The U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and the Ambassador of Mexico Arturo Sarukhan today celebrated the inaugural “Labor Rights Week” that will take place from August 30th to September 4th in 14 cities across the United States.
Labor Rights Week is an important opportunity to ensure that the Mexican community and Mexican workers in the United States are aware of their labor rights. It is a new initiative that brings together the Embassy of Mexico and its consular network in the United States, the U.S. Department of Labor, local authorities, unions, religious groups, and community based organizations with the common goal of better informing workers from Mexico and elsewhere of their rights. Framed around Labor Day, the Labor Rights Week will multiply outreach initiatives developed jointly by participating organizations (through leaflets, posters, press conferences and forums).
“In the past few years, a growing number of immigrant workers were subject to abuse under a mantle of fear that was created by unscrupulous employers that used immigration status to threaten deportation if workers reported discrimination, wage and hour or health and safety violations. We recognize the leadership of Secretary Solis in this issue and believe that joint efforts like Labor Rights Week will strengthen our ability to protect the rights of our nationals abroad,” said Mexican Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan.
“Today we renew our commitment to protecting all workers and welcome this continued partnership with the Mexican government,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. “These efforts will help ensure that all workers are treated fairly and will empower them to seek assistance.”
Joe Hansen, President of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) said, “Our communities and neighborhoods are better, safer places to work and live when all workers know and exercise their rights. Semana de Derechos Laborales is a perfect way to empower Mexican national workers with information and promote full participation in the civic fabric of our nation. The UFCW has been a union of immigrants for more than 100 years and this weeks’ program helps ensure that a new generation of workers has the resources to have their voice heard on the job.”
Events for this inaugural Labor Rights Week will be held in the following cities: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Fresno, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, and Washington D.C.
These events include: a National Opening event held today in Los Angeles where Secretary Solis was joined by local and community leaders; an information telethon on Labor Rights in Dallas; the unveiling of a permanent Labor Window in the Consulate of Mexico in Chicago with the presence of Joe Hansen, International President of the UFCW; the screening of a film related to labor rights in New York; Community Fair in Phoenix; and workshops on Labor Rights in most participating cities and consulates, among others.
Jessica Lopez
Comunicacion Social / Press Attaché
Consulate General of Mexico in San Francisco
jlopezm@sre.gob.mx
consulado.mexico.sf@gmail.com
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