Maileen Eser, Meliza David and Maria Chona Mata sought the assistance of the Division of Labor after filing a complaint against their employer, Katsuo Kamiishi.
The fourth guest worker, Helen Lozano, already returned to the Philippines.The women were hired to work as waitresses at Ashibi Bar and Karaoke in Meyuns with a monthly salary of $250.The filed their complaint in July, stating that their employer had failed to pay them since May.The employer and the workers agreed to settle the matter on July 27.The employer agreed to pay them by July 31 but that promised was not fulfilled until Aug. 25.Mata, in an interview, said another hearing was scheduled for Aug. 31, today, to discuss whether they still wanted to work with Kamiishi.The women have stopped working since Aug. 22 and the bar has shut down due to lack of workers.Mata said Kamiishi wants them to work again for his bar.“We’re still waiting for Helen (Lozano). When she comes back we will talk, then we will decide as a group,” Mata said.She thanked Special Prosecutor Michael Copeland, Police Detective Margarete Martin, Police Officer Mcvey Kazuyuki and the Division of Labor for their assistance.Mata also thanked their friends for generously providing them with food.Mata arrived here last April 16.After receiving compensation amounting to $91, she had not received anything from her employer.Eser arrived in Nov. 2006 while David has been here since June 2007.
