Posted on 07/30/2007 12:40:04 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
Local advocates hope to recoup pay in problem plaguing nation
Francisco Ramos worked a 40-hour week in June, framing houses in south Houston for promised wages of $320. But on payday, the 26-year-old carpenter got nothing.
His contractor dropped him off later that evening empty-handed.
A month later, he's still waiting for his wages as are thousands of other immigrants across the U.S. and Houston.
Wage theft is widespread among mostly illegal immigrant workers, especially those who are recruited on street corners and work in the shadows of the American labor force. And that work-related exploitation appears to be growing along with the country's immigrant population.
In the nation's first comprehensive study of day laborers, called ''On the Corner," UCLA researchers interviewed 2,660 workers at 264 hiring sites in 20 states, including Texas and the District of Columbia. The 2006 study concluded that almost half of all day laborers experienced at least one instance of wage theft in the two months prior to being surveyed.
In Houston, a national worker's advocacy group opened an office near downtown in April to recover wages lost by mostly immigrant workers. The Houston Interfaith Worker Justice Center is handling cases of wage loss mostly among immigrants hired by small businesses, contractors and individuals.
But if an immigrant undocumented or not is working for an employer with revenues exceeding $500,000 annually, a complaint can be referred to the U.S. Department of Labor's wage and hour division.
In the department's Houston district, the number of immigrants bringing wage complaints has risen dramatically, with 842 seeking back pay in fiscal 2006. That is up from the 371 in 2005 and 172 the year before, according to the Labor Department.
In the Houston district, the department identified $2.9 million in back wages owed to immigrants...
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
“So the scumbag builders who hire illegals are screwing the home owners “
Exactly. That’s what some people are finally realizing - that the contractor is not passing on his lower costs to the homeowner. In the meantime, the work is a lot shoddier.
What felony? Working without papers, and even being in the country without proper documents may be a deportable ADMINISTRATIVE offense, but by no means is a felony. It’s the employer’s responsibility to withhold taxes (there’s no indication these guys were not going to declare their income in the news item) and the employer is the only one committing a crime.
Besides which, stiffing workers is really, really scuzzy.
actually these guys are held hostage by their coyotes in some cases and have to pay with tons of interest for their delivery in this country.
Naturally,-but thanks for posting anyhow.
“ICE agents should disguise themselves as UCLA researchers.”
Psstt!!! They are posing as UCLA researchers. Don’t tell anybody OK? ;?)
They don’t follow the law, but expect everyone else to? They expect honor out of a scumbag who hires illegals? Sure, they had a ontract witht he employer, and are due the money, but it should all be garnished to cover our costs for them being here illegally.
Have you seen what's hapend to the commodities markets? Copper is easily twice what it was, plywood and sheetrock are also about double in the last few years. Yeah, they should be hiring legal help, though, and not all builders hire illegals.
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