Workers Comm. of Campbell Fresh v. Berks County CareerLink

No. (U.S. Dep't of Labor filed, Feb. 6, 2003) ; Clearinghouse Number: 55136

Description

Laid-Off Immigrant Workers Charge Language Discrimination in Work-Force Development Services

Abstract

Group of laid-off Spanish-speaking workers filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor against Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry and Berks County work-force development agencies. Complainants charge ongoing discrimination—in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 188 of the Workforce Investment Act—in the provision of benefits, job training, and job placement services against limited-English-proficient individuals. They allege that (1) a significant number of county residents speak English less than “very well,” and officials nonetheless regularly fail to offer them the variety of services available to the English-speaking population; (2) Department of Labor and Industry’s Bureau of Unemployment Compensation administers unemployment insurance benefits entirely through a telephone system largely inaccessible to limited-English-proficient persons, and documents are available only in English; (3) department’s Bureau of Workforce Investment lacks adequate bilingual staff, has limited materials in Spanish, has not developed bilingual training programs, and resisted approving expenditures for English-as-a-second-language classes; (4) department’s Bureau of Employer and Career Services has no bilingual staff in Berks County and relies heavily on English-only computerized job recruitment and placement programs; (5) county agencies and head of the work-force investment board have resisted providing linguistically accessible services; and (6) these agencies must translate vital documents, hire competent bilingual staff, develop viable training opportunities for limited-English-proficient persons, and otherwise ensure that complainants have access to services equivalent to those available to the English-speaking population.

Additional Information

Attorney Information
Complainants represented by Sarah H. Paoletti, Friends of Farmworkers, Inc., 924 Cherry Street, 4th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 (215.733.0878x130)
Docket Date
2003-02-06 00:00:00+00:00

Files

Filed under: