National Immigration Law Center and AFL-CIO Seek To Restore Rights for Wrongly Fired

[Omaha Steve]

FULL title National Immigration Law Center and AFL-CIO Seek To Restore Rights for Wrongly Fired Immigrant Workers

http://www.enewspf.com/latest-news/latest-national/32119-national-immigration-law-center-and-afl-cio-seek-to-restore-rights-for-wrongly-fired-immigrant-workers.html

Groups Ask the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to Review National Labor Relations Board Decision

Washington, DC--(ENEWSPF)--March 28, 2012 - The National Immigration Law Center (NILC) and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) today asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to review a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decision denying backpay for workers who were fired after complaining about unfair working conditions at Mezonos Maven Bakery in Brooklyn, New York.

This legal effort to restore immigrant workers’ rights occurs exactly ten years after the Supreme Court decided in Hoffman Plastic Compounds v. NLRB that some wrongfully-fired unauthorized workers are not entitled to back pay under National Labor Relations Act.

"Workers should never have to choose between voicing their concerns about workplace conditions and receiving a paycheck. Unfortunately, that choice was foisted upon the courageous workers at Mezonos Bakery. These workers should not be stripped of legal remedies available to all of us if we are subject to abusive behavior in the workplace," said Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center. "We're filing this appeal today to fight to protect all workers' basic right to advocate for a fair and safe workplace."

This is the latest step in a nine year legal challenge to Mezonos Maven Bakery’s firing of the workers. The five plaintiffs in the lawsuit described horrendous conditions, where workers were forced to work 60 – 75 hours without receiving overtime and were subject to harassment. Workers were fired by this company after they complained about these conditions.

FULL story at link.