Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Jose Quebrado, Immigrant Worker
5:42:58
·
4 min
Jose Quebrado, a Mexican immigrant living in the United States for over 34 years, testifies about his experiences of labor exploitation and health issues related to the 9/11 attacks. He emphasizes the importance of organizations like the Labor Justice Project in supporting immigrant workers and calls for financial support to continue their work.
- Worked in restaurants and deliveries, including 20+ years at a Manhattan bakery with long hours, no overtime pay, and rights violations
- Suffers from severe respiratory and mental health problems due to 9/11, but doesn't qualify for compensation
- Applied for deferred action for workers program through Labor Justice Project, now has temporary protection and social security number
Alejandro Grajales
5:42:58
Good morning all the members of the committee.
5:43:00
My name is Jose Quebrado.
5:43:01
I am Mexican and I've lived in The United States for more than thirty four years.
5:43:05
I've worked in my all my life in the city, at restaurants and also doing deliveries.
5:43:10
For more than twenty years I worked at a bakery in Manhattan.
5:43:14
It shifts more than twelve hours a day without any rest, doing everything, cleaning bathrooms, cleaning basements, even preparing the ingredients, operating stoves and more.
5:43:26
They never paid me extra hours and they didn't respect my rights.
5:43:30
They didn't even pay me the minimum salary.
5:44:06
More than five years ago, I made the complaint with the labor department and I'm still waiting for an answer.
5:44:13
But thanks to Labor Justice Project, I was able able to apply to the program deferred action for workers.
5:44:21
And today I have a temporary protection and a social security number.
5:44:25
It is a relief but the fight hasn't ended.
5:45:03
Besides that, I am one of the many people affected by the nine one one attacks.
5:45:09
Since then I suffer from respiratory problems that are very severe and also mental health problems.
5:45:15
I have been admitted in several hospitals in order to use a device to be able to breathe.
5:45:22
And in spite of all of this, they told me that I don't qualify for compensation because I don't have cancer.
5:45:28
Even if my health deteriorated after that day.
5:46:00
I am here today to tell you that workers like me, we all deserve justice and access to real resources.
5:46:08
That organizations like Labor Justice Project are essential because they accompany us when nobody else does.
5:46:14
They help us raise our voice and defend our rights and not to feel alone.
5:46:37
I ask you to please guarantee the financial support that's necessary for this organization to continue accompanying thousands of immigrant workers like me.
5:46:46
We're not asking for charity.
5:46:48
We're asking for justice.
5:47:00
Thank you for listening to me and thank you for believing in a future where we all can live and work with dignity.
5:47:06
Thank you.