PAWIS and MIGRANTE USA Hosts Successful Workers Town Hall

The Workers Town Hall hosted by PAWIS and Migrante USA last April 5, 2020 was attended by 56 individuals and workers coming from different industries. A caregiver, two nurses, a seafarer, a postal worker and representatives from the Day Worker Center of Mountain View and Fight for Fifteen gave powerful testimonies of how COVID19 adversely impacted the workers.

The common issue identified by the workers that they are commonly facing is the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), whether the worker is a nurse, a caregiver, a postal worker or a McDonalds worker. Also, particular for the low wage earners, they decry the neglect of the federal and state governments to provide supplemental benefits for the undocumented workers who cannot apply for Unemployment Insurance.

Nap Pempena, Chairperson of Migrante USA also gave a presentation of the conditions of the overseas Filipino workers in the time of COVID19. He highlighted the disappointing response of the Philippine government in helping and assisting the crew members of the Grand Princess cruise ship and the Filipino workers with J1 visas who suddenly found themselves out of work because of the pandemic.