Illegal Workers Face Hardship in Big Easy

CBS News ^ | 6-7-06 | RUKMINI CALLIMACHI

[SJackson]

Illegal Workers Face Hardship in Big Easy

Study finds illegal immigrants helping to rebuild New Orleans work in hazardous conditions

NEW ORLEANS, Jun. 7, 2006
By RUKMINI CALLIMACHI Associated Press Writer

---

(AP)

(AP) They are the backbone of post-Hurricane Katrina reconstruction: Workers who converge at dawn and wait to be picked up for 14-hour shifts of hauling debris, ripping out drywall and nailing walls.

But because many are in the country illegally, immigrant workers rebuilding New Orleans are especially vulnerable to exploitation, according to a study released Tuesday by professors at Tulane University and the University of California at Berkeley.

The illegal immigrants often work in hazardous conditions without protective gear and earn far less than their legal counterparts, the study said. Nearly one-third of the illegal immigrants interviewed by researchers reported working with harmful substances and in dangerous conditions, while 19 percent said they were not given any protective equipment.

Illegal immigrants also were paid significantly less _ if at all _ earning on average $10 per hour, compared with $16.50 for documented workers, the study said.

"What is fundamentally unfair is these are workers who have responded to a national priority to rebuild this city and yet whose rights are being violated," said Laurel Fletcher, director of Berkeley's International Human Rights Law Clinic and one of the study's co-authors.

Under federal labor law, illegal immigrants are afforded the same health and safety protections as documented workers. Regardless of their legal status, laborers can sue most employers under the Fair Labor Standards Act for violation of the minimum wage law and overtime regulations, the researchers said.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it has conducted more than 7,000 on-site inspections in the New Orleans area. The U.S. Department of Labor said it was concerned about wage and safety violations and had hurried to establish a Gulf Coast office.

"I'm not surprised that there are wage violations in the whole Gulf Coast rebuilding area _ all of the conditions are there for that to occur," said Victoria Lipnic, assistant secretary of labor for employment standards. "But we've tried to be very proactive in our enforcement effort."

Before last year's hurricane, Louisiana had one of the smallest Hispanic populations in the country _ 2.5 percent of residents compared with 12.5 percent nationally.

Census data indicates nearly 100,000 Hispanics moved to the Gulf Coast region after Katrina, lured by promises of high wages and plentiful work. It is unclear how many have come to New Orleans, though the study estimates one-quarter of the construction workers in the city are illegal immigrants.

While 83 percent of documented workers interviewed by the researchers said had access to medicine when needed, only 38 percent of illegal immigrants did. Around one-third of illegal immigrants said they understood the hazards of removing asbestos or mold, compared with more than 65 percent of documented laborers. Thirty-three percent of legal workers received medical attention when needed for a reported problem, compared to 10 percent of undocumented workers.

Some of those waiting for work said they are afraid of complaining.

"It's too dangerous for my body," said 29-year-old Saul Linan, an illegal immigrant from Mexico. "But I don't say anything. If I do, the boss says, `Hey, if you don't work hard, I'll take you to immigration.'"

[jeremiah]

How is it that 25% of the workforce is considered the "backbone" of the construction force? Does this mean that the 75% of those construction workers that are legal, are just affirmative action hires?

[MizSterious]

Well, they could always quit and go home.

[HOTTIEBOY]

I should take all the locks off my house and cars because the thieves are having a hard time stealing them.

[Thrusher]

Go home.

[Amanda75]

They come here on their own, why in the hell should we care how they are treated, they are stealing us blind, did you know that, anything not nailed down they take.

Get real, you crying heart liberals make me sick, we all face hardships in this city, plus we now have to put up with them robbing us at every opportunity.

[oldcapecodder]

I know, a dumb question, but why isn't all this unskilled work being done by the chronically un-employed NOLA people.


Richard

[PLK]

The U.S. Department of Labor said it was concerned about wage and safety violations and had hurried to establish a Gulf Coast office.

I wish the Feds were as concerned about illegal immigration. Why not "establish a Gulf Coast office" specifically to round up the aliens being "exploited" by the aftermath of Katrina and give them the boot???

[Tired of Taxes]

According to the following, those illegals pushed out Americans willing to work for the SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY:

Back in April, there was THIS story about American workers pushed out by Mexican aliens in the Katrina cleanup:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1612317/posts

-SNIP-

An Alabama employment agency that sent 70 laborers and construction workers to job sites in that state in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina says the men were sent home after just two weeks on the job by employers who told them "the Mexicans had arrived" and were willing to work for less.

Linda Swope, who operates Complete Employment Services Inc. in Mobile, Ala., told The Washington Times last week that the workers -- whom she described as U.S. citizens, residents of Alabama and predominantly black -- had been "urgently requested" by contractors hired to rebuild and clear devastated areas of the state, but were told to leave three job sites when the foreign workers showed up.

"After Katrina, our company had 70 workers on the job the first day, but the companies decided they didn't need them anymore because the Mexicans had arrived," Mrs. Swope said. "I assure you it is not true that Americans don't want to work.

"We had been told that 270 jobs might be available, and we could have filled every one of them with men from this area, most of whom lost their jobs because of the hurricane," she said. "When we told the guys they would not be needed, they actually cried ... and we cried with them. This is a shame."

-UNSNIP-

So, the way it appears, first the aliens pushed out Americans for those jobs by agreeing to work for lower pay, and now they're whining about the low pay and poor working conditions.

But look closer: Though the article above says the illegals are working for $10/hour, and that documented workers earn $16.50/hour, the first article said the Americans were willing to work for $10/hour:

-SNIP-

>>>> "The men we sent to jobs in Alabama were local fellows looking for work, men who needed jobs," Mrs. Swope said. "After driving 50 miles to the work sites where they had been promised $10 an hour, they discovered the employers had found substitutes who were willing to work for less."<<<<

From the original source:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20060410-123506-1297r.htm

[Tired of Taxes]

Can one of you give this thread an illegal immigration ping (with a "barf alert")? Thanks in advance!

[bigeasy_70118]

As if y'all didn't know, I can tell you right now as a stand at Ground Zero, this article is total bunk.

First the going wage in New Orleans is $16 hr for any kind of construction work. Second, the amount of work that needs to be done is so great, and we now have approximately 12 hours of daylight, that it is mandatory that construction work run 12 hours a day. Third, Sunday is still a day of rest. Fourth, if you don't watch them they'll rob you blind. Fifth, if you pay them by the day, you won't see them for two or three days. You have to pay them on Friday and hold your breath that they show up on Saturday or even Monday.

[Charles Martel]

I know, a dumb question, but why isn't all this unskilled work being done by the chronically un-employed NOLA people.

Some *have* stepped up, but the majority are chronically unemployed elsewhere.

[from occupied ga]

know, a dumb question, but why isn't all this unskilled work being done by the chronically un-employed NOLA people.

I'll give my opinion on this

1. there are levels of unskilled some of the NO chronically unemployed don't know which end of the hammer you hold
2. lack of incentive to work - after all when the government pays you to sit around, have illegitimate chillin and do drugs, what incentive is there to do work
3. lack of desire to work - there is a culture of resentment of success that goes hand in hand with the black urban culture of do nothin' or you won't be cool. You work fo a living, you be a fool. This is not a great peer pressure motivator to get people working.

[patton]

Because it is hard work.

[panthermom]

What a waste of an opportunity. How many businesses could be started from this disaster. I know people who were laborors and after Hugo took it as an opportunity for start their own businesses because the need was so great. They are doing very well for themselves now. What a waste.

[Charles Martel]

...there is a culture of resentment of success that goes hand in hand with the black urban culture of do nothin' or you won't be cool. You work fo a living, you be a fool.

Yep, and it has been inculcated in that community for several generations now. Leftist politics makes a mockery of heroic workers.

Here's an example: Instead of a larger-than-life hero who shows that men need not meekly allow their jobs to be claimed by automation, John Henry is now cast as a misguided fool who works himself to death for the white man.

Poor John... another iconic American figure relegated to history's dumpster.

[from occupied ga]

What a waste of an opportunity.

They don't see it that way. They sees it as an opportunity to whine some mo about how they's not gettin what's due to them, and they sees it as a failure of the government to provide for their every want.

They have been conditioned by their peers to eschew work and industry for hanging out and getting a government check. This is why they were all so quick to cry racism (like the flood waters somehow knew where the black neighborhoods were) When you can blame racism for the fact that you're a loser, then you don't have to blame you own shortcomings. "I'm poor because I'm black and the man is keeping me down" has a lot better self-esteem (as taught in government schools) than "I'm poor because I dropped out of school, and I'm too lazy to get even a menial job"

[from occupied ga]

Leftist politics makes a mockery of heroic workers.

Yep. Leftists politics (and statists in general) NEED dependent people to justify their existence. Does anyone think that any of the government drones in the giant bureaucracy that distributes welfare wants to see a drop in the welfare rolls?

[texan75010]

I look at pictures from New Orleans and I don't see any chains on any workers. I don't see guns pointed at their heads.

The fact is, they are engaging in an illegal activity...and they are upset because they are not getting paid more for it!!?? If they were stealing my car, would they complain that it's a Ford and not a Benz? If they broke in to my home would they complain that I didn't have enough valuables to steal??!!

Get the hell out of the country and don't come back illegally!!

[panthermom]

My husband and neighbor are in the construction business, and they have discussed what an opportunity it would be to go there. My husband has a really good job here and we have 2 kids in HS and one in elementary, we just couldn't pick up and leave. However if we didn't have the kids to worry about, we would have been there in a heartbeat.