Pinoy newspaper in US fined for labor violations

LOS ANGELES – A Filipino newspaper is in trouble after the US Labor Department reportedly found out that it violated many rules when it hired workers from the Philippines.

Asian Journal has been sponsoring the work visas of Filipinos as writers, journalists, and accountants. The Labor Department found that the visa holders worked in the sales department.

Asian Journal also failed to pay overtime to some of its workers. The violations occurred between 2006 and 2008.

The newspaper will pay 32 employees over half a million dollars in back wages. It will not be allowed to petition any foreign workers for 2 years.

“Typically, the H1B’s program purpose is to help workers fill positions and seek out workers that have specific skills that are not available domestically. We, in the department enforce a number of labor laws; H1B is one of them so the issues are widespread in a number of industries,” said Kimchi Bui of the US Department of Labor.

The newspaper has also been fined $40,000 as a penalty. Asian Journal has operations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York and The Philippines.

“There’s an assumption that laws were being violated. The thing to note in the Department of Labor’s information is that these are allegations based on an investigation,” said Atty. Clint Robinson, legal counsel for the newspaper in Los Angeles.

During an interview with Balitang America via Skype, Robinson added, “The company went ahead and appealed the findings and decided that it would challenge the findings, denying the findings, in court as is its due process right. Not long prior to the hearing, a resolution was reached with the Department of Labor. So to characterize them as findings of violations is not necessarily an accurate characterization.”

Robinson also commented on why Asian Journal primarily employed foreign journalists who ended up working in the sales department.

“It’s a family run business that has a number of different needs. And their commitment to the community is to get the news out. Now, sometimes, people, who are, in fact, journalists, are performing other tasks that may include things that are needed to run a newspaper and make it efficient. That doesn’t mean they’re not journalists. Again, that’s something the company denies with respect to the allegations by the Department of Labor,” Robinson said. Balitang America