We’re thrilled to report a big win in court!

No one should have to pay to work. Recruitment fees are the root of a myriad of labor abuses — leaving workers indebted, and vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation.

While federal law prohibits recruitment fees, it is often toothless. This means that employers and recruiters can get away with making workers pay for their jobs.

Such was the case with Fancy Farms.

Earlier this year, 100,000 au pairs and our allies at the organization Towards Justice celebrated a great victory: they reached a $65.5 million dollar agreement with 15 companies authorized to recruit au pairs. They were accused of maintaining artificially low wages and denying overtime pay to workers under the program.

Barbara Reyna, member of the Migrant Defense Committee and former participant of the au pair program, told us her perspective on this lawsuit.

A principios de este año, celebramos una gran victoria junto a nuestras aliadas en la organización Towards Justice y 100,000 au pairs: 15 compañías autorizadas para reclutar a au pairs llegaron a un acuerdo por $65.5 millones de dólares al ser acusadas de mantener salarios artificialmente bajos y negar tiempo extra a las y los trabajadores bajo el programa.

Barbara Reyna, integrante del Comité de Defensa del Migrante y participante del programa au pair, nos contó su perspectiva sobre esta demanda.

-----------------

En este Día Internacional de la Mujer, nuestro equipo honra a las valientes trabajadoras migrantes que defienden su derecho a tener un lugar de trabajo seguro. ¿Pero quiénes son las mujeres dispuestas a hacer sonar el silbato?

Can you hear them?

This International Women’s Day, our team is honoring courageous migrant worker women who stand up for their right to a safe workplace.But who are the women willing to blow the whistle?

Today, we’re thinking of Mariel, a Mexican veterinarian hired to work in an Oklahoma hog farm under the TN visa program. Upon arrival, she realized that her job would be far from what she was promised. Every day, she endured workplace conditions that put her personal safety at risk.

In the first lawsuit of its kind during the Trump administration, courageous Latina and Latino workers are standing up to the federal government’s unconstitutional tactics during a raid of their workplace.  

En la primera demanda de este tipo durante la administración Trump, trabajadores latinos y latinas valientes se defendieron en contra de las tácticas inconstitucionales del gobierno federal con motivo de una redada de su lugar de trabajo.