SPLC files suit against Filipino recruiters on behalf of teachers on H1-B visas in Louisiana.

[madfloridian]

From Findlaw website:

Suit Alleges Exploitation of Filipino Teachers

If you ask, most teachers will tell you their job is much more difficult than it looks. Most will tell you they feel underpaid and under-appreciated. However, a lawsuit filed in California on Thursday, August 5, takes those difficulties and pushes them to the level of exploitation, at least according to the claims of the plaintiffs. This class action suit filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center on behalf of plaintiffs claims that 350 Filipino teachers were lured to the U.S. and forced by debt, high fees and confiscated passports into virtual slavery.

The suit was filed against the Los Angeles-based Universal Placement International Inc., its owner Lourdes Navarro, her husband, Universal's sister operation in the Philippines, and the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board. Charges include racketeering and fraud on behalf of the plaintiff teachers working in schools in New Orleans, according to a report by the Associated Press. The suit alleges that the teachers were recruited in the Philippines and brought to the U.S. under the H1-B visa. Before ever leaving their country, the teachers were required to pay about $16,000 in fees. Since this amount is close to five times the average income in the Philippines, the teachers often borrowed the money, sometimes from lenders recommend by the recruiting firm and charging huge interest rates, according to the suit.

..."Complaints about the defendants Universal Placement International and Navarro were made as early as last October when the Louisiana Federation of Teachers filed complaints with state authorities claiming UPI was operating illegally in the state and charging the teachers exorbitant fees. In April, a state labor department judge ordered the company to refund fees estimated by the Federation to be around $1.8 million. UPI's attorney said they will appeal the ruling.

USA Today reports California lawyer for the Navarros, Robert Silverman, denied all allegations, saying they had been dismissed previously by federal immigration agencies. "I am not aware of anyone who has forced any teacher to do anything against their free will," Silverman said in a statement.

Here is more from Businessweek:

Lawsuit filed against Filipino teachers' recruiter

A class-action lawsuit accuses a Los Angeles-based company of a human trafficking scheme to bring hundreds of Filipino teachers to Louisiana public schools using exploitative contracts that charged them excessive, illegal fees.

Universal Placement International Inc. and its owner Lourdes Navarro are accused of racketeering and fraud in a lawsuit that the American Federation of Teachers and the Southern Poverty Law Center said they filed Thursday in a California federal court on behalf of 350 teachers.

"We were herded onto a path, a slowly constricting path, where the moment you realize that something is not right, you were already past the point of no return," said Ingrid Cruz, one of the teachers named as a plaintiff in the case, reading from a prepared statement. Cruz teaches science and robotics classes at a Baton Rouge-area middle school.

The lawsuit says the company illegally required the teachers to pay thousands of dollars in fees to be hired to jobs mainly in East Baton Rouge Parish, but also in Caddo, Jefferson and other parishes and in state-run schools in New Orleans.

The blog Change.org goes on to call this a form of indentured servitude.

350 Fillipino Teachers Freed from Indentured Servitude in Louisiana

Most people think of modern-day slaves as vulnerable, uneducated people. But the 350 teachers who were held in indentured servitude for over two years in Louisiana blow the lid off that preconception. They were recruited to teach in the U.S. because they had highly specialized skills, including robotics. And if engineers and teachers can fall victim to human trafficking, any one of us can.

Together, the teachers have filed a lawsuit against the two employment agencies which set them up with teaching gigs in Louisiana — Universal Placement International (UPI), based in Los Angeles, and PARS International Placement Agency, based in Manila. The teachers claim these agencies, along with at least three employees of the East Baton Rouge school system, helped recruit Filipino teachers for what they claimed were lucrative jobs in America. However, the fees to get visas and be transported to the U.S. were exorbitant, and the cost of the substandard housing they received was highly inflated as well. Teachers were expected to turn over 30% of their salaries for the first two years.

UPI brought the teachers to the U.S. on H-1B guest worker visas. These visas, which are often used by traffickers and people looking to exploit workers, give the carrier permission only to work for their sponsoring company. So if any of the teachers chose to leave her position at UPI, she could be deported back to the Philippines. The H-1B visa makes it almost impossible for someone who comes to America and ends up in an abusive job to simply move to another company. And it's a system that creates a perfect opportunity for exploitation.

[xchrom]

1. Recommend - end that damned visa program now. Nt

[madfloridian]

2. Thanks, too many teachers here need jobs.

Being treated that badly in our country...shocking.

[Hello_Kitty]

7. Thank you.

So called "progressive" knuckleheads who support this exploitation and wage suppression need to get a clue.

[madfloridian]

10. Well...

Since I had to kick this from page 3 this morning I guess most just don't care.

[OhioChick]

17. Yep. It's hurting all US workers. n/t

[madfloridian]

3. 350 US teachers out of a job in just one state. Wonder how many others...

in other states?

[haele]

4. Why were H-1Bs being hired to teach in Louisiana State-run schools -

When there are plenty of US teachers available - including those federally subsidized and infamous Teach for America applicants who have actually worked in the science and engineering fields and are probably just as qualified to teach robotics at a high-school level as the H-1B teachers? Is a credentialed education major from a foreign country more qualified than a TFA applicant?

Is it because a US citizen, no matter how desperate, will not pay to work? Or are these organizations within state-run charters and education boards who are looking to make more profit than they can by taking public monies?
Is it because US citizens don't have the "right attitude" to teach the kids in the parish? That they're by nature too indulgent, too socially liberal?

I'm not being nationalist, but in this economy with the amount of well-trained, smart people looking for work, there is absolutely no reason for a foreign national to be teaching anything but immersion languages in the public school system. Unless you want to make a profit on someone who isn't culturally savvy enough to understand US labor rights.

Haele

[madfloridian]

6. Exactly. Not like there is a shortage of teachers.

I just heard our county will have to lay off 700 teachers next year. Happening all over the country.

[madfloridian]

5. More about Baton Rouge Parish system who hired them...couple of names.

I really wonder how and why this was allowed to go on? Is it a common practice now while teachers are losing their jobs?

http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20100805/UPDATES01/100805088/1005/NEWS01/Filipino+teachers+hoping+lawsuit+provides+relief+from+deb

"AFT attorney Dan McNeil said the treatment was "appalling and beyond disgraceful." He said management of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System was aware of what was going on and participated in the efforts to control Filipino teachers who were complaining about their treatment.

Former EBRPSS Superintendent Charlotte Placide, former Human Resources Director Elizabeth Duran Swinford and Personnel Director Millie Williams are named as defendants.

Attempts to reach them for comments were unsuccessful.

Responding for the East Baton Rouge Parish School System, Communications Director Chris Trahan said the system "has not been officially served with a lawsuit related to its employment of Filipino teachers. Consequently, we cannot respond directly to any allegations that might be contained in the complaint. However, the School System takes this matter seriously and looks forward to answering any and all allegations in the appropriate forum."

[madfloridian]

8. The Louisiana teachers' union starting investigating this 2008

http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=11242962

"BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - For a year, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers says they have been investigating a California-based company that sent hundreds of Filipino teachers to the state. They say someone did not do their homework because the company, Universal Placement International, doesn't have a license in Louisiana. The LFT and its parent organization, the American Federation of Teachers has filed complaints with the attorney general and the Louisiana Workforce Commission.

The LFT says Universal Placement International made Filipino teachers pay $15,000 to come to the United States to teach. They allege the teachers were also told, they would have to pay a portion of their monthly checks to UPI. They say of the 200 teachers they know about, 160 are working in Baton Rouge. LFT believes UPI violated the law to get these foreign teachers here.

In 2007, East Baton Rouge hired six Filipino teachers over the internet to teach in the parish. Administrators said they had a serious shortage of teachers in math, science and special education. Hiring them opened the door for EBR to hire more.

"A group from Human Resources department and some principals fly to Philippines to interview one-on-one," says EBR School Spokesman Chris Trahan. Trahan says recruiting company Universal Placement International donated money to help pay for the trip. "One of the reasons that we started working with UPI is because we saw the state department of education had actually contracted with them."

..."EBR does still employ several of these teachers, and continues to pay them. The Louisiana Federation of Teachers says they want the contracts UPI signed with the Filipino teachers to be voided. LFT also wants the teachers money given back. EBR says they have suspended all international recruiting."

Who is minding the education system that things like this happen here?

[madfloridian]

9. Weird. The placement co. is located in L. A., but connected to GA teachers.

http://www.ciclt.net/sn/org/o_detail.aspx?ClientCode=gaspa&O_ID=400006

Universal Placement International Inc.
3345 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 407
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Phone: [phone] FAX: [phone]

RELATIONSHIPS
Contact Navarro , Lulu

GROUP CODES
Organizations GASPA Business Partners

http://www.ciclt.net/sn/peo/p_list.aspx?SearchType=PC_Code&ClientCode=gaspa&PC_Code=gaspaexec

Camp, Sid Yes Executive Director H Gwinnett County Suwanee, GA 30024
Cooper, Don Yes Chief HR Officer Muscogee County Columbus, GA 31902
Jessie, Mary Yes Education Management N O N E Fayetteville, GA 30214
Norton, Candace Yes Chief HR Officer Forsyth County Cumming, GA 30040
Smiley, Cathy Yes Employment Manager Rockdale County Conyers, GA 30012
Wright, Tony Yes Executive Director o Columbia County Evans, GA 30809

So what does that mean? That Georgia is hiring a lot of H1-B?

I have not looked up the other company yet, PARS International Placement Agency, based in Manila.

Are there partners of this company in other states meaning more and more teachers are hired from other countries as layoffs commence?

[madfloridian]

14. Wow, the links totally changed. Weird.

I have no idea what that means. The company is still listed at the GASPA site as a partner with GA schools.

http://www.ciclt.net/sn/org/o_list.aspx?ClientCode=gaspa&OC_Code=10000&SearchType=OC_Code&CodeSub=

And here:

http://www.ciclt.net/sn/org/o_detail.aspx?ClientCode=gaspa&O_ID=400006

[madrchsod]

11. it`s not just teachers.

someone needs to look into eastern european workers who are coming to the usa with H-1b trade skills visas.

the whole H-1B program is another cheap non union labor scam

[madfloridian]

12. I knew it was happening to nurses and in other skilled fields...

It was the first time I heard of it happening to teachers, and I was shocked.

It seems we the people have lost control of our country now, and our leaders don't seem to be paying attention.

[Starry Messenger]

13. Can it really be that hard to find teachers who need work here in the states?

I feel for what these folks went through, it sounds terrifying. I'd like to know more about how this whole program got started right under the nose of the union. If the wages offered to the foreign teachers were at market rate or above, the third party contractors probably wouldn't find this so profitable. There's a lot of shenanigans in this story.

[sulphurdunn]

15. Not surprisingly, a major promoter

of the H-1B program is our unofficial public education guru, never attended a public school a day in his life, billionaire rich kid uber hushpuppie, tieless Yuppie and self-appointed reform messiah, William Gates III, a.k.a Trey or just Bill to cultivate the common touch. :smoke:

[madfloridian]

16. Not the first time. Happened in TX, MD, GA, NY, and CA.

Exploitation of hundreds of Filipino teachers

"Not The First Time

It's happened before. A report published in 2009 by the American Federation of Teachers cited the prosecution of several recruiting companies and three Texas school administrators on charges related to smuggling immigrants and visa fraud. According to the report, 19,000 foreign teachers were working in the United States on temporary visas in 2007, and the number is rising steadily. Several American school districts are turning increasingly to overseas recruiting to find teachers willing to work in their hard-to-staff schools.

How can it be that in this day and age we tolerate this abusive treatment towards our "guests"? For they had no choice but to keep paying, since the initial fees left them deeply in debt, and the contractors held on to their visas.

We must put an end to this shameful treatment now."

More from the NYT in 2009:

Schools Look Abroad to Hire Teachers

“Overseas-trained teachers are being recruited from nearly all corners of the globe and are being placed primarily in hard-to-staff inner-city or very rural schools teaching the hard-to-fill disciplines of math, science and special education,” said the report, by the American Federation of Teachers.

The report cited the Baltimore Public Schools as a case study. Baltimore hired 108 teachers from the Philippines in 2005, but four years later has more than 600 Filipino teachers working in city classrooms, where they make up more than 10 percent of the teaching force.

..." The union published the report in the hope it would lead to heightened regulation, it said. The report cited the prosecution of several recruiting companies and three Texas school administrators on charges related to smuggling immigrants and visa fraud and other cases as examples of the dangers that can accompany the foreign recruiting of teachers.

The top applicants for temporary visas for foreign teachers in 2007 were Texas, Georgia, New York, Maryland and California, the report said. Each of the foreign instructors recruited to teach in Baltimore paid $5,000 to $8,000 to a recruiting firm in California for their placement, the report said.

The report asserted that Baltimore school officials were leaning so heavily on foreign recruiting that they were recruiting less aggressively in the United States.

It's an outrage for them to claim a shortage of teachers.

[Bluesbreaker]

18. For the corporatocracy, it's all about cheap labor

That's why we'll never see immigration reform that systematically and harshly punishes those who hire and exploit illegal immigrants. The H-1B visas, which Obama is expanding in the high-tech sector, show this administration is willing to let qualified Americans without jobs stay unemployed, so that businesses can have access to cheap labor. They will waive qualifications (see Charter Schools) as long as they can get warm bodies cheap.

[madfloridian]

19. All the while pretending we don't have the skills here...which is BS

They started saying that years ago, and it has taken hold. They are getting away with saying cheap is better than quality because both parties are on board. It breaks my heart.

[madfloridian]

20. Fact sheet from SPLC on H1-B visas.

http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/news/splc-fights-for-guestworker-teachers-defrauded-in-international-labor-trafficking-1

A few snips.

" Allows employment up to six years
The initial visa may be granted for up to three years and may be extended for another three years. The employee’s spouse and children may live in the U.S. but cannot work unless they obtain their own work visas. The worker must spend at least one year outside of the U.S. before re-entering for a second six-year period.

• A maximum of 65,000 H-1B may be issued each fiscal year. Certain exemptions apply for employers in nonprofit and governmental research organizations and institutions of higher learning, and for workers with advanced degrees.

• Approximately 247,000 petitions for H-1B guestworkers were filed with the USCIS in FY 2009. USCIS approved approximately 214,000 petitions; about 25,000 of those were in the category of "Education."