APALA Convenes First National Hearing on Asian Pacific American Workers' Rights

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Malcolm Amado Uno
Phone: 202-508-3733
Email: muno@apalanet.org
Web: www.apalanet.org

Washington D.C. – APALA and the AFL-CIO, in partnership with over 20 national and local organizations, convened the First National Asian Pacific American Workers’ Rights Hearing on Friday, November 13, 2009.  The historic hearing allowed Asian Pacific American workers from around the country to testify on the right to organize and immigrant worker exploitation before a distinguished panel and an audience of over 200 people, representing a broad cross section of elected officials, labor leaders, community allies and academicians.

“AAPI workers are likely targets of labor violations in the workplace because they can be vulnerable and isolated immigrant workers who may be less informed of labor laws, may not speak English, and come to the U.S. with a distrust of the government and fear of immigration retaliation,” said Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-32) a hearing panelist.  “As a co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act, I am proud to stand with all workers who choose to form or join unions.”

“Contrary to misperceptions about Asian Pacific Americans, segments of this workforce still experience a litany of abuses in their jobs and worksites, including wage theft, union suppression and immigrant worker exploitation,” said John Delloro, APALA National President.  

In his testimony, Ricky Lau, an electrician with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and an immigrant from China, spoke of how his former employer, NBC Contractors, paid him and his immigrant co-workers substandard wages and forced them to toil up to 12 hours a day, six days a week.  One of four named plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against the company, Lau testified that NBC Contractors was recently charged by the Alameda County District Attorney’s office for 48 felony counts, including massive wage theft, insurance fraud and perjury, involving millions of dollars.  

“Our case highlights how immigrant workers, who may not speak English or know their rights, can be victimized by unscrupulous employers who cheat workers by not paying the proper wage,” said Lau.  “It also shows how unions, in this case the IBEW, can and must play an instrumental role to assist immigrant workers in asserting our basic rights.”

“The new leadership of the AFL-CIO was elected on a platform that included a commitment to diversity within the labor movement,” said Liz Shuler, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer and hearing panelist.  “Convening the First National Hearing on Asian Pacific American Workers marks a significant milestone for the AFL-CIO, APALA and Asian Pacific American workers around the country by providing a platform for them to share their experiences.”

Following the hearing, APALA will release a groundbreaking national report focusing on Asian Pacific American workers, in partnership with the University of Maryland’s Asian American Studies Department and the UCLA Labor Center.  

“This report will be the first national publication examining Asian Pacific American workers and the critical role that labor unions provide this workforce,” said Kent Wong, Director of the UCLA Labor Center and founding APALA National President.

Hearing panelists included the following: Congresswoman Judy Chu, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler, Special Assistant to the Secretary of Labor Mary Beth Maxwell, APALA National President John Delloro, Jobs with Justice Executive Director Sarita Gupta, UCLA Labor Center Director Kent Wong, University of Maryland’s Asian American Studies Director Larry Shinagawa, and United States Student Association President Greg Cendana.

Co-sponsoring organizations include the Asian American Action Fund (AAAF), Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center (APALRC), Asian Pacific Americans for Progress (APAP), Asian Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote), Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans of Virginia (CAPAVA), Hmong National Development (HND), Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), Jobs with Justice, Kaya – Filipino Americans for Progress, Legal Aid Justice Center, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), National Coalition of Asian Pacific American Community Development (CAPACD), National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC), OCA, South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), South East Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC), United States Student Association (USSA) and the University of Maryland’s Asian American Studies Department.