Jenny Macahon

One Statistic That Will Make You Drop Your Jaw

by Jenny Macahon | Nov 5, 2020 | Donate, Uncategorized

Robin met her boyfriend on a dating app and was thrilled to be with someone who genuinely accepted her.

They had a great time together until Robin was evicted from her apartment.

Ready with a solution, the boyfriend suggested Robin move in with him for free. Then everything changed.

After a couple weeks, the boyfriend demanded Robin “pay off the debt she owed him” by having sex with his friends.

At first, Robin refused, but was frightened when her boyfriend asserted he was secretly a police officer and could throw her in prison if she didn’t comply.

As a trans woman, Robin was terrified of being thrown into prison – so she did what he said.

Finally, Robin couldn’t take it anymore; she knew she needed to get away.

To escape her trafficker, Robin needed to secure a safe place to live.

So she called us. But we can’t always find a shelter.

There are around 313,000 trafficking survivors in Texas, but only 529 beds designated for survivors in the entire United States

Houston lacks short-term housing for trafficking survivors while they wait for long-term placement.

There are only 529 beds exclusively for trafficking survivors in the entire United States, but an estimated 313,000 trafficking victims in Texas alone.

Even survivors who are connected to support groups and legal services may not have a safe place to sleep. Left with no other option, they resort to laying on the concrete, resting on a park bench, camping under a bridge, or sleeping in a temporary shelter.

You may be thinking, “what about shelters that aren’t only for trafficking survivors?”

While some trafficking survivors find a place to sleep overnight at homeless shelters, most shelters lack the resources trafficking survivors need to stay safe.

Many shelters only offer a place to stay over-night, leaving survivors with nowhere to go during the day. Reports to the National Human Trafficking Hotline show that traffickers even recruit victims in homeless shelters.

Thankfully, our team connected Robin to a shelter where she could escape her trafficker!

But as we move forward in our fight against human trafficking, it’s critical that we fill this gap in services.

We must face this reality: we need more inclusive beds and safe homes established specifically for trafficking survivors.

How We Empower Survivors With Case Management

How to Change the World with Fair Trade Subscription Boxes

by Jenny Macahon | Oct 26, 2020 | Fair Trade, Uncategorized

As October comes to an end, spooky season gives way to the holidays. I don’t know about you, but my family is already asking for my holiday wish list!

What better way to show someone you care with a thoughtful and unique gift?

Buying fair trade certified items not only make your loved ones feel special, but also support ethical brands and their families.

Shopping in the age of a pandemic is difficult enough for consumers. Small businesses and their workers are suffering due to corporate consolidation and supply chain disruption. Many have curated unique subscription boxes as a safe alternative way to accessing ethically made and fair trade certified goods.

Green up

GreenUP Box is a great way to introduce your family to zero waste and plastic free products into their everyday life. This brand is perfect for the environmentally conscious!

Browse GreenUp Boxes

CAUSEBOX

To promote artisans and socially-conscious emerging brands, CAUSEBOX is an easy way to personalize each delivery especially for the recipient. They offer a little of everything, so you can’t go wrong with these diverse ethical products.

Browse CauseBox

Equal Exchange Solidarity box

Finally, Equal Exchange has formed the Solidarity Box. Long term partnerships with farmers gives more opportunities to their families and business. They have curated their best-selling products to allow consumers to help take a stand and promote fair trade.

Check Out the Solidarity Box

Purchasing fair trade certified products helps support farmers and small businesses and gives back to their communities. I challenge you to find a fair trade item for yourself or to gift someone this holiday season! Happy shopping!

We have to know the signs of labor trafficking and exploitation, and we need to be engaged as consumers if we truly want to create a world where all are free. Here’s how you can keep learning:

Learn more now, during fair trade month!

In celebration of Fair Trade Month, UAHT is hosting events to encourage viewers to ask questions and learn more about fair trade.

We will be airing a viewing of the documentary “The Dark Side of Chocolate” on Thursday, October 29th from 6-7:30 PM CST.

This documentary and discussion will feature a guest speaker to answer questions about what fair trade is and how consumers can get more involved in the movement.

We will also be releasing new episodes of Making Justice, including an episode with Equal Exchange.

Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook to learn more information and hear about the impact that fair trade has on others!

RSVP for the Free Event: "The Dark Side of Chocolate"

Browse Summer Items That Are Fair TRade

Shop Fair Trade Gifts for Her

Early Holiday Shopping? Browse These Fair Trade Gifts

11 Vital Questions to Ask Yourself At Storefront Shops

by Jenny Macahon | Oct 5, 2020 | News Room

UAHT is producing a five-part series on labor trafficking. Through this blog series, we are providing information and tips to identify labor trafficking!

Today, we are focusing on how to spot red flags in storefront shops like grocery or clothing stores.

As a customer, you may spot signs of labor trafficking in stores that you regularly visit. We want you to be equipped with the right questions to ask yourself before you report your suspicions!

Remember every case of trafficking is different, and there’s no single form. These questions are a guide, not a formula.

Storefront Shops

Staff Behavior

1. How are workers communicating with you?

Do responses seem scripted or limited beyond cultural/language barriers? Workers could be coached on what to say so they do not reveal details about their exploitation. Is another manager or employee watching you when you talk to the worker?

2. Do workers seem to have no or limited social interactions at their workplace?

Their freedom of communication may be monitored by their trafficker as a means of control.

3. Does a worker not seem to know their work address or the area where the business is located?

Their knowledge of geographic location might be controlled, or they may be moved around frequently, to limit their ability to escape.

4. Do they mention being “on call” for shifts or work long hours a day?

This may be a signal that they aren’t really free to decide when and how much they work, and that the employer has constant ability to demand their labor—to which they can’t say no. While this type of employment isn’t a de facto sign of trafficking—irregular hours are a part of shift labor—if it’s combined with other red flags, it could be a sign.

Store Environment

5. What do the working conditions seem like?

Do workers seem to have little to no breaks, excessive hours, and/or harsh working conditions? Do employers/managers seem to treat them well?

6. Are there any safety hazards?

This may look like blocked or unlabeled safety exits, stock storage that seems unsafe or unstable in the work area, uneven pathways around the store that could trip someone, etc. If a workplace reflects an attitude of not caring about the physical safety of employees, the owners might be harming them in other, less visible ways.

7. Are goods produced on-site?

If so, you should be able to ask the crafter themselves about their work. If they seem reluctant to speak about it, or display any of the below behavioral signs, take note. This could be a sign of exploitation or trafficking of manufacturers.

Control over finances can indicate human labor trafficking

Financial Control

8. Does a worker mention being paid less than your state’s minimum wage?

Contrary to popular belief, some trafficked persons are actually paid for their labor. It’s just that in trafficking cases, they tend to be paid significantly less than is legal, or be forced to give some of their wages back to their traffickers (as “payment” for food, housing, travel costs to the trafficking site if applicable, etc) as a form of forced servitude. In Texas, minimum wage is the same as the federal minimum wage–$7.25 an hour.

Ask Questions to Identify Human Trafficking

Ask Directly

If it is safe and you feel comfortable, you can ask an employee a few questions. Do not force answers.

You can strike up a casual conversaion:

9. How’d you get this job?

If they mention a romantic partner or family member pressuring them to take it, that could be an indicator. Most traffickers aren’t strangers to the victim; they’re more likely to be people the victim knows directly. It’s a relationship that is being exploited through force, fraud, or coercion, and it’s important to get stereotypes out of our heads when thinking about trafficking.

10. What made you want to start working here?

Again, if they mention pressure from partners or family members, take notice.

11. How do you like working here?

This can give the worker an opening to mention red flags on their own terms—long hours, owing a debt, their employer withholding their identification documents, and so on.

What to do when you notice red flags of human trafficking

What To Do If You Notice Multiple Red Flags

Now that you have this handy list of signs, here’s what to do if you suspect labor trafficking:

1. Wait until you are off-location

In order to protect yourself and the potential victim from punishment or being moved from the location, wait until you are out-of-sight and out-of-earshot of potential traffickers.

2. Call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888

If it has taken place in the Houston area, please contact us at United Against Human Trafficking to report your credible tip. We offer direct services, including case management for victims of human trafficking.

3. Inform others of these red flags, and let them know about the issue.

Spreading awareness is the first step in this journey towards freedom for all, and community members like you are an important part of that step. Spread the word!

2 Simple Questions to Identify Labor Trafficking

14 Vital Questions To Ask At Storefront Services

14 Vital Questions to Ask Yourself At Storefront Services

by Jenny Macahon | Sep 9, 2020 | News Room

UAHT is producing a five-part series on labor trafficking. Through this blog series, we are providing information and tips to identify labor trafficking!

Today, we are focusing on how to spot red flags in storefront services like nail salons, restaurants, massage parlors, spas, and auto repair shops – anywhere that provides a service.

As a customer, you may spot signs of labor trafficking in stores that you regularly visit. We want you to be equipped with the right questions to ask yourself before you report your suspicions!

Remember every case of trafficking is different, and there’s no single form. These questions are a guide, not a formula.

Staff Behavior

1. What is communication at the site like?

Who is talking? Do workers appear to be coached on what they say, closely watched when they speak, or seem unwilling or unable to communicate with others?

2. Do you notice signs of physical or emotional abuse?

This can include unexplained bruises, lapses in memory, undue anxiety, appearing malnourished, etc.

Store Environment

3. What is the work environment like?

Do you notice dangerous conditions, workers operating equipment without proper safety gear, training, adequate breaks and other protections?

4. What security measures are in place?

Are there camera monitoring entrances and employees, or unusual security measures (locks activated on the outside of doors, barbed wire facing inwards on a fence, bars on windows, etc)? This could mean that employees are heavily monitored and unable to leave on their own, and are meant to be kept in.

5. Do they appear to be living in their workplace, or come and go with their employer?

Their living situation and movement could be controlled by a trafficker.

6. Do you notice small children working?

While children do have labor rights, including the right to work, exceptionally young children or children working in unsafe or inappropriate positions is a red flag for labor exploitation.

7. Does the worker or workplace lack professional licensing?

Places like massage parlors, tattoo parlors, and nail salons are required to have licenses to operate in Texas, and you have the right to ask to see it if you don’t see one displayed.

8. Do you notice any obvious safety violations?

This could be something you see: open chemical containers, fire hazards, employees working without proper protective gear. It could also be something you notice with other senses: For example, if there is a strong smell of chemicals in a place like a nail salon, that’s a clear indicator that there’s not enough ventilation in the area.

Financial Control

9. Do workers mention owing a debt to their employer?

This is a sign of debt bondage, a common control measure by traffickers. They also might mention not being paid the wages they were promised by their employer. This is wage theft, and is a clear example of labor exploitation.

10. Who handles the money?

Are you allowed to tip the person providing the service directly, or does someone in the business make it clear that money is to be handled through another party? What is payment like—is it cash only? Do you see a third party clearly controlling all finances?

Ask Directly

If it is safe and you feel comfortable, you can ask an employee a few questions. Do not force answers.

You can strike up a casual conversaion:

11. How’d you get this job?

If they mention a romantic partner or family member pressuring them to take it, that could be an indicator. Most traffickers aren’t strangers to the victim; they’re more likely to be people the victim knows directly. It’s a relationship that is being exploited through force, fraud, or coercion, and it’s important to get stereotypes out of our heads when thinking about trafficking.

12. What made you want to start working here?

Again, if they mention pressure from partners or family members, take notice.

13. How do you like working here?

This can give the worker an opening to mention red flags on their own terms—long hours, owing a debt, their employer withholding their identification documents, and so on.

What To Do If You Notice Multiple Red Flags

Now that you have this handy list of signs, here’s what to do if you suspect labor trafficking:

1. Wait until you are off-location

In order to protect yourself and the potential victim from punishment or being moved from the location, wait until you are out-of-sight and out-of-earshot of potential traffickers.

2. Call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888

If it has taken place in the Houston area, please contact us at United Against Human Trafficking to report your credible tip. We offer direct services, including case management for victims of human trafficking.

3. Inform others of these red flags, and let them know about the issue.

Spreading awareness is the first step in this journey towards freedom for all, and community members like you are an important part of that step. Spread the word!

Finally, continue to watch this space for more on labor trafficking! Our next segment will be focused on storefront shopping. Thank you again for dedicating your time to becoming a more informed consumer, and for your commitment to fight for a world where all can be free.

3 Facts about labor trafficking we can't ignore

2 Simple Questions To Identify Labor Trafficking

by Jenny Macahon | Jul 27, 2020 | Uncategorized

Luca and Peter – Who Was Trafficked?

Two men, Luca and Peter, live in two different drug rehabilitation centers. As part of their programs, both men are expected to work.

The first man, Luca, works building doors. Before he started, his manager promised that he would be paid every Friday for his work.

On his first night, management locked the gates to the facility from the outside. Friday came and went, but Luca never received his paycheck. Weeks passed, and the gates locked every night and no paycheck ever came.

The second man, Peter, is expected to panhandle for spare change. When he returns to the rehabilitation center, he must give the money he makes to his manager. He was never promised that he could keep it.

A few weeks pass and Peter decides to leave the program entirely and search for a different job. 

Both of these men were being exploited for their labor, but only one was being trafficked.

Do you know which one?

We Need To Talk About Labor Trafficking

Labor trafficking occurs at a higher rate than sex trafficking globally but is reported at a lower rate to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. It is imperative to address both sex and labor trafficking so that all can live free.

In this five-part blog series, we’re equipping you to recognize and report labor trafficking.

Right now, you’re reading part two, which will help you understand the distinction between labor exploitation and labor trafficking:

Labor trafficking is a type of labor exploitation.

Labor exploitation is exactly what it sounds like: exploiting another human being to profit unfairly off their work. All cases of labor trafficking are an extreme form of labor exploitation. However, some cases of labor exploitation are not human trafficking.

Labor trafficking is unique because it involves the element of choice: people being trafficked feel that they cannot choose to leave the situation they are in. Let’s look at the A-M-P Model, which defines human trafficking.

The A-M-P Model For Identifying Human Trafficking

Trafficking occurs when an action is taken, by the means of force, fraud, or coercion, for the purpose of profiting off someone else’s labor or service.

Exploitation describes unfairly profiting off someone else’s labor; there is no “means” in this definition. Force, fraud, or coercion are unnecessary for exploitation to occur. At least one of these means must be present along with exploitation for someone to legally be considered trafficked.

In a trafficking situation, force, fraud, and coercion make the victim feel like they cannot leave and get another job.

If we know a person is being exploited for labor, we need to ask 2 questions to determine if it is human trafficking:

How did the victim come to have this job? (Were they recruited, harbored, transported, provided, obtained, patronized, or solicited into the job?)
Was the victim forced, defrauded, or coerced into taking or staying in the job?

If you answer “yes” to both those questions, it’s human trafficking.

Let’s go back to Luca and Peter’s stories and ask these critical questions.

Peter

1. How did Peter come to have this job? (Was he recruited, harbored, transported, provided, obtained, patronized, or solicited into the job?)

Peter was harbored because he lived at the rehabilitation center, which employed him. Yes.

2. Was Peter forced, defrauded, or coerced into taking or staying in the job?

Peter was not locked in at the rehabilitation center and he wasn’t physically abused if he didn’t work, so he wasn’t forced. No.
Peter was never promised wages, so he was not defrauded. No.
Peter was never threatened or psychologically manipulated, so he was not coerced. No.

Although it’s clear Peter was harbored for labor exploitation, we don’t see an element of “means” -force, fraud, or coercion – here. Peter was not trafficked.

Luca

1. How did Luca come to have this job? (Was he recruited, harbored, transported, provided, obtained, patronized, or solicited into the job?)

Luca – like Peter – was harbored because he lived at the rehabilitation center, which employed him. Yes.

2. Was Luca forced, defrauded, or coerced into taking or staying in the job?

Luca was locked in at the rehabilitation center, so he was forced. Yes.
Luca was promised wages that he never recieved, so he was defrauded. Yes.
Luca wasn’t threatened or psychologically manipulated, so he was not coerced. No.

Luca was harbored through force and fraud for the purpose of labor exploitation. Using the A-M-P Model, we can see that Luca was trafficked.

Labor exploitation and labor trafficking go hand in hand.

To identify labor trafficking, it is important that you recognize the signs of labor exploitation so that you can report unfair and illegal labor practices.  As people who support a society of freedom for all, we have an obligation to see and understand the exploitation of others around us. That’s why we at UAHT are writing this series for you!

We Serve Labor Trafficking Survivors Through our Case Management Program

Although labor trafficking rarely makes the news, you can be assured that our team is walking labor trafficking survivors – like Luca – through every step of their journey toward freedom.

From finding somewhere safe to sleep and nutritious food to eat to job training and interviews, our Case Manager ensures every client, of any gender, who experienced any trafficking type, is equipped with the tools they need to live free.

To start at the beginning of this series, check out our first post. Meanwhile, watch our blog for the next post on recognizing human trafficking in storefront services.

Resources:

The U.S. Department of Labor oversees labor exploitation issues and workers can file claims for violations of 

Workplace Health and Safety: OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

Nearly every employee in the nation comes under OSHA’s jurisdiction with some exceptions such as miners, some transportation workers, many public employees, and the self-employed. For more information about OSHA, visit https://www.osha.gov/. 
OSHA also administers the Whistleblower Protection program, ensuring an employer cannot retaliate by taking “adverse action” against workers who report injuries, safety concerns, or other protected activity. For more information about the Whistleblower Protection program, visit https://www.whistleblowers.gov/.

Fair Labor Standards Act – FLSA contains rules concerning the employment of young workers, those under the age of 18, and is administered and enforced by DOL’s Wage and Hour Division. Intended to protect the health and well-being of youth in America, the FLSA contains minimum age restrictions for employment, restrictions on the times of day youth may work, and the jobs they may perform.

Minimum wage, child labor, and Workers Owed Wages: Wage and Hour Division. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) is responsible for administering and enforcing some of the nation’s most important worker protection laws. WHD is committed to ensuring that workers in this country are paid properly and for all the hours they work, regardless of immigration status.

WHD Website: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd 
How to File a Complaint with WHD: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/contact/complaints 
For more information about DOL and worker safety and health, visit https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/safety-health.

National Human Trafficking Hotline is a toll-free number anyone can call to report or get more information on human trafficking. Call 1-888-373-7888

One Statistic That Will Make You Drop Your Jaw

Robin met her boyfriend on a dating app and was thrilled to be with someone who genuinely accepted her.