On behalf of working people and particularly the working poor, I would like to express frustration with the Reader’s coverage of Social Security “no-match” letters. “Work Stoppage” (August 23), by Ernesto Londono, contains factual errors, errors of omission, and worst of all a snide attitude toward the workers whose plight he reports on.
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Londono’s article focuses on Hilda Vasquez, a worker from Gingiss Formalwear who was dismissed due to a no-match letter. If Londono weren’t so busy patronizingly describing Vasquez’s appearance–her “heavy black eyeliner,” her “comfy black worn-out sneakers”–then maybe he would have time to get his facts straight. It’s amazing that in a story about a worker, Londono didn’t even manage to report correctly about the work Vasquez did for Gingiss. She was not a seamstress, as Londono wrote; she worked mostly in the kitchen, at times helping with other work around the plant, like cleaning and ironing.
At the end of the article, Londono condescendingly editorializes that the only thing Ms. Vasquez gained from her efforts against Gingiss was a “bright red ACORN T-shirt.” Too bad he didn’t ask her what she’d gained, rather than speaking for her. Maybe she would have mentioned the pride she’s gained by standing up to her boss to demand fair treatment. Maybe she would have mentioned the respect she’s gained among her coworkers and other immigrant workers as a fighter for her community and her people. Ms. Vasquez is seen as a role model who took on the first corporate target in the no-match fight and has started to clear the path for others coming behind her. Fortunately for the labor movement and the immigrant rights movement in this country, there are everyday heroes like Hilda Vasquez who will take a stand for justice. Unfortunately for all of us, there are journalists out there like Londono who trivialize their struggle and belittle them with bad reporting.
Chicago ACORN
