Suit alleges exploitation of Filipino teachers in La.

[cory777]

Source: USA Today

BATON ROUGE — Hundreds of Filipino teachers recruited to teach in Louisiana schools were thrust into massive debt, unsavory living conditions and, in effect, indentured servitude, an attorney charges in a class action lawsuit to be filed today.

About 350 teachers were recruited through a placement service for Filipinos, which the lawsuit says charged them exorbitant application fees and transportation and housing costs and demanded up to 30% of their salaries their first two years.

"It was close to slavery," said Mary Bauer, lead attorney in the lawsuit set to be filed in federal court in Los Angeles by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Federation of Teachers and the law firm Covington & Burling. "There was fraud on a number of levels here."

Filipino teachers began arriving in Louisiana in 2007. They were granted visas through the H-1B "guest worker" program, administered by the Department of Labor, which permits foreign nationals with special skills to work in the United States. Each of the Filipino teachers has specific skills sought by school systems.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-08-05-teachers05_ST_N.htm?csp=netvibes

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News with an Edge! http://activistnews.blogspot.com The Truth Hurts!

[AnneD]

1. Now substitute HB1 visa....

for Teach for America and you get the picture of what is going on in American education today. They have been using HB1 nurses from the Philippines to under cut Nurses here in this country for years. In fact, Nurses are the top export in the Philippians.

[Oldenuff]

2. Yep!

The Philippines cranks out teachers and nurses by the thousands every year.The dream of every student is to go abroad where they can make a decent living,and send money home to help support their families.

If anyone would want to see what a real conservative country would be like to live in,just head over to the Philippines.Most Filipinos live in poverty,and at the whim of the rich and powerful.

Actually,the greatest export of the Philippines is:....Filipinos.

I should also mention that these placement agencies are a scourge.As mentioned in the article,these placement agencies exact a heavy toll on Filipinos who will work abroad for peanuts.They have absolutely no qualms about cheating their fellow countrymen for a fast buck.

[Odin2005]

3. The RCC also has a vice-like grip on the country.

I heard on NPR a few days ago that RCC political influence has made sure that Filipinos are very ignorant about contraception, contributing to a very high teen pregnancy rate.

[Blue_Tires]

7. +1

[TRUTH89]

11. Louisiana Filipino Teacher - The TRUTH behind the lawsuit

Louisiana Filipino Teachers (EBR-East Baton Rouge Parish
School) H1-VISA, temporary working visas. On top of intent to
extort monetary compensation from their school, many of these
H1-VISA teachers filed for relief from the HURRICANE KATRINA
knowingly that they were not affected. Their recruiter ask the
teachers to return and compensation from the relief center
because its immoral to take something that is from tax-payer's
dollars which should only go to citizens who really need it.
Most of them refuse to return the relief fund. The school had
noted this action from the H1-visa teachers. What more do they
want? They need more money by filing a class action suit
against their school. They are supported heavily by the union
(AFT/LFT) because they have a VEST INTEREST. The complain last
October 2009 from the teachers, AFT/LFT and their lawyers to
different government did not bear any evidence or truth in
their claim. That's why nothing happen to their recruiters,
school board members, etc. etc. The trial in the LWC
(Louisiana Worforce Commission) was even eye-opening because
they H1-VISA teachers on the stand got caught perjuring
themselves by lying to the defense attorney. That is also
noted. What more would they do to extort monetary compensation
from our tax-dollars? They are asking for PITY for being
recruited from the Philippines because an average teacher in
the Philippines only makes around $200 dollars a month while
now in (EBR) they make close to $6000 DOLLARS not including
paid vacation, free medical, free dental, free vision, paid
seminars, bonuses, etc. etc. hence, they make close to $85,000
a year with benefits. Now they want a complete refund for
their travel, legal fees, and recruiter fees. These H1-visa
teachers have their own group (FEF) Filipino Educator
Federation of Louisiana. The names are the board members of
these group MAIRI NUNEG-TANEDO, INGRID CRUZ, ROLANDO PASCUAL,
DONNABEL ESCUADRA, TOMASA MARI, JAVE PAJUELAS, IAN CAINGLET.
Make sure if you have a position in any school system in
Louisiana is to watch out for these teachers who LOVES TO FILE
LAWSUIT to extract monetary compensation from their employers.
BEWARE!

[thereismore]

4. removed nt

[SoapBox]

5. Next stop for these teachers...working in the ag fields.

Amazing.

And it is slavery...

[No Elephants]

6. Which skills do Filipino teachers have that American teachers don't have?

[Blue_Tires]

8. working for less

given how little many teachers are paid; that's really saying something...

and since they are here on visa, they are discouraged from rocking the boat or making waves...

[KamaAina]

9. Fluency in Tagalog, Ilocano, etc.

all of which are in extremely high demand in Louisiana schools. :sarcasm:

[Posteritatis]

10. Less awareness of their rights in such situations, which makes them easier to bilk. (nt)