PH, US ink deal protecting Fil-Am workers’ rights

Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia Jr.: A step forward. INQUIRER.net/Matikas Santos

MANILA, Philippines–The Philippines and the United States have signed an agreement strengthening bilateral efforts to protect the rights of Filipino workers in the United States by raising their and their employers’ awareness of their labor rights and responsibilities.

A partnership between the Department of Foreign Affairs and the US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has been formalized through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Oct. 22, a statement from the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C., said.

“We welcome the opportunity to enter into worker-related bilateral agreements such as this MOU as a step forward in the fulfillment of our mandate to protect worker rights,” Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia Jr. said at the signing ceremony in Washington.

The deal, he said, was aimed at reaching out and educating members of the Filipino-American community about their rights and responsibilities as employees and employers.

Cuisia and NLRB General Counsel Richard Griffin led the signing of the agreement, which states that Filipino workers, their employers and Filipino business owners in the United States will be provided with “information guidance and access to education regarding their rights and responsibilities under the National Labor Relations Act.”

At the ceremony, Cuisia expressed gratitude to the US government for strengthening its collaborations with the Philippines and other countries that have large worker populations in the United States.

The memorandum is the third agreement the Philippines has entered into with US labor agencies. The embassy previously signed agreements with the Wage and Hour Division, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the Department of Labor.

The NLRB is an independent agency responsible for enforcing the US National Labor Relations Act, the primary law governing relations between employers and employees in the private sector.

This measure guarantees workers the right to join together, with or without a union, to improve their wages and working conditions. Employers and employees alike are protected from unfair labor practices.