-Domestics' Cross-Cultural News monthly newsletter of the International Coalition to End Domestics' Exploitation

AUGUST 1986

INTERCEDE PROTESTS 'RELEASE LETTERS' A DOMESTIC WORKER SPEAKS OUT!

INTERCEDE has recently written to Recently the Service Unit handled a officials of the Canada Employment complaint from a foreign domestic & Immigration Commission to protest worker who was refused permission the use of so-called 'release let- to find a new job because her form- ters' at a local immigration offi- er employer would not give her a ce in . 'release letter'. At issue is the fact that foreign Elke Weltle came to Canada from Ger- domestic workers are being denied many in December 1985, to work for the right to seek new employment if a family in Thornhill. After failing their former employers refuse to in her attempts to resolve problems give them 'release letters' saying with her employers, she gave them that their services are no longer three week's notice last June and required. left. She has been unable to work for the past three months because If a domestic worker cannot produ- the employer refuses to give her a ce such a letter when she reports 'release letter'. to the Canada .Immigration Centre - even is she left her employer for INTERCEDE appealed to immigration of- a legitimate reason - she is being ficials on her behalf and arrange- told that she can remain in Canada ments have now been made for her to until her visa expires but cannot go to Buffalo, New York, and re-en- work. ter Canada under the Foreign Domestic Program. INTERCEDE has protested the arbit- rary imposition of these 'release Ms. Weltle has this to say about the letters' because they give the em- experience: ployers a virtual veto over th~ fo- reign domestic's right to work in I was very unhappy with my employ- this country. All any employer has ers because they were very cold and to do is deny the domestic's accou- hardly ever talked to me. I tried to nt of abuses suffered, refuse to adjust but things would go wrong be- 11 grant the letter, and the domestic cause they just ignore me • looses her right to employment. Dealing with Immigration was also This situation turns the clock back hard - I went in two or three times to pr-e-1981 day's before foreign do- to discuss my problem and the lBst mestic workers won the right to time they call the employer and from 11 change jobs, with the assistance that moment on they were against me • of the Canada Employment Centres. It creates a captive labour force This experience has been very hard and allows employers and immigra- for me emotionally. I had to go to tion officers to penalize a domes- an emergency hostel because I have tic worker for reporting abuses. no place to stay and it was chaotic In effect, it forces foreign domes- there. I lost a lot of weight and I tic workers to accept exploitative felt so empty because I cannot work. conditions as a price for working I feel that I wasn't asking much - in this country. just the right to do what I came here to do". - 2 -

COCO'S CALENDAR KNOW YOUR RIGHTS Recent happenings ... If you are a live-in domestic and * we've used the summer months to you are injured while working, you meet with community representati- are protected under the Workers Com- ves from groups like COSTI-IIAS, pensation Act of . Scarborrugh's TROPICANA, the CENTRE If you undergo an injury which re- FOR SPANISH SPEAKING PEOPLES, the quires health care, you must notify ONTARIO COUNCIL OF AGENCIES SERV- your employer immediately. (S)he ING IMMIGRANTS (OCASI), and oth- will fill out a Treatment Memorandum ers (Form 156) and file it with the Wor- * on August 18 Judith met with Vic- kers Compensation Board. tor Malarek, of the Globe & Mail, to talk about foreign domestics You may choose your own doctor or for his upcoming book on immigra- qualified practitioner, but once you tion have chosen you cannot change without the permission of the Board. Your doc- * on August 19 INTERCEDE was part tor will need a copy of the Treatment of a delegation ' that met with Memorandum to make out a report on you Barbara MacDougall, the new fede- for the Board. ral minister responsible for wom- en s issues ' Within three days of learning about your injury your employer must file Coming up soon ... an Employer's Report of Accidental In- jury (Form 7). If your employer should * I NT ER CEDE n ex't month 1y meet i n g i s Ta1T to do so, you must complete a set for SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 3 pm, Workers• Report and file it with the at 58 Cec i 1 Street, Toronto. There Board to open your claim. will be an educational on 'How to excercise your rights under work- In the event of conflicting informa- ers compensation•. tion from you and your employer, the Board will make further enquiries as needed. Please remember that you are ... AND CONGRATULATIONS! covered by the Workers Compensation Act regardless of whether your employ- * to Elsie Suares who recently got er has registered! married Your employer is legally obligated to * to Board member Debra Boyce for pay you full wages & benefits for the her recent promotion at work day the accident occurs. Any other lost wages will be paid to you by the * to Zorina Singh for the birth of Workers Compensation Board. a bouncing baby girl For more information about how to fi- * and ~est of luck to our new landed le a claim contact: immigrants: Jutta Schaff from West Germany, Debbie Lam from Hong Kong, INTERCEDE 591-1625 and Perla Cortez from the Philip- pines WORKERS COMPENSATION 927-7222 * good-bye & good luck to Rosemund Warrington who went back home to Barbados Special speaker coming up in Octo- ber ... check next month's newsletter! ... So long fa- now! - Columbia Diaz " - 3 -

~OVINCIAL UPDATE ... MACDOUGALL MEETS WITH IMMIGRANT WOMEN

Though there is still no word from A five-member delegation from the Im- Labour Minister Bill Wrye's office migrant & Visible-minority Women's~ about changes in the labour laws Action Committee held a meeting with for domestic worker's rights, Toronto MP Barbara MacOougall, Minis- there are some related develop- ter Responsible for Women's Issues. ments which are encouraging: The delegation, which included INTER- * INTERCEDE has made a submission CEDE co-ordinator Judith Ramirez, ap- to the Task Force on Hours of pealed to the Minister to take a Work & Overtime established in strong advocacy role in the federal January by Bill Wrye. Its mand- government on behalf of immigrant & ate is to review current overt- visible-minority women. They cited ime practices in the province the many policy areas such as language and report their findings to the and skills training where immediate Minister along with their recom- action is necessary. mendations for legislative change. In September the Action Committee is * in its presentatJon to the over- reconvening the forty immigrant & vis- time task force, the Ontario Adv- able-minority women who met in Ottawa isory Council on Women's Issues in June 1985 on the invitation of the called on the gQvernment to imp- minister of multiculturalism. An asses- lement INTERCEDE's recommenda- sment of the lobbying efforts of the tions to limit hours of work & past year is planned, as well as a grant overtime pay to domestics further consultation with Cabinet Minis- ters. Among those expected to attend * the Ontario Federation on Labour are David Crombie, Minister of State has just submitted a comprehe - R~ for Multiculturalism; Benoit Bouchard, sive list of recommendations to Minister of Employment & Immigration; amend the Ontario Labour Rela- , Minister of State for tions Act, including the right Imm1grat1on; and Barbara MacDougall. to unionize for domestic workers who are currently forbidden to do so SERVICE UNIT GOING STRONG! * , Women's IssuesCritic for the Progressive Conservative Statistics for the first quarter of Party at Queen's Park, recently the current year show that our Service met with INTERCEDE and assured Unit continues to attract a growing us that the PC Caucus is having number of clients. In the period from a full discussion on domestic's March 1 - May 31, 1986, our staff rights during the summer recess handled 438 enquiries - an increase of 29% over last year! * Anita Martin, a senior assistant to NOP Leader ~ob Rae, met with Of the clients served for the first INTERCEDE this month and said time, 80% were domestic workers. More that the NOP shares our concern people are contacting us for labour about the delays in making chan- rights issues - 13% this quarter as ges in the labour laws .•. the NOP compared to only 6% last year. pledged to keep pressing Bill Wrye to act before the Legisla- There has also been a 23% increase in ture reconvenes in the fall the number of Filipino clients and a drop in the number of West Indians. INTERCEDE is confident that soon Because these figures cover only the we'll be able to report good news first quarter they may not represent on the provincial front. long-term trends. We' 11 keep you posted! - 4 -

HELPING DOMESTICS IN OTTAWA IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!

Recently INTERCEDE co-ordinator Service Unit counsellor Columbia Judith Ramirez met with staff mem- Diaz is going on maternity leave bers of the Ottawa-Carleton Immi- next month. She will be away for grant Services Organization (OCI- four months or until the end of SO) to discuss the situation of the year. domestic workers in that area. To replace Mrs. Diaz we have re- Among those present at the meeting hired Beth Udasco who worked with were Yew Lee, executive director us last year for five months. of OCISO, and Francis Henry, a counsellor who assists domestics. Beth Udasco has been a community worker with the Kababayan Community A key issue in the Ottawa area Centre as well as a student at ..81..- according -to Henry, is the failure erson Polytechnical Institute. She of employer's to comply with the came to Canada in 1983 from the Phil- terms of the contracts they sign. ippines where she had earned a de- gree in social work and held a posi- OCISO has publicized this prob- tion with Foster Parents Plan Inter- lem in the community. In a recent national. press report Henry was quoted as saying that most domestics com- Many of you will remember Beth Udas- plain about 'poor pay, long hours, co from last year and we are very or prejudicial & unco-operative pleased to welcome her back! 1 employers • He noted that some workers are ~ , .• earning as little as $90 a week, despite contracts INTERCEDE SERVICE UNIT to the contrary, and after being brought in as housekeepers, find The Service Unit provides informa- themselves working from lam to tion, counselling and referral ser- llpm with three to four children vices to domestic workers in the under their wing'. Sound familiar? areas of immigration, employment, educational upgrading, human rights, If you are a domestic worker in and social services. the Ottawa area- contact: We are located at 58 Cecil Street, Francis Henry east of Spadina & one block south Ottawa-Carleton Immigrant of College Street. Our office hours Services Organization (OCISO) are Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 4:00 18 Louisa Street pm. All services are free and con- Ottawa, Ontario KlR 6Y6 fidential. Call us at 591-1625! Tel. (613) 238-4256

DOMESTICS CROSS-CULTURAL NEWS Place c/o INTERCEDE Stamp 58 Cec i 1 Street Here Toronto, Ontario MST 1 N6

First Class

Next INTERCEDE meeting on SEPT 7!