DIRECTOR EJECUTIVO DE CCT: ADRIAN VENTURA
DIRECTOR DE OSHA: JAMES MULLIGAN
ANTROPOLOGA DE UMASS DARTMOUTH:
LISSA MAYA
DIRECTOR DE OSHA
- We stand in solidarity!Today as we celebrate Martin Luther King’s Day, we remember all that he has done. He advocated for racial equality and worked towards putting an end to the racial segregation. He is one of the Civil Rights Leader we look up to today and forever! His commitment and passion to helping out the community who…
- Go Fund Me: Support Indigenous WorkersFollow the Go Fund Me link below to support indigenous workers unjustly fired by local company Bob’s Tire. (Image of Indigenous worker standing outside of Bob’s Tire during protest) https://www.gofundme.com/f/gofundmecomfindigenous-workers-unjustly-fired?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer Background Information: On October 25, indigenous Maya K’iche’ workers at Bob’s Tire in New Bedford, MA, were unjustly fired after they held a brief work…
- Charlas Cada Miercoles!Viniendo a estas Charlas aprenderás mucho sobre cómo hacer justicia en tu lugar de trabajo, por qué y dónde obtener la vacuna contra el Covid-19, qué hace CCT y cómo están ayudando a la comunidad, ¡y mucho más! Coming to these Charlas you will learn so much on how to get justice at your workplace,…
- Clases de K’iche!Hemos comenzado a enseñar a algunos estudiantes y adultos mayores k’iche (un idioma hablado en Guatemala). Hemos estado teniendo estas clases durante más de un mes y estamos más que felices de que tengamos la oportunidad de enseñar a nuestros estudiantes en nuestra comunidad K’iche, que es muy necesario para comunicarse con los demás en…
- New Bedford Counts 2020 CensusThanks to our friends at #DominosPizza for supplying delicious hot pizza for our free census event Saturday at Centro Comunitario de Trabajadores. In addition to offering free COVID 10 tests, those attending had the chance to take their census and enjoy the pizza. More than 100 people were counted! Miss it? Don’t worry, we will…
- C.C.T. Distributes Food to Our CommunityWe thank the foundations for their support for the purchase and distribution of the food in our community. —- Agradecemos a las fundaciones por su apoyo para la compra y distribuciones de comida en nuestra comunidad. Check out this video about food distribution. Watch this video of the food being dropped off at CCT.
- 2020 Goodbye Party (2020 Fiesta de Despedida)2020 Goodbye PartyMusical explosion With music and praise for God 5pm to 9pm1369 Acushnet AveNew Bedford, MAWith live transmission Guest Speakers: Pastor Mark Fallon, Father Octavio, Father Juan Bands: Nueva Generación de Cristo Los Misioneros de Jesús (CT) Los Llamados por Cristo Jesus and Mary await you with open arms. Come and celebrate…
- From the VaticanOriginal Article / Artículo Original English below Los derechos y las condiciones en la industria pesquera deben mejorar, dice un funcionario del Vaticano Carol Glatz 20 de noviembre de 2020 SERVICIO DE NOTICIAS CATÓLICAS Los derechos y las condiciones en la industria pesquera deben mejorar, dice un funcionario del Vaticano Las gaviotas sobrevuelan un barco…
- Tom Kates on Pescando JusticiaTom Kates shares his thoughts about the Pescando Justicia campaign Original FaceBook Post Here I took a long break from posting on Instagram, but am excited to show some new work. This work is meaningful to me and my family, especially so in these difficult times. I am starting today with a series of portraits…
- Juntos Podemos
- A Tour of Wage Theft in New BedfordWorkers, lawmakers, and activists rallied in New Bedford for a tour of work sites in violation of wage theft laws – Watch the highlights!
- The Public’s Radio April 2020Read on the Public’s Radio Site Seafood processing workers across the Southcoast are raising concerns about unsafe working conditions during the coronavirus pandemic. by Nadine Sebai About a month ago, fish plant worker Yamileth Alvarado says she and her team got together at the Tichon Seafood facility in New Bedford to listen to a presentation on…
- New Bedford mourns loss of activist and educator José SolerRead Article on South Coast Today By Aimee Chiavaroli Posted Apr 27, 2020 at 4:47 PM NEW BEDFORD — As José Soler’s family fought to make sure he didn’t die alone April 20 at St. Luke’s Hospital, he held on after two cardiac arrests to spend his final moments with his three children. It was a team effort of family…
- New Bedford seafood workers report overcrowding, poor sanitationRead article on South Coast Today By Kiernan Dunlop Posted Apr 13, 2020 at 12:41 PM Local, Boston groups send letters asking for increased safety to 30-plus companies NEW BEDFORD — Seafood processing workers across SouthCoast are reporting overcrowding and poor sanitation procedures in plants and are demanding better protection against the spread of the coronavirus. On Monday, workers sent letters…
- Boston Lights for Liberty: A Vigil to End Detention CampsOn Friday, July 12, 2019, CCT participated in the event “Boston Lights for Liberty: A Vigil to End Detention Camps”. Inspired by a national call to action, the Boston Lights for Liberty vigil brought more than 2500 people together to protest the inhumane conditions faced by refugees. On the steps of the MA State House, we…
We stand in solidarity!
Today as we celebrate Martin Luther King’s Day, we remember all that he has done. He advocated for racial equality and worked towards putting an end to the racial segregation. He is one of the Civil Rights Leader we look up to today and forever!
His commitment and passion to helping out the community who are treated unfairly makes us want to do more and help people who deserve justice. We as a community can do better and improve the workplace environment and discrimination that is still ongoing.
Below you will find an image of ex- Bob Tire Worker’s, accompanied by some people (towards the right) who are as passionate as MLK about ending inequality.
We thank Martin Luther King for everything he has done!
To read more about what the ex-Bob Tire Workers have faced, you may go to the top of our website and click on “CCT in the News” and/or click on “Events and Actions”.
Charlas Cada Miercoles!
Viniendo a estas Charlas aprenderás mucho sobre cómo hacer justicia en tu lugar de trabajo, por qué y dónde obtener la vacuna contra el Covid-19, qué hace CCT y cómo están ayudando a la comunidad, ¡y mucho más!
Coming to these Charlas you will learn so much on how to get justice at your workplace, why and where to get the Covid-19 vaccine, what CCT does and how they are helping the community, and so much more!
Informando a las Personas en Nuestra Comunidad que se Vacunen. / Informing People in Our Community to Get Vaccinated.
Clases de K’iche!
Hemos comenzado a enseñar a algunos estudiantes y adultos mayores k’iche (un idioma hablado en Guatemala). Hemos estado teniendo estas clases durante más de un mes y estamos más que felices de que tengamos la oportunidad de enseñar a nuestros estudiantes en nuestra comunidad K’iche, que es muy necesario para comunicarse con los demás en donde estamos ubicados.
We have started teaching some students and older adults K’iche (a language spoken in Guatemala). We have been having these classes for over a month now and we are beyond happy that we have the chance to teach our students in our community K’iche which is much needed to communicate with others in where we are located.
Distribución de Comida
Seafood processing workers ask companies to fix unsafe practices, improve communication
NEW BEDFORD — Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases locally and nationally, seafood processing workers have issued a second letter to over 30 processing facilities and staffing agencies calling for communication in workers’ native languages, regular testing and adequate ventilation.
Workers first issued a letter in mid-April, in which they reported overcrowding and poor sanitation procedures at processing plants.
More:New Bedford seafood workers report overcrowding, poor sanitation
The second letter — again written by New Bedford-based Centro Comunitario de Trabajadores, Pescando Justicia, Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health, and Boston-based Justice at Work — lists six required or recommended items to ensure compliance with local, state and federal guidelines.
They include:
- Training and ongoing communication of COVID-19 safety standards
- Paid sick time and family leave
- Face masks
- Notifying workers who have been exposed to COVID-19
- Free, weekly testing
- Adequate ventilation
“We know our communities are at high risk of getting sick and dying from COVID. Employers in essential industries who disregard the value of our lives and fail to follow best practices to prevent the spread of the virus are partly responsible for that,” said Adrian Ventura, the director of Centro Comunitario de Trabajadores, in an official statement.
He leads the local community and human rights organization that supports Pescando Justicia, an initiative started in 2014 that is comprised of at least a dozen current or former seafood processing workers.
According to the press release, a group of workers with Pescando Justicia allege seafood industry leaders are denying paid sick or parental leave, and “failing” to provide testing, enough face masks or proper ventilation.
In May, Mayor Jon Mitchell issued an executive order to enforce safety at essential businesses, including factories and fish processing plants. The order requires these facilities to designate a COVID-19 Health and Safety Officer (CHASO), who would be responsible for enforcing social distancing and reporting positive cases among workers to the city’s health department.
More:Mitchell announces safety orders for New Bedford industry
The order also requires barriers between employees, daily temperature checks before shifts, and full protective equipment (mask, face shield, gowns and gloves) when partitions cannot be installed.
Ruth Castro, a member of Pescando Justicia and a worker at Eastern Fisheries through BJ’s Service Company, spoke with the Standard-Times through translator Lisa Knauer—a professor at UMass Dartmouth, advisor to Centro Comunitario de Trabajadores and ex officio member of Pescando Justicia.
According to Knauer, Castro, who has worked at Eastern Fisheries for five years cleaning codfish, said the only person who discusses COVID-19 issues is a person in human resources. However, she does not know if that person is also the CHASO.
Castro, 33, also said that despite an estimated 60 Indigenous Guatemalans working there (who only speak K’iche’), Eastern Fisheries only communicates with workers in English and Spanish.
Eastern Fisheries did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The letter highlights this as an issue as some workers might not learn who the CHASO is, or have any way of communicating their concerns with them. It can also preclude communication of COVID-19 safety standards, which is mandatory for Massachusetts workplaces.
Employers must train workers and inform them of signs and symptoms, risk of asymptomatic spread, employee and employer workplace safety regulations, and anti-retaliation protections.
“In order for the training to be meaningful and useful as intended, it should be given in your workers’ native language,” the letter states.
According to Knauer, Castro said Eastern Fisheries has generally been in compliance with what workers asked for in April by creating physical separation between workers and providing one disposable mask per day.
However, she said she hasn’t been tested since May, when she tested positive for coronavirus. One of the demands in the letter is to provide paid sick time, which Castro said she received.
As a member of Pescando Justicia, Castro said other companies have not been as compliant, adding they haven’t established social distancing or provided sufficient masks (instead giving each worker one or two to last a week).
Justice at Work, a workers’ rights legal nonprofit, has received just under 50 complaints since the pandemic began and opened cases for 20 seafood processing workers who reported being denied paid sick or parental leave, said Nancy Sauceda, the nonprofit’s program and administrative coordinator.
These are benefits they may be eligible for under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act or Massachusetts Earned Sick Time Law.
Michael Felsen, a career lawyer who now volunteers with the nonprofit, said workers communicated the need to write another letter a few weeks ago.
“Concerns may apply to some [companies] more than others. Some are undoubtedly doing a better job than others,” he said. “We all know at this moment in time, everybody has to give their absolute best effort, it’s not enough to maintain the status quo. Safety and health precautions really need to be ratcheted up.”
According to the press release, workers want the processing companies and staffing agencies to do their part by meeting safety standards that will ensure the health of not only their workers, but also the economy and greater community.
“Worker health means community health because workers live in the community,” Felsen said. “This is why it’s really important for there to be a collaborative effort of the employers anhttps://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2020/12/09/NSTT/85045235-d2dd-4d5c-8ae7-d05eaa20840f-seafoodprocessing.JPG?width=660&height=339&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webpd workers in figuring out how best to protect everybody.”
New Bedford Counts 2020 Census
Thanks to our friends at #DominosPizza for supplying delicious hot pizza for our free census event Saturday at Centro Comunitario de Trabajadores. In addition to offering free COVID 10 tests, those attending had the chance to take their census and enjoy the pizza. More than 100 people were counted! Miss it? Don’t worry, we will have other events! #EverybodycountsinNewBedford
Watch these videos on our work for Census:
https://www.facebook.com/adrian.ventura.90/videos/3194780837311799
https://www.facebook.com/adrian.ventura.90/videos/3194674780655738
https://www.facebook.com/adrian.ventura.90/videos/3194660903990459
https://www.facebook.com/adrian.ventura.90/videos/3194579063998643
C.C.T. Distributes Food to Our Community
We thank the foundations for their support for the purchase and distribution of the food in our community.
—-
Agradecemos a las fundaciones por su apoyo para la compra y distribuciones de comida en nuestra comunidad.
Check out this video about food distribution.
Watch this video of the food being dropped off at CCT.
2020 Goodbye Party (2020 Fiesta de Despedida)
2020 Goodbye Party
Musical explosion with music and praise for God!
5pm to 9pm
1369 Acushnet Ave
New Bedford, MA
With live transmission
Guest Speakers: Pastor Mark Fallon, Father Octavio, Father Juan
Bands:
Nueva Generación de Cristo
Los Misioneros de Jesús (CT)
Los Llamados por Cristo
Jesus and Mary await you with open arms.
Come and celebrate with us!
Organized by C.C.T.
——
Despidiendo el Año 2020
Explosión musical Con música y alabanza para Dios
Diciembre 26, 20205pm a 9pm
1369 Acushnet Ave
New Bedford, MA
Con transimisión en vivo
Predicadores Invitados: Párroco Mark Fallon, Padre Octavio, Padre Juan
Bandas:
Nueva Generación de Cristo
Los Misioneros de Jesús (CT)
Los Llamados por Cristo
From the Vatican
Original Article / Artículo Original
English below
Los derechos y las condiciones en la industria pesquera deben mejorar, dice un funcionario del Vaticano
Carol Glatz 20 de noviembre de 2020 SERVICIO DE NOTICIAS CATÓLICAS
Los derechos y las condiciones en la industria pesquera deben mejorar, dice un funcionario del Vaticano Las gaviotas sobrevuelan un barco pesquero frente a la costa de Balikesir, Turquía, el 6 de marzo de 2020. Un alto funcionario del Vaticano dijo que la industria pesquera necesita leyes y organizaciones para combatir el tráfico, proteger los derechos de los trabajadores y mejorar las condiciones de vida. (Crédito: Umit Bektas / Reuters a través de CNS).
ROMA – Los derechos de las personas que trabajan en la industria pesquera deben garantizarse y protegerse plenamente, y deben mejorarse las condiciones de vida para ellos y sus familias, dijo el cardenal Peter Turkson. “Se acabó el tiempo de hablar. ¡Es tiempo de actuar!” dijo en un mensaje escrito para el Día Mundial de la Pesca, que se celebra el 21 de noviembre y está diseñado para llamar la atención sobre la importancia de la pesca sostenible. “Miles de millones de personas dependen del pescado para obtener proteínas y la pesca es el principal medio de vida de millones de personas en todo el mundo”, dijo en el mensaje, publicado el 20 de noviembre por el Dicasterio para la Promoción del Desarrollo Humano Integral.
En el mensaje, Turkson, el prefecto del dicasterio, dijo que la pesca emplea a casi 60 millones de personas, la mitad de las cuales son mujeres; El 85 por ciento de la fuerza laboral pesquera total del mundo proviene de Asia. La pandemia de COVID-19 ha provocado un colapso en la demanda de pescado y productos relacionados, y una reducción de los precios, dijo “Las condiciones laborales y la seguridad de los pescadores en el mar se han visto afectadas por el cierre de los puertos pesqueros por la pandemia y la imposibilidad de realizar cambios de tripulación. Además, la falta de equipo de protección personal ha aumentado el riesgo de transmisión del virus ”, dijo.
También se han enterado de casos en los que varios miembros de la tripulación fueron “enterrados rápidamente en el mar por sus compañeros preocupados” después de desarrollar COVID-19 y no recibir la asistencia médica necesaria, dijo. “A menudo, las familias no saben nada sobre el destino de su ser querido”. Sin embargo, dijo, existen problemas crónicos en la industria, que hacen que los desafíos causados por la pandemia “palidezcan” en comparación.
Estos incluyen el problema de la sobrepesca y la pesca ilegal y no declarada por flotas poderosas y con buenos recursos que ignoran las leyes y regulaciones nacionales e internacionales, dijo.
“Los problemas del trabajo forzoso y la trata de personas siempre han afectado al sector pesquero y siguen siendo particularmente graves”, escribió el cardenal.
Las personas desplazadas por la pobreza y el desempleo agravados por la pandemia “son propensas a ser engañadas y obligadas por corredores y agencias de contratación a trabajar a bordo de embarcaciones bajo la amenaza de la fuerza o mediante la servidumbre por deudas”, agregó.
El cardenal hizo un llamamiento a todos los católicos “por una mayor solidaridad con los más marginados” a través de una atención y un servicio concretos.
“Una vez más, alzamos nuestra voz para pedir un esfuerzo renovado de las organizaciones internacionales y los gobiernos para fortalecer su compromiso de implementar la legislación para mejorar las condiciones de vida y de trabajo de los pescadores y sus familias y para endurecer su lucha contra el trabajo forzoso
____
Rights, conditions in fishing industry must improve, Vatican official says Carol GlatzNov 20, 2020CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
Rights, conditions in fishing industry must improve, Vatican official says Seagulls fly over a fishing boat off the shore of Balikesir, Turkey, March 6, 2020. A top Vatican official said the fishing industry needs laws and organizations to fight trafficking, protect worker’s rights and improve living conditions. (Credit: Umit Bektas/Reuters via CNS.)
ROME — The rights of people working in the fishing industry need to be fully guaranteed and protected, and the living conditions for them, and their families must be improved, said Cardinal Peter Turkson. “The time for talking is over. It is time to act!” he said in a written message for World Fisheries Day, which is celebrated Nov. 21 and designed to draw attention to the importance of sustainable fisheries. “Billions of people rely on fish for protein and fishing is the principal livelihood for millions of people around the world,” he said in the message, released Nov. 20 by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. In the message, Turkson, the dicastery’s prefect, said fisheries employ nearly 60 million people, half of whom are women; 85 percent of the world’s total fisheries workforce comes from Asia.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a collapse in the demand for fish and related products, and a lowering of prices, he said “Working conditions and the safety of the fishers at sea have been affected by the closure of fishing ports due to the pandemic and the impossibility of making crew changes. Additionally, the lack of personal protective equipment has increased the risk of transmitting the virus,” he said.
They have also learned of cases where several crew members were “quickly buried at sea by their worried companions” after developing COVID-19 and not getting needed medical assistance, he said. “Often the families know nothing about the fate of their loved one.”
However, he said, there are chronic problems in the industry, which make the challenges caused by the pandemic “pale” in comparison.
These include the problem of overfishing and illegal and unreported fishing by powerful and well-resourced fleets that disregard international and national laws and regulations, he said. “The problems of forced labor and human trafficking have always bedeviled the fisheries sector and remain particularly serious,” the cardinal wrote. People displaced by poverty and unemployment made worse by the pandemic “are prone to being cheated and compelled by brokers and recruitment agencies to work onboard vessels under the threat of force or by means of debt bondage,” he added. The cardinal appealed to all Catholics “for a greater solidarity with the most marginalized” through concrete care and service.
“Yet again, we raise our voice to call for a renewed effort from international organizations and governments to strengthen their commitment to implement legislation to improve the living and working conditions of fishers and their families and to toughen their fight against forced labor and human.
Tom Kates on Pescando Justicia
I took a long break from posting on Instagram but am excited to show some new work. This work is meaningful to me and my family, especially so in these difficult times. I am starting today with a series of portraits i shot in conjunction with two amazing organizations, Centro Comunitario de Trabajadores (CCT) and Justice at Work @justice_at_work They help provide critical community (CCT) and legal (Justice at Work) support for workers fighting for dignity on the job. Particularly for workers who lead a committee called Pescando Justica, focused on improving conditions in the seafood processing industry. Pictured here is Pescando Justica member, Juan Carlos Carranza. He like many workers supported by CCT and Justice at Work, makes his living working in the seafood processing plants along the South Coast of Massachusetts. New Bedford MA is the most profitable seafood port in the US, talking in a yearly catch valued at nearly half a billion dollars, yet its workers face terrible abuses, mistreatment and low wages. Juan Carlos led his fellow workers to demand their employer pay earned sick time, which was denied to him and his colleagues, despite a law requiring the employer do it. I encourage all my viewers to engage with Pescando Justicia and @justice_at_work to support these courageous people especially in these dark times. Much more work to come. #wokersrights#wokersrightsarehumanrights#15dollarminimumwage#newbedford#economicjusticeisracialjustice#economicjustice#economicjusticeforall#organizingworkers#legalsupport#collectiveaction#collectiveactions#essentialworkers#tempworkerrights#seafood#justiceatwork#profotob1#canonusa#canon85mm12
— in New Bedford, Massachusetts.