Worker Testimonies
 |
Daisy Cortes
A cashier at 99 Cents City, Daisy Cortes earned $260 a week for over 60 hours of work.
“The owner didn’t give us time for lunch. He yelled at us all the time. And we were constantly rushed to work harder and not stop,” Cortes said.
On April 16, 2005, the manager fired her, saying “it was dangerous for a pregnant woman to work there.” Now, Daisy is fighting for her rights, “particularly the right not to be discriminated against because I am a pregnant woman, and the right to have a union in my workplace, so we can improve our working conditions.”
Testimony of Sofía Campos
My name is Sofía Campos. I’m from Tepeojuma in Puebla. I live in Brooklyn and I am a member of the organization Make the Road by Walking. I moved to New York in 1993. I began working in the store Minimax in December of 1998. I worked from 9:00 in the morning to 7:30 at night, six days a week. I earned $240 per week, when I should have been earning $358, if I had been paid the minimum wage. During my time at Minimax, I felt frustrated and humiliated. As a Latina, we did not receive the same treatment as the people who were the same nationality as the bosses. They shouted at us, they demanded that we work without rest, even when there was nothing to do, they insisted that we keep moving things around. Fortunately, we came to Make the Road by Walking in search of soli-darity. The organization and the community came together to boycott Minimax for 6 months and to file a lawsuit for back wages. Finally, we were able to win $65,000 in illegally withheld wages. I want to say to all the workers who are being mistreated that you should not be afriad. You should get involved with community organizations and fight for your rights. I want to thank all of the people who supported me in my struggle, to my group, Workers in Action, and to the press who helped my store become known.
Testimony of Mariana Garcia
I believe that every mother deserves a just salary to support her children. When I worked at Míni-max, I earned $4.60 an tour and they never paid me overtime. This is not just. I believe that every mother deserves to work reasonable hours in order to be able to care for her family. When I worked in Mínimax, I worked sixty hours per week and I only had Wednesdays free. I did not have enough time with my son. There was one time when I asked to change my day off for a Satur-day, because it was my son’s birthday. The boss denied my request. I asked if I could leave a few hours early so that I could eat dinner with my son on his birthday. The manager said no. That was not just. I relieve that every human being deserves decent treatment in the workplace. The managers at Minimax shouted at us with frequency, and they often used obscenities. This is not just. We want a just salary, a reasonable work schedule, and decent treatment for all of the workers on Knickerbocker Avenue.
 |
 |
