Former Factory Workers Sue Government Agencies for Failing to Provide Skills Training in Aftermath of NAFTA

Posted on November 14th, 2007 by cmartinez@trla.org

Former Factory Workers Sue Government Agencies for Failing to
Provide Skills Training in Aftermath of NAFTA

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - October 12, 2007

Five former factory workers have filed suit against representatives of the Department of Labor, Texas Workforce Commission, Alamo Worksource, and Alamo Community College District for failing to provide proper skills training after they lost their jobs as a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
 
Represented by Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA), the leading legal aid provider in Texas, the workers allege that the agencies provided limited job preparation that was confined to English-language instruction and basic employment skills. In some cases, the workers were not allowed to complete the training. Having each worked for Levi Strauss & Co. in San Antonio for more than ten years, the workers expected to develop new skills that would help them find new jobs.
 
“These workers all had stable sources of income and benefits,” said TRLA attorney Carmen Rodriguez. “When they lost their jobs, they expected to receive suitable training so that they could find new employment and continue to provide for their families.”
 
The lawsuit claims that the agencies violated the Trade Act of 1974 and the Workforce Investment Systems Act by failing to provide appropriate skills training. A provision of the Trade Act, the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program, allows for employees who lose their jobs as a result of foreign competition to receive training for future employment. The lawsuit also claims that the agencies violated the Civil Rights Act for treating the workers differently due to their limited ability to speak English.
 
Since losing their jobs at Levi Strauss & Co., most of the workers have remained unemployed or underemployed.
 
Added Rodriguez, “Government policies caused these workers to lose their jobs and government agencies were supposed to prepare them to find new ones. We cannot ignore our obligation to keep training our workforce.”
 
The workers filed an amended complaint in their lawsuit on November 2, 2007 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in San Antonio, Texas.   Yolanda Gonzales, et al. v. U.S. Dept of Labor, et al., Civ. No. 5:07-cv-00585-OLG, U.S. Dist. Ct., W.D. Texas, San Antonio Div.

Established in 1970, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Inc. (TRLA) is a nonprofit organization that provides free civil legal services to low-income and disadvantaged clients in a 68-county service area. TRLA’s mission is to promote the dignity, self-sufficiency, safety and stability of low-income Texas residents by providing high-quality civil legal assistance and related educational services.

RELATED LINKS

Texas RioGrande Legal Aid
TRLA Main Site

Texas RioGrande Legal Aid Press Center
Official Press Center of TRLA

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