El Faro Latino Requests Online Access for Labor Complaints in Spanish from Governor Josh Shapiro

New York: The Hispanic newspaper El Faro Latino sent a communication to the Governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, requesting measures to add a Spanish-language link on the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry website this Friday. This petition aims to allow Latino workers to file labor complaints, as this resource is currently only available to English speakers, which creates significant difficulties for Spanish-speaking workers in the state.

Recently, the editorial team at El Faro Latino has received an overwhelming number of phone calls from Latino workers living in Pennsylvania, reporting that there is no way to file labor complaints in Spanish on the state’s digital platform. According to the complainants, Latinos must fill out physical documents and then mail them or drop them off at the state’s Department of Labor offices, making the complaint process difficult, tedious, and slow. In contrast, English-speaking workers can file everything online in just minutes.

«Dear Governor Josh Shapiro: We write to you to express El Faro Latino newspaper’s concern over the absence of an online system in Spanish to file wage complaints. This situation affects Pennsylvania’s growing Hispanic workforce. Our state is home to 837,487 Latinos, 55% of whom are part of the labor force, according to NCLR data,» reads the first paragraph of the letter sent by the newspaper to the governor.

«The Latino community in Pennsylvania represents the fastest-growing minority group in the state. Between 2010 and 2015, the Hispanic population in Pennsylvania grew by 20%, while the non-Hispanic population remained stable. During this period, the growth of the Hispanic population in the state was nearly double the national average, which was 12%,» the letter continues.

«Hispanic workers in Pennsylvania face serious challenges in accessing the resources and protections available, which English-only speaking employees can take advantage of without difficulty. While we recognize the state’s progress in ensuring labor rights for all workers, the lack of an online portal in Spanish to file wage complaints sends a concerning message,» states the letter, signed by El Faro Latino’s director, Esteban Cabrera.

«This situation suggests that the state government under your leadership should intensify efforts to prioritize the needs of the Latino workforce, which plays a crucial role in Pennsylvania’s economy,» the letter adds.

«The fact that English speakers have easy access to file complaints online, while Spanish speakers do not have an equivalent option, is a situation that should be addressed by your administration as soon as possible. The Hispanic working community deserves the same opportunities and protections as any other group, including the ability to efficiently and effectively report wage theft and other labor violations, without language barriers,» the letter states.

«A simple online link or portal in Spanish would be a logical and necessary step, reflecting a greater level of inclusion, equity, and respect for all workers in the state of Pennsylvania.»

Sincerely,

Esteban Cabrera

Director of El Faro Latino Newspaper.

Concludes the letter.