EEOC Opening Office in San Juan

[Leticia_g]

EEOC Opening Office in San Juan

.c The Associated Press


WASHINGTON (AP) - The Equal Opportunity Commission is opening an area office in San Juan, Puerto Rico, because of a steady increase in employment discrimination charges.

The office is the EEOC's first outside the 50 states and the District of Columbia, and will serve Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The New York district office previously had oversight of those U.S. territories.

``America's Caribbean region is crying out for the kind of attention and protection that the EEOC can and should provide,'' said outgoing Chairwoman Ida L. Castro.

Castro said anti-discrimination statutes in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands do not protect workers against retaliation by employers if they complain about discrimination. But the EEOC enforces federal statutes that shield workers from employer retaliation.

Federal and local employment anti-discrimination laws have been enforced in those areas through their labor departments, but the local agencies have not been able to address such issues as the Americans with Disabilities Act, discrimination concerns and federal employer issues, Castro said.

The office will be staffed with 14 employees, including investigators, lawyers and mediators to investigate, resolve or litigate discrimination charges.

[MinFaluMuhammad]

In many instances, there are cases where an employee will win a discrimination lawsuit in a lower court, but before it is time for the big time company to pay up, they take the small employee to appellate court and win. Due to the fact that the employee can no longer afford to continue to pay for legal fees. My mother is going through that right now. She has worked at a daycare for the past 9 years. Yet, the lady that she works for is so slow in giving her a raise. Mind you she is the only Puerto Rican working for the entire company, which has five large daycares under its umbrella. They have tried to correct her about speaking spanish to the Latino children because they don't understand her. Now, she is in court with them because one of the doors of the daycare's, that she warned the owner about its safety hazard, slammed and chopped off a piece of one of my sister's fingers. My mother feels it is so ironic that of all the children in the daycare, the one that was hurt was her own daughter. I was just interested that it has taken so long for an EEOC office to open up in Puerto Rico. Do Puerto Ricans think that we are immune to racism?

your brother and servant,

Hector Falu-Muhammad

[Leticia_g]

Hector,
I am pretty familiar with Labor Laws since that is one of my present majors and my experience is in Human Resource. The things companies cover up are unbelievable. The main thing I recommend anyone is to document everything. Put it in writing. This terrifies companies.Whenever they tell you anything, repeat what they said in a letter or memo written to them with copies to the head of the organization or company. Out here, you can find Labor Lawyers that will review your case and won't charge you if they are sure your case is good. They know they will make mega bucks if they win the case. It is unfortunate that Puerto Rico's employment laws are so lax. Even the wage and hours laws are not the Federal mandated ones. Companies know that and therefore they abuse the employees. You should check whether your sister's case could be covered under personal injury, I am sure that they have suits against companies due to personal injuries especially if your sister is a child and was hurt.

Good luck and I truly pray your sister will recover.

[Edited by Leticia_g on 4th August 2001 at 05:25]