SAN FRANCISCO – Two Filipino caregivers are celebrating their legal victory against their employer who they say abused them for years.
Caregivers Lourdes Torres and Victoria Aquino are live-in caregivers for a San Francisco care home.
“Ang panawagan ko, baguhin ang patakaran ng mga amo ng caregiver dahil kung wala kami di rin kayo yayaman,” Torres said.
The Filipino Community Center and the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns helped the 2 file wage claims with California’s Division of Labor Standards Employment.
As live-in caregivers, Torres and Aquino say they worked on-call 24 hours, 7 days a week. They claimed they were only paid for 8 hours of work each day, caring for 6 elderly and disabled patients.
Aquino said, “Hindi kami makalabas ng bahay. Para kaming preso.”
Thanks to the free legal help of the Women’s Employment Rights Clinic, Torres and Aquino’s employer reduced their work hours to 8 hours. But, Torres and Aquino continue to work for the same employer.
By law, employers are not allowed to retaliate after their employers who file a case against them. Both caregivers continue to fight for their back wages, totaling about $120,000.
Marcie Seville of the Women’s Employment Rights Center said live-in caregivers need to know they have the right to be paid for every hour they work. If they get bothered during their sleep, they still need to be paid for that.
Both Torres and Aquino have legal immigration status. But advocates say undocumented immigrants have a right to be paid minimum wage and overtime hours, just like other workers. Balitang America
Other Headlines
It’s women’s month!
“Support women every day of the year!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar to carry out the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry recommendations against serious violations of Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.
Accept National Unity Government
(NUG) of Myanmar.
Reject Military!
#WearMask #WashHands #Distancing #TakePicturesVideos
Monthly Observances:
Women’s Role in History Month
Weekly Observances:
Week 1: Environmental Week
Women’s Week
Week 3: Philippine Industry and Made-in-the-Philippines
Products Week
Last Week: Protection and Gender-Fair Treatment
of the Girl Child Week
Daily Observances:
March 8: Women’s Rights and
International Peace Day;
National Women’s Day
Mar 4— Employee Appreciation Day
Mar 15 — World Consumer Rights Day
Mar 18 — Global Recycling Day
Mar 21 — International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Mar 23 — International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims
Mar 25 — International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
Mar 27 — Earth Hour
