Posted on 03/13/2007 5:05:49 PM PDT by Ellesu
Dozens of immigrant workers protested working condition post-Katrina Tuesday, and activists said it was an example for thousands of recovery workers across the city.
Stories were told of workers brought across the border with promises of good jobs, and then betrayed.
“We will not exchange exploited black people for exploited brown people,” said civil rights attorney Tracie Washington.
One worker said he came to the area to make money for his family in Mexico, but once he was here, the company that promised him a good job backed out, leaving him trapped with a VISA that would not let him work for anybody else.
The protestors urged the Department of Labor to change the laws to make it easier for guest workers to find a job.
Activists said it has been a common problem for the thousands of recovery workers brought to the area after Katrina to fill the labor shortage.
“We are contacted by hundreds and hundreds of workers in shipyards, in hotels, in sites all across the state and they are absolutely terrified,” said activist Elly Kugler.
In August, a group of immigrant workers sued a New Orleans hotel chain over pay. For others, abusive employers don’t pay what was promised, and force them to live in makeshift housing.
Kugler said many of the workers feel trapped, some coming as far away as India to find themselves working for abusive employers and often living on bunks in crowded warehouses.
“The account manager was saying, ‘this is not your India, this is our India. We know you are living in slums in India, it’s better than that here.’ But that is not correct,” said one worker.
The companies in question insisted they pay fairly, and said the workers were more than able to leave if they weren’t happy.
Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! - Gomer
These "poor" people seem to have plenty of money to come to the USA, especially if some from as far off as India can make the trip.
So effing what!! Complain all ya want, ya effing ILLEGALS!
Love it or leave it.......
Ya know what?
CRY ME A RIVER!
“We will not exchange exploited black people for exploited brown people,” said civil rights attorney Tracie Washington.......
Then GO HOME!!!!
Now they know how they've made tens of thousands of legal citizen construction workers feel.
Pot, meet kettle.
What is really sad is that we had to import workers from India and Mexico to rebuild New Orleans, while the displaced residents are being kept in FEMA trailers.
Rules for guest workers - you have 2 weeks to find a sponser. If none, you will be deported.
A powerful force heard from??? Some of them may be here legally, not likely.
Makeshift housing"?????
Aren't they there to clean up the debris from Katrina and start some of the rebuilding process?
What kind of housing did they think they were getting?
Penthouse at the Hyatt???
I cannot imagine any housing worse than what they live in in Mexico or further south. In Los Angeles, they often live 15 to a 3 bedroom house, hot-sheeting because they can work different shifts.
It appears that they are legal guest workers.
In the photo, those big posters are enlarged visas and the article mentions one worker that had a visa and a promised job and got screwed by the company"
I don't suppose there is even the slightest possible chance that the prospective employee lied to the prospective employer about his skills and how hard a worker he really was?
If you tell me that you can do XXX and it turns out that you cannot even spell XXX, then I am not obligated to hire you- no matter how far you came for the chance to work.
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