A group of Filipino teachers was awarded $4.5 million in damages from a
class suit filed against their recruiter — Los Angeles-based Universal
Placement Inc. (UPI) and its owner, Lourdes Navarro, on Monday.
The jury cited UPI's violation of the California Employment Agency, Employment Counseling and Job Listing Act for violation of Unfair Business Practices and misrepresentation under the California Business and Professional Code.
The case, spearheaded by the Filipino Educators Federation in Lousiana (FEFL), was filed in 2010. FEFL represents over 300 teachers.
“Migrant workers' rights should be respected, defended, and promoted as fervently as any human right,” FEFL said.
The decision proved that UPI violated laws from the Philippines, Louisiana, and California with each teacher paying up to $16,000 to be deployed in the US.
These teachers were recruited from 2007 to 2009 under the H1B visa program and were deployed to various school districts in Louisiana to teach subjects such as math, science and special education.
Modus operandi
UPI's scam reportedly begins with a selection process in the Philippines where each applicant was required to pay $5,000 which supposedly covered all costs.
However, the recruiter will ask for additional fees and payments after the applicant pays the initial amount.
Since most of the applicants are either deep in debt or have sold their properties to pay the initial amount, all they can do is to give in to the additional fees being asked by UPI since they won't refund the $5,000.
The recruiters also pressured the applicants by threatening them that they will give their slots to another applicant if they did not pay the additional fees immediately. - VVP, GMA News
The jury cited UPI's violation of the California Employment Agency, Employment Counseling and Job Listing Act for violation of Unfair Business Practices and misrepresentation under the California Business and Professional Code.
The case, spearheaded by the Filipino Educators Federation in Lousiana (FEFL), was filed in 2010. FEFL represents over 300 teachers.
“Migrant workers' rights should be respected, defended, and promoted as fervently as any human right,” FEFL said.
The decision proved that UPI violated laws from the Philippines, Louisiana, and California with each teacher paying up to $16,000 to be deployed in the US.
These teachers were recruited from 2007 to 2009 under the H1B visa program and were deployed to various school districts in Louisiana to teach subjects such as math, science and special education.
Modus operandi
UPI's scam reportedly begins with a selection process in the Philippines where each applicant was required to pay $5,000 which supposedly covered all costs.
However, the recruiter will ask for additional fees and payments after the applicant pays the initial amount.
Since most of the applicants are either deep in debt or have sold their properties to pay the initial amount, all they can do is to give in to the additional fees being asked by UPI since they won't refund the $5,000.
The recruiters also pressured the applicants by threatening them that they will give their slots to another applicant if they did not pay the additional fees immediately. - VVP, GMA News
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