SLWC Members Testify At State Hearing January 19, 2005 Governor Blagojevich’s Panel on Latino Workplace Injuries convened a public hearing on Wednesday, January 19 to hear testimony from workers on day labor workplace abuses which result in injury. Congressman Luis Gutierrez helped introduce the proceedings stating, “It is unconscionable that people have to work every day in dangerous conditions in this society.” He added, “The greed of the employers and the manufacturers in our state that put people’s lives at stake has to come to an end.” Following Gutierrez’s comments a brief memorial was held for immigrant laborers who had lost their lives at the workplace. The San Lucas Workers Center was well-represented at this event. SLWC workers offered damning testimonials of the day labor industry. Constantino Gutierrez spoke to his experiences working through Prime Staffing at Metal Impact in Elk Grove Village. After a punch press smashed his fingers he required surgery. “Two weeks later I got a bill for $2000 for the operation I had to have. I had to find an attorney in order to receive compensation so the agency would pay for my hospital bills....I was discriminated against because I was a day laborer and also because I’m a Latino immigrant. I had no rights within that company even though I had spent six years working there and I’m sure I’ll be fired by Prime because I hired an attorney.” Maria Zapata worked at a permanent job six years ago when she suffered a fall resulting in the fracture of three vertebrae and one disk. “I never received any benefits after the accident... When the accident happened they took me home and advised me to take two aspirin.” Because of her injuries she was unable to return to work. “I know that the company has insurance. No one has paid my medical bills and the cost has reached over $9,000.” Eugenia Gallardo injured her back while working as a day laborer at Avon. No training or safety equipment was provided on the job site. She was briefly hospitalized and given painkillers. She later had to go back to the hospital due to the intense pain. When she returned to Avon she was informed that her job had been given to someone else. “My back is still really injured. How am I going to continue to receive treatment? I feel like Avon and the temporary agency, Adecco, were discriminating against me because I was an immigrant and I was a day laborer. I wonder why there are so many injustices against immigrants and temporary workers.” She added, “We have only made the mistake of not talking about the injustices that happen to us. People who hire us as temporary workers, we need to denounce the problems that they create in our lives. We shouldn’t take it any more. We need to get rid of the fear and move forward.” To conclude the meeting, Chirag Mehta, a Research Associate at the Center for Urban Economic Development stated that immigrant workers lacking legal status were much more likely to suffer injury on the job than other workers. Further he asserted that day labor agencies function to shield employers from workman’s compensation claims. Mehta added, “I want to be clear here that we have to hold the worksite employers much more accountable to the injuries that day labors experience on their job sites.” Currently the Panel is formulating legislative recommendations in order to remedy the current system of discrimination.