Brown workers protest the use of subcontractors and private corporations in the library and mailroom on November 14
On October 27, Fuerza joined with AFSCME and Brown University mailroom and library workers in a workshop led by the Brown Student Labor Alliance about the increase in subcontracted, privatized, and outsourced work. Workers across many industries in all parts of the world are facing wage cuts, losses of benefits, threats, intimidation, and dangerous working conditions as a direct result of subcontractors and private corporations. Thank you to the Brown students for inviting us to be a part of this panel!
From Bluestockings magazine:
"Harol López described Fuerza Laboral’s work to stop wage theft by Avalon Bay, a construction company, who withheld over $15,000 in wages from undocumented workers. Although Avalon Bay eventually worked out a payment with Fuerza Laboral, workers’ internalized fear along with a vast, interstate system of subcontracting made it incredibly difficult to secure justice. 'The fear when you’re undocumented really stops workers from speaking out. It’s fear of being reported, fear of being fired and not being able to find a new job or a job that’s as good,” said López. Gladys Gould from AFSCME added, “[The subcontracting companies] threaten people with their jobs, and then these workers won’t organize…We have women who get sexually assaulted, who put up with all these things because they don’t want to lose their jobs.”