August 15, 2006
Global Workers continues to make groundbreaking progress with cases for injured workers described in previous entries. As you may recall, one worker was injured while laboring under a guestworker contract as a landscaper in Maryland. After Global Workers conducted the initial intake in Guatemala, we set out to secure medical care for him because he continued to suffer from his injury making it almost impossible for him to support his family. The employer, who relies on guestworkers for its national landscaping company, refuses to provide medical care for injured workers after they have left the United States. The workers leave the United States because they are legally obligated to do so when their guestworker contract expires. After several weeks of searching, Global Workers located an orthopedic doctor in Guatemala who was sympathetic to the case. The doctor agreed to see the worker without upfront payment. We will then invoice the insurance company, where the worker has an outstanding and uncontested claim, for reimbursement. When the insurance company denies the claim, as anticipated, we will then push the issue through the workers compensation system with the goal of establishing the precedent that employees are entitled to workers compensation benefits regardless of borders. As Congress now debates expanding the guestworker program, it is critical to let it be known loud and clear, that these are not second class, disposable workers. If we invite them to work in our country and then require them to leave, we can not then deny them their basic employment rights.