Ricardo Batres Sentenced for Labor Trafficking

Ricardo Batres, 47, was sentenced 4 to 9 months in jail and 5 years on probation for labor trafficking on January 15. He admitted that he took advantage of employees’ federal immigration status to force them to work for him. 

Though not all instances of wage theft are this evil, it’s important to keep in mind what these unscrupulous contractors are capable of.

  • In one case, he bailed one of his workers out of immigration custody, but told him the man would need to pay off his debt. 
  • Lied on his workers compensation insurance papers to save money
  • When workers complained about the conditions, he threatened to report them to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 
  • Threatened to kill his workers if they reported him

We all need to do our part and stay vigilant to make unscrupulous contractors obey the law.

To read more about the more subtle forms of wage theft, click here.

2020 Endorsements

IUPAT 82 only endorses candidates that have workers’ best interest in mind. We are sending a clear message to our communities that we will only support leaders who stand up for workers, and by extension, supports the growth of the 21st century middle class.

Three of our endorsed candidates this year in the state of Minnesota are State Senator John Hoffman, State Representative Ginny Klevorn, and State Representative Mike Sundin.

BM/ST Terry Nelson shares his thoughts on each candidate:

John Hoffman

“As the senator for district 36, John Hoffman is a proven leader who stands up for workers. Thanks to Senator Hoffman’s leadership, DC 82 and the FTIUM have launched our revolutionary PSEO program, giving a real pathway to lifelong careers to youth in Minnesota. That’s the kind of dedication he brings to the job and that’s why we’re proud to endorse Senator John Hoffman for re-election.”

Ginny Klevorn

“As the representative for District 44A, Ginny Klevorn is a proven leader who stands up for workers. Ginny is no stranger to a fight and has been a strong advocate for workers, walking with our members on picket lines. That’s the kind of leadership she brings to the job and that’s why we’re proud to endorse Representative Ginny Klevorn for re-election.”

Mike Sundin

As the representative for district 11A, Mike Sundin is a proven leader who stands up for workers. As chair of the Labor Committee, Mike has always had working people first and foremost in his work as a legislator and that’s why we’re proud to endorse our retired member, Representative Mike Sundin for re-election.”
 
As the election approaches, all candidates will need volunteers to help get them votes. IUPAT 82 members should consider the opportunity to activate for candidates who support them.
Keep your eyes out on social media for updates on opportunities to be activists, and sign the activist pledge today! 

Push for Activist Pledge Signups

The IUPAT has been fighting for working people since 1887. The IUPAT was built by workers, protected by workers, and it will be grown by workers. Together, we’ve achieved working conditions that would have made our forefathers very proud. But there is still a ways to go before all workers have what they deserve.

Now, in 2020, raising our collective voice is more crucial than ever. And our region is one of the most important regions in the country to be active in.

In our region, unscrupulous contractors take advantage of workers every day. Wage theft runs rampant, and its up to us to make sure every lawbreaking employer is held accountable. Anti-worker forces are currently influencing our Minnesota statehouse, Congress, and even the Supreme Court. 

If we don’t activate for the issues our members care about, greedy employers, contractors, & politicians will make decisions for us.

Achieving the rights we have was no miracle. We fought for these rights, and we will continue to fight until all workers have justice on the job.

An organized, active workforce is the only way to achieve our goals. Join the fight today. 

Take the IUPAT Activist Pledge right now: https://iupataction.org

The Importance of Organizing

We’re right in the middle of a building boom. Skyscrapers and other large development projects are sprouting up all over the twin cities. Good contractors are searching for well trained workers like us… and unscrupulous contractors are forcing unorganized workers to race to the bottom.

Wage theft runs rampant in our region (read more about wage theft here [link to site language]). Contractors with no moral code allow or invite ICE onto their job sites to prey upon the workers that they often force to work with little or no pay. It’s unsafe, not moral, and downright scary.

Trained workers are also being taken advantage of.  When a standard of worker exploitation is set, unscrupulous contractors follow suit and exploit workers.

This is why we organize. We all believe that all workers deserve fair pay and justice on the job. We are ALL responsible for organizing, just as union workers have done for hundreds of years.

Here’s some easy things to do to help us ensure that all workers have a voice:

  1. Speak Up.
    • If you are working with somebody who isn’t in a union, ask them if they’ve ever thought about joining a union. Tell them how we are insured the best wages, best benefits, and best training in the industry
  2. Stay Vigilant. 
    • Learn to see the signs of wage theft and safety violations. When you see a worker doing something unsafe, speak up, and report it to your union. The more union workers are on job sites, the more chances we have to save lives.
  3. Get Active.
    • When you see lawmakers working against what we’ve fought to accomplish, do something. Sign up for our Activist Pledge here.

Recruiting in 2020

This year, we’re bringing our recruiting to the next level. All workers deserve what we have: High wages, good health care, and exciting work.

Our members are reaping the benefits of the construction boom in our area. As demand increases, District Council 82 and our signatory contractors are looking for more members to keep the momentum going, and we need your help to spread the word.
If you know someone who’s worked in construction, let them know our union has opportunities in the Twin Cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul, and Fargo, North Dakota.

If you know someone who has worked with glass, tell them to head to glassworkformoney.com to see what’s in store. Share this post on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to let your friends know we’re hiring.

If your friend has experience with drywall, direct them to drywalljobsformoney.com. Spread the word on your social media channels!
It’s time we all get a chance to earn the best wages and best benefits in town!
Contact Brady Nelson at 651-236-7615 or [email protected] for more information.