After the federal court dismissed the motion for a temporary restraining order they filed to stop the trust fund from distributing the money to schools and other non-profit institutions, the workers said they will resort to other legal means.
Rabby Syed, United Workers Movement president, which is helping the former garment workers, said they will ask “the appropriate agency to look into the mismanagement” of the Garment Workers Trust Fund headed by Timothy Bellas.
In June 2009, they claimed that the board of trustees asked former garment workers to submit their requests for a share of the residual fund.
900 submitted their requests but only 215 of them received $350 each, Syed said.
Those who received the money were on the list provided by the Department of Labor, he added.
These workers had unpaid wage claims, which should have been paid by bonding companies and not the trust fund, Syed said.
“We want to stop this scam. Workers have been abused for a long time now,” he added.
The former guest workers showed this reporter a copy of the letter dated Oct. 12 from Bellas, telling them their request was denied.
“The board of trustees recently held a meeting and discussed your request for funds to cover daily living expenses resulting from various adverse economic factors. This type of assistance is not covered under the program,” the former judge said.
“Therefore, I regret to inform you, on behalf of all the trustees, that your request has been denied.”
Syed questioned the criteria of the trustees in distributing the funds to non-profit organizations that are not charitable in nature.
He said they agreed that Karidat and the American Red Cross should get a portion the trust fund.
But the other non-profit organizations that also received funds should “return” them to the garment workers, he added.
Ronnie Doca, United Workers Movement chairman, said the former garment workers “asked for our support.”
He said they stepped in only after the federal court approved Bellas’ recommendation to distribute the leftover funds to non-profit institutions.
“It’s not too late for us to pursue the workers’ demand,” Doca added.
According to Syed, they will continue their peaceful assembly until their demand is heard by the concerned agencies.
