Language Teachers Fight for their Paychecks with Arise Chicago

Today Noreen Haque Colombe led a community demonstration against the TEFL Institute, where she formerly trained students to teach English abroad.  

"I worked as an online instructor and was not paid," says Colombe.  "It's been over a year.  I'm part of a group and we're all waiting for our paychecks.  This is an extremely difficult position for us to be in."

Nine teachers who gave online and in-person classes are protesting more than $18,000 in stolen pay.  After months of unsuccessful phone calls, visits, and emails to TEFL staff, teachers reached out to workers' rights organization Arise Chicago.  

Former TEFL teacher Melissa Fleming says, "I reached out to the company for over a year.  Each time my requests were denied, went ignored, or false promises were made."

"I never imagined that I would have to spend so much time making phone calls, sending emails, contacting the Better Business Bureau, contacting the Department of Labor, researching labor laws, consulting lawyers, contacting community organizations, just to get paid for my work," says former TEFL teacher, Willow Barn.  "I found out that wage theft can happen to anyone, in any field."

On September 6th Arise Chicago convened a meeting at which TEFL owner Tiron Gibbs signed a pay agreement with the teachers.  However, once again Mr. Gibbs betrayed the agreement and teachers' trust by continuing to refuse to pay.
  
Arise Chicago supported the workers by organizing a community delegation to the business.

"I have never experienced anything like TEFL's theft and lies," says Lilia Benenson, an educator for the last 20 years.  "It's especially frustrating that his behavior should come from an educational institution whose very mission is to impart values to students."  

Arise Chicago builds partnerships between faith communities and workers to fight workplace injustice through education and organizing and advocating for public policy changes. Its Worker Center is a community resource for workers, both immigrant and native-born, to learn about their rights and join fellow workers to improve workplace conditions.