San Jose, CA - In Downtown San Jose, Pilipino Caregivers and Advocates from the People’s Association of Worker’s and Immigrants (PAWIS) came together and demonstrated in front of Camera 12 Theater to end the mistreatment and abuse of Domestic Workers. They rallied to demand the same rights and policies as other workers in their field of work, during the premiere of "The Help", a movie about discrimination and abuse to African-American domestic caregivers in the 1950s.
Today in California, the Caregiver Society is now headed by the Latino and Pilipino Communities. It's 2011 and domestic workers are still being mistreated and abused by their employers in the workplace because of the lack of workers rights. According to the PAWIS, there are about 114,000 Pilipino domestic caregivers in the United States, and the majority of them complain of mistreatment that has been done to them by their employers.
Annie Sayo, spokesperson for the People’s Association of Worker’s and Immigrants (PAWIS) said, “The help, in modern day, is what they call domestic workers or caregivers. The help back then used to be African-Americans. Now it’s mostly Latinos and Filipinos — immigrants. This is the last workers sector that still has not received any rights.”
Filipino Caregivers Fight for Workers Rights
Many domestic workers had seen many flaws in the domestic workers society in the past. Many caregivers in the past have been subjected a form of slavery or servitude, low and unfair wages, no breaks nor payed vacations, and some domestic workers are even physically beaten or worse yet, sexually assaulted.
The Domestic Workers Bill of Rights is still pending in legislation in Sacramento. Pilipinos will see to it that freedom is given to many of the mistreated caregivers that have given their services to the sick and to other U.S. families across the United States.
*Picture Courtesy by: ugnayan.blogspot.com/
If you want to support the passing of the the Domestic Workers bill of rights please sign the petition in the following link:
Tell California to Pass a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights!
For more info on People’s Association of Worker’s and Immigrants (PAWIS):
http://www.pa.gov.sg/
