<div dir="ltr"><div class=""> <div class=""> <h1 class="" itemprop="name">Airline contractor workers say they were required to speak English or nothing at all</h1> </div> <div class=""> <div class=""> <img src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-554bc192/turbine/la-me-ln-lawsuit-filed-english-language-policy-001/750/750x422" itemprop="image" alt="Gate Gourmet" class="" title="Gate Gourmet"><div class=""> <div class=""><p>Workers
for Gate Gourmet, which provides janitorial service for Delta Airlines
at LAX, have sued. They claim they were barred from speaking Spanish in
the workplace.</p> (Carlos Chavez / Los Angeles Times)</div></div> </div></div> <div class=""> <span class=""> <span class=""><span class="">By </span><a itemprop="author" class="" href="http://www.latimes.com/la-bio-brittny-mejia-staff.html">Brittny Mejia</a></span> </span> <a class="" href="mailto:brittny.mejia@latimes.com?subject=Regarding%20Airline%20contractor%20workers%20say%20they%20were%20required%20to%20speak%20English%20or%20nothing%20at%20all">contact the reporter</a></div> </div> <ul class=""><li class=""> <a class="" title="Los Angeles International Airport" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/transportation/air-transportation/los-angeles-international-airport-PLTRA0000070-topic.html"> Los Angeles International Airport</a></li></ul> <div class=""><div class=""><a class=""> <span class=""></span></a> <span class="">Lawsuit claims employees for airline contractor were barred from speaking Spanish in the workplace</span></div><div class=""><a class=""> <span class=""></span></a> <span class="">Airline contractor denies it required employees to not speak Spanish, as claimed in lawsuit</span></div></div> <div class=""></div>
<p>A
year ago, workers for a Delta Airlines contractor at LAX said they were
given a strict order: Speak English or don't speak at all. </p><div class=""><a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-lawsuit-filed-english-language-policy-20150507-story.html#" class=""><span class="">l</span>Related </a><a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-bakery-embezzlement-20150428-story.html" class=""><img src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-553ee2a7/turbine/la-me-bakery-embezzlement-20150428/150/150x150" alt="Stolen funds went to trips, cars and a French bakery, court opinion says" class="" title="Stolen funds went to trips, cars and a French bakery, court opinion says"></a>
<dl class=""><dt class=""><a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-bakery-embezzlement-20150428-story.html" class="">CALIFORNIA</a></dt><dd><a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-bakery-embezzlement-20150428-story.html"><span class="">Stolen funds went to trips, cars and a French bakery, court opinion says</span></a></dd></dl><span class=""><a class="" href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-lawsuit-filed-english-language-policy-20150507-story.html#">See all related</a></span></div><div class=""><div class=""><a class="" href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-lawsuit-filed-english-language-policy-20150507-story.html#">8</a></div></div> <p>The
employees for Gate Gourmet, which provides janitorial services to Delta
Airlines at LAX, are plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed Thursday by the
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund claiming harassment
by management if workers did not abide by the "English only" language
policy. </p> <div class=""> <span></span><a class="" href="http://documents.latimes.com/lawsuit-against-gate-gourmet/"><img src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-554bdbed/turbine/la-docs-lawsuit-ag-5285-sl-201557/300/300x169" itemprop="image" alt="Lawsuit against Gate Gourmet" class="" title="Lawsuit against Gate Gourmet"></a><div class=""> <a class="" href="http://documents.latimes.com/lawsuit-against-gate-gourmet/"><span class="">Lawsuit against Gate Gourmet</span></a></div> </div><p>One
worker, Maria Martinez, received a written warning two months ago about
her continued use of Spanish, said Martha Gomez, staff attorney with
MALDEF. She said there isn't a need for workers to speak English, as
they don't interact with customers.</p><p>Last May, according to the
lawsuit, management implemented the language restriction, which
prevented workers from speaking Spanish during the swing shift -- from 2
to 11 p.m. While Gate Gourmet hasn't clearly communicated consequences
of breaking the policy, workers are "constantly under threat and
scrutiny," Gomez said.</p>
<div class="">
<a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-lawsuit-filed-english-language-policy-20150507-story.html#" class=""><span class="">c</span>Comments</a>
<div class="">
<ul class=""><li class="">
<div class="">when I work in IT,
many times I've had to ask the H1B scabs to speak English instead of
Hindi...is there something wrong with that ?</div>
<div class="">H1BSucks</div>
<div class="">at 7:26 AM May 08, 2015</div>
</li></ul>
</div>
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<p>Gate Gourmet did not impose any language restrictions on its morning or night shift employees, according to the lawsuit.</p><p>When
an airplane comes in, workers restock pillows, take out the trash,
clean the kitchen and make sure everything is clean before moving on to
another airplane. </p><p>Most of the 14 workers in the lawsuit have been
cleaning airplanes for about 10 years, and using Spanish with no
problem, Gomez added.</p><p>While declining to comment on the lawsuit,
Gate Gourmet in a statement denied that it required its employees to
speak only English.</p> <div class=""> <span></span><a class="" href="http://www.latimes.com/local/westside/la-me-guest-workers-lawsuit-20150320-story.html"><img src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-550b8ff4/turbine/la-me-guest-workers-lawsuit-20150320/300/300x169" itemprop="image" alt="Beverly Hills bakery accused of labor abuse by workers on visas" class="" title="Beverly Hills bakery accused of labor abuse by workers on visas"></a><div class=""> <a class="" href="http://www.latimes.com/local/westside/la-me-guest-workers-lawsuit-20150320-story.html"><span class="">Beverly Hills bakery accused of labor abuse by workers on visas</span> </a></div> </div> <p>"Gate
Gourmet does not have an English-only rule. We onboard, train, and
communicate with our diverse workforce in multiple languages, and
certainly in both English and Spanish in Los Angeles," the company's
statement read. "We ensure that our people receive the information they
need, including all policies and procedures, in either English or
Spanish. Gate Gourmet takes pride in our diverse workplace and in our
ability to integrate non-English speakers into our workforce."</p> <p>According
to the lawsuit, bilingual employees are prohibited from speaking in
Spanish to employees who speak only Spanish. The suit's plaintiffs all
speak Spanish as their native language and most either don't speak
English or have limited proficiency in English, according to the
complaint.</p><p>The suit seeks damages on claims of unlawful workplace
language policy, national origin discrimination, harassment, failure to
prevent discrimination and unfair and unlawful business practices. <br></p><p><a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-lawsuit-filed-english-language-policy-20150507-story.html">http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-lawsuit-filed-english-language-policy-20150507-story.html</a><br></p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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