Imagine leaving your home behind to pursue what seems to be an incredible professional opportunity abroad only to experience fraud, abuse, discrimination, wage theft and more at the hands of your employers. This is exactly what happened to our clients — Rosa Linda and Jimmy, two engineers from Mexico.
Today, I am proud to announce we are representing Rosa Linda and Jimmy in a class action lawsuit against their employers, GFA Alabama and Hyundai Glovis, for the fraudulent and abusive working conditions they endured while working in the United States with TN visas. Centro de los Derechos del Migrante’s unique transnational advocacy model means that we can stand with Rosa Linda, Jimmy, and other Mexico-based workers in their fight for justice.
Rosa Linda’s and Jimmy’s stories follow the same pattern we’ve seen before in the Hyundai and Kia supply chains: recruiters in Mexico promised them engineering jobs in the United States—jobs that would advance their professional development. But, once in the United States, their employers put them to work doing backbreaking manual labor, carrying autoparts and electrical appliances for 12 hours a day. Their responsibilities, working conditions, and pay were nowhere near what they were promised. When they spoke out, they were threatened and retaliated against.
In Rosa Linda’s case, GFA and Hyundai Glovis also failed to modify her duties to accommodate her pregnancy and ultimately fired her for advocating for her health.
This is the second class action lawsuit we’ve filed in partnership with three law firms against employers in Georgia. These employers are defrauding Mexican professionals and the US government by taking advantage of the poorly regulated TN visa category. CDM has also supported four other TN worker suits in Georgia and Alabama.
We are proud of Rosa Linda, Jimmy, and all TN workers who have come forward to speak out against unethical and abusive business practices. And we are thankful for our co-counsel at Radford Scott LLP, Beal, Sutherland, Berlin & Brown LLC and Hall & Lampros, LLP who are committed to right the abuses faced by our clients and other TN workers.
I am sure that working together we will ensure these and all migrant workers get justice. I hope to share exciting updates with you soon!