ILLEGAL WORKERS FACE HARDSHIPS IN BIG EASY

Associated Press ^ | June 6, 2006 | RUKMINI CALLIMACHI

[Kimberly GG]

ILLEGAL WORKERS FACE HARDSHIPS IN BIG EASY

By RUKMINI CALLIMACHI, Associated Press Writer Tue Jun 6, 7:41 PM ET

NEW ORLEANS - Illegal immigrants helping to rebuild this shattered city are working in hazardous conditions without protective gear and earning far less than their legal counterparts, a study says.

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, according to the study by professors at Tulane University and the University of California at Berkeley.

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. And 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, according to the researchers.

[Kimberly GG]

Illegals themselves or competing businesses underbid because they do NOT hire illegals, can and should file RICO suits against employers who are hiring the illegals and breaking federal labor laws.

D.C. isn't going to to enforce the law or penalize employers of illegals. Their answer to the problem is to pass legislation that gives amnesty to both the illegal AND the employer. RICO suits will send owners to jail for racketeering and force companies to pay triple the normal damages. RICO enforcement of immigration laws. RICO doing the job that D.C. won't.

[dennisw]

The hacks in DC and their imported serfs

[metesky]

Boo freakin' hoo.

[driftdiver]

Good, if you don't like it go home. In fact since I'd hate for them to be hurt they should just go home.

[Izzy Dunne]

earning far less than their legal counterparts, a study says.

There's some kind of a message in there somewhere, but I'll be darned if I can figure out what it is...

[OpusatFR]

""What is fundamentally unfair is these are workers who have responded to a national priority to rebuild this city..."

LOL! No they haven't. Wrapping the fact that some companies hire illegals to cut their labor costs and taxes that should be paid is not some patriotic act.

What utter BS.

[Slings and Arrows]

My sentiments exactly.

[Izzy Dunne]

And 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

If you win the suit, your award is a one-way ticket to your homeland.

< / dream >

[ovrtaxt]

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.

This is the new slavery. Or Irish sweatshop children, take your pick.

[libertylover]

"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...

No, Ms. Fletcher, what's fundamentally unfair is that these people are here illegally!!! Responding to a national priority?? Give me a break. Stupid b****, they're MEXICANS; they're not being patriotic. And then there's the Berkeley part, sticking their nose into NOLA.

[Joe Boucher]

Much sympathy for the illegals and their hardships, now arrest them ALL then deport their asses.

[Oschisms]

T-Shirt seen in New Orleans:

Find
Every
Mexican
Available
To Rebuild New Orleans

[n230099]

Along the same thoughts I had. If they know enough about where they are to interview them they should be detained and deported.

[BlessedBeGod]

Tough tacos!

[rockabyebaby]

Illegal immigrants helping to rebuild this shattered city are working in hazardous conditions without protective gear and earning far less than their legal counterparts, a study says.

This is HUGH and I should give a bleep because??????

[elli1]

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.

I spose I'd be thinking outside the agenda box to think the wage disparity could be the difference between low/no skilled jobs & somewhat more skilled ones. Or working for cash as opposed to a paycheck.

[JimRed]

earning far less than their legal counterparts, a study says.

There's some kind of a message in there somewhere, but I'll be darned if I can figure out what it is...

How about "legals are being overpaid for the kind of work Americans don't want to do"?

< /sarcasm >

[ridesthemiles]

Please help me file this in my "who gives a SH** file.....

I have absolutely no sympathy for people who break the law and come here illegally.

I have less sympathy for people who live in a danger zone due to weather and are stubborn enough to not get the HE** out of Dodge when they are told to do so.

I have even less sympathy for the fools who keep voting in the same politicians over and over again who steal them blind and don't know how to do anything but DITHER when trouble comes.

If you left it to me, there would be large areas of NOLA that never get rebuilt. Make it a "monument park" to the rescuers who died trying to help the fools.

Funny how we NEVER hear a word about the whereabouts of or the efforts to find the over 44,000 registered sex offenders who disappeared when Katrina hit the area.

[Klatuu]

My understanding was that the justification for allowing these illegals to come in was that they would do the jobs that Americans didn't want to do. IOW, the dirty nasty jobs that don't pay very well.
So, what exactly, is the problem here?