[Illegal] Day workers plagued by wage theft

Houston Chronicle ^ | July 30, 2007 | JAMES PINKERTON

[Andy'smom]

“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.

[rpgdfmx]

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.

[television is just wrong]

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.

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

>>Maybe I'm missing something here, but if you're employed illegally, do you have legal recourse if your employer decides not to pay you? Isn't that sort of like me trying to get the authorities involved if I don't get my share of a bank heist?<<

Common sense would say you are correct, but "our" government has thrown common sense out. In Houston, I would assume that 99% of these "unpaid immigrants" are illegal.

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 in fiscal 2006, up from $607,000 the year before. For 2006, the department collected backwages of $475,000 owed to 453 immigrant workers.

[AirBorn]

Naturally,-but thanks for posting anyhow.

[listenhillary]

“ICE agents should disguise themselves as UCLA researchers.”

Psstt!!! They are posing as UCLA researchers. Don’t tell anybody OK? ;?)

[Clam Digger]

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.

[Clam Digger]

The price of labor has gone down. Has the price of new home construction gone down?

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.