http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/04/25/10/pinoy-teachers-louisiana-knew-what-they-were-gettingI'm glad the union is taking this on. The only way to really cut down on this kind of crap is to make sure a third party can't rake off huge profits from selling jobs here. It sounds like the lawsuit is going after the school too. There have to be teachers who could fill these jobs without having to outsource.
Union: decision a warning vs abusive recruiters
But Randi Weingarten, AFT president, clearly signaled they will continue supporting the Filipino teachers.
“This decision is a victory for teachers and for fundamental human rights. We applaud the Filipino teachers themselves, who showed great courage in asserting their rights, banding together and challenging a company that sought to oppress them through fraud, threats and intimidation,” she averred.
“We also applaud the Louisiana Federation of Teachers and our local affiliates in Louisiana, who stood with – and stood up for – these teachers. The decision should give pause to other companies who would consider exploiting teachers or other workers,” Weingarten stressed.
She acknowledged the administrative court decision was just the start of a possibly protracted legal battle with UPI.
“With this first legal hurdle cleared, we are thrilled that the teachers can focus all their attention on what they love and what they are good at – teaching students,” the AFT chief added.
Fines, jail or both
The Louisiana labor tribunal ordered UPI to refund at least $1.8 million in “marketing fees” collected from the teachers.
The Filipino teachers allegedly paid at least $15,000 each to UPI and PARS. But in the court filings, it was estimated the teachers paid $5,000 each in “marketing fees.”
Judge Shelley Dick ordered UPI to refund the “placement fees” but did not put a precise dollar amount. “Scrutiny of these fees is not within the regulatory authority of this Commission,” the magistrate declared.
UPI was also directed to pay litigation expenses and a $500 fine for operating without a license in Louisiana.
The recruitment agency could face criminal prosecution (a misdemeanor punishable by a fine or 6 months imprisonment, or both) for operating without a license, and a possible federal indictment for compelling teachers to pay for their visa processing fees.
As the case grinds through the US justice system, the controversy merely highlights the travails of Filipino teachers who, put off by the lack of opportunities back home, are ready to live by the knife’s edge just to get a slice of the “American dream.”