT OF CHANGING POLICY AND PRACTICE (Springer, 2013).

CoFiA has long been concerned about almost universal reports of wage theft among the workers we know. Dr. Sung’s research adds hard statistics and interpretation to what we have learned anecdotally. As he points out, our current immigration policy not only allows but encourages the rampant exploitation of workers–and effectively prevents them from having any recourse to gain justice, on their own.

The session is free and open to the public. For more information send an email to us at info@communityoffriendsinaction.org.

A committee from CoFiA recently got together with teachers from Lindberg Elementary School in Palisades Park and librarians from the Palisades Park Public Library to discuss the need for a story hour for Spanish-speaking families with young children. Out of these discussions an exciting new group has formed, meeting on Wednesday afternoons at the library. Teacher Jenny Rama is volunteering her time to provide instruction to both children and parents. She is a dynamic teacher and everyone is having fun! Drop by some Wednesday afternoon at 4:00!

After a busy season from November to April, the volunteers who participate in the CoFiA Monday Lunch program gathered at Vitale’s Restaurant in Teaneck for a well-deserved thank-you lunch. This is a faithful group that turns up in almost any weather to be sure workers have a warm meal and a place to relax at least once a week in the worst weather. At this year’s end-of-season lunch the volunteers were joined by members of the hard-working Wage Theft committee. Due to their energy and determination the committee has been able to collect unpaid wages for many people. Most recently, an $8000 claim was recognized as valid by the Department of Labor, and the committee was able to work out a payment schedule with the contractor. Without people like those on this committee, there would be no recourse for many who have been cheated of their pay.

On Sunday, April 6, 2014, Maria Andreu made a presentation to the Unitarian Society of Ridgewood (USR) on behalf of the Community of Friends in Action. USR has been a long-time friend and supporter of CoFiA and welcomed Maria back with enthusiasm–and with a donation of $1019.50!

Maria’s appeal was particularly addressed to the ongoing and growing need for assistance to workers who are cheated of their wages by unscrupulous employers. In the most recent case, a worker won a settlement of $8000 through the Department of Labor. Unfortunately, DOL has very limited enforcement ability; the CoFiA wage theft committee was able to work out an agreement with the employer to make payments over a period of time. The first payment was delivered to the worker on April 16.

Almost all the people CoFiA has helped over the years have at least one wage theft story. Because they tend to be individuals, or very small groups (four workers or fewer, for example) lawyers are generally unwilling to help. Our energetic committee assisted by staff member Angelica Martinez spends many hours collecting information, checking the data received from the worker with accounts from the employer, and negotiating with worker and employer for settlement. The grant from USR will be of great help in this process.

Staff members Elias Garcia and Angelica Martinez, with CoFiA Chair Carolyn Sobering, were invited to talk about the CoFiA Wage Theft program at the April 9 meeting of the Sunset Rotary Club, Central Bergen. In the photo Elias, Angelica and Carolyn are greeted by Club President Tom Shea, a long-time Ridgewood resident. He said they gave “harrowing accounts of immigrant day workers being badly treated by employers and of their efforts to fight unfair practices via legal action against the perpetrators.”

The Community of Friends in Action acknowledges with gratitude a recent donation from the Leonia United Methodist Church. This congregation includes several CoFiA members and has been unfailingly supportive of our work over the years. Many thanks!

And P.S. Thanks as well for agreeing to house the marimba which our friends in Grupo Folklorico Tikal purchased. As the pastor noted, “It’s really big!”