From the Daily News:Construction worker Carlos Guaricela has a wife and two small children to support, so he jumped at the $32 an hour he was paid at an East Harlem job, even though it's $17 an hour less than required by law.
"I got rent, food to pay for," the Ecuadoran immigrant said through an interpreter.
Guaricela, 33, is one of several workers questioned by U.S. Labor Department investigators probing whether workers were cheated out of wages at the nation's first stimulus-funded affordable housing project. Federal law requires workers on the project receive the so-called prevailing wage, roughly equivalent to union pay.
Guaricela worked at the stimulus-funded development on E. 103rd St. known as Hobbs Court doing interior demolition that should have paid him $49 an hour under federal law. His records indicated he was paid $32 an hour - the same as an unskilled union cleanup worker.
Guaricela also said the job site was unsafe, with no fall protection and no proper place to attach safety harnesses.
Since June, the job has been hit with two separate stop-work orders for unsafe conditions, records show.
Members of Construction and Building Laborers Local 79 have picketed Hobbs Court to protest what they call unfair pay and hazardous conditions.
"This is just the opposite of what the stimulus program is supposed to do," said Local 79 organizer Luis Montaldo.
22 comments:
I am kinda chokin on my tea, and I dont know if I am stupid, or reading this wrong. I calculate $49/hr? Huh? Huh??? To people whose citizenship isnt verified????
Educated, tax paying, American citizens are working at places like Staples and Target bc of the economy and we are talking about non English speaking, uneducated 'undocumented' construction workers making $49/hr?????
This is 'let's storm the Bastille' kind of crap.
It is amazing that an undocumented worker can work on a job that uses stimulis money from our goverment. The only reason they would be getting this ammount of money, but they are not getting, is due to prevailing wage jobs. Any job, like a school or hospital or any job ususing stimulis money, is considered prevailing wage job. If you ask me, I think a union memeber should be there working. There are alot of union workers out of work while these law breakers, aka illeagal workers, work. And to top it off, where is the money that should be going to the worker, in the pockets of these developers? You can bet on that and I think it is time to call in the F.B.I. and have them fully investigated. Criminal charges should be brought to those who are guilty. And these illeagals should be deproted. People complain how much us union memebers make but we work hard for it and it would go to the delvelopers if we did'nt get our fair share. This is just a good example of how the rich get greedy at the workers expense....
No where in this article does it say Carlos Guaricela is an illegal or undocumented worker. He says he has to pay rent like you and me. Unforunately when some people see a foreign face they scream, "illegal alien". Don't be so sure that ALL union workers are citizens. Some unions are more honest and some unions are less honest. Get my drift.
"This is just the opposite of what the stimulus program is supposed to do," said Local 79 organizer Luis Montaldo.
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Au contraire! This is precisely what Obama has in mind.
Obamamoron plans to "transform" this nation.
All that you consider to be lawful and proper, he wants to "change", not to improve things, but to sow chaos.
So, a citizen being replaced by a lawbreaking illegal alien is OK by the Messiah, so long as it creates disorder.
How do we know this guy is illegal? Because the Daily news didn't report that he has LEGAL status. This is the new PC. Be silent on all the uncomfortable facts, so the emotional impact comes through and sympathy is generated.
As for his rent and food to pay for, the legal citizen has the same responsibilities, but is unemployed as a result of the illegal alien's lawbreaking greed..
Actually, I couldn't care less about the illegal alien's problems in life. If he had stayed in the country where his citizenship is legal, we would never hear of him and his rent.
The Daily News is manipulating us for its own agenda.
Just wait until all these illegals are sucking up the Health Care Program. Government programs and corruption go hand in hand.
I got rent, food to pay for," the Ecuadoran immigrant said through an interpreter.
Learn English or go back to Ecuador to get your green card. There are many citizens in Harleem looking for work for this pay at that site who deserve a shot at the job your stealing from citizens. You are complaining that $30 hour is not enough for a wetback? You should get the $5 an hour your brothers kiss ass to get on Roosevelt Ave!
It is amazing that an undocumented worker can work on a job that uses stimulis money from our goverment.
No it's designed to insure they get stimulis money. That why the stink to insure the proposed National health bill to deliberately exclude illegals from obtaining health coverage. They get everything at yours and family expense. You pay for this.
"paid $32 an hour - the same as an unskilled union cleanup worker."
$32 (up to $49) an hour to push a broom????
This is more than most people with college degrees can hope to make.
Teachers, architects, college professors, ER doctors, nurses, etc ALL make less with 100x the training and responsibility.
The next time you see a studio apartment, even in a bad area for sale for 800k, this is the reason why.
Let's put money on the fact he is an illegal immigrant. Let's ask Carlos how he came to the USA.
I would like to see a law that says no immigrant has a job until there is full employment for Americans.
Does he care about the rent I have to pay or the bills I have to pay? nope. Why should I be crying for an illegal immigrant with all those children and probably his parents?
Even better, no immigrant, illegal or otherwise gets any City, State or otherwise government subsidized housing until all Americans are housed. That means no more homeless shelters.
But where would the Dominican crack dealers live if they don't have Section 8? Go by the apartment buildings that are next to the 65th Street R Subway station. Look at the pit bulls, see the drug dealers,watch as they throw furniture off the roof. this is Dominican paradise all on your tax dollar dumb American.
Wow, can I denounce my citizenship? I want to be illegal!
Meanwhile, I'm looking for a second job so I keep paying more taxes. Afterall more tax money is needed for the courtroom time and interpeters as we will be seeing more and more of these cases.
Prevailing wage is at a rate of $90,000 yearly salary to demolish and clean up a site? Unions are killing this city.
I'd like to see all of you people do what a construction worker does for a day and see if you think we don't desrve what we are being paid. Nothing for nothing but half of you jack asses could'nt even handle my commute. And let's not forget that more construction workers, union and non=nion, get killed on the job more than cops. I think with all the money these contractors make we should get our fair share. And the non-union used to have just non-union but now all the illeagals are taking their jobs. I had woked on non-union jobs and I can tell ya that either if they are some pollocks or some hispanics, they are,'t here leagally or they over-stayed their visit. Non the less, they should all be deported. It is a prevailing wage job and it is using our stmulis money. I think my tax dollars should be supporting an american citizen and not some idiot who broke the law by entering illegally! It is bad enough I foot the bill on their wives pumping out babies.
I totally agree with the last Anonymous' statement about the DESERVING pay of construction workers. I will also ADD that they do NOT work year round nor do they always work full days therefore you cannot assume they are making $90,000 per year.
The article does NOT say that the man is undocumented nor does it say he cannot speak ENGLISH! Would he have submitted to an INTERVIEW if he were illegal - NO! Was there any mention of an interpreter - NO!
I hope our government fines the construction company HEAVILY for breaking our laws.
This is EXACTLY the kind of bull**** that Americans have NO TOLERANCE for.
Does anyone know if the Construction Company owner speaks English?
"I got rent, food to pay for," the Ecuadoran immigrant said through an interpreter.
Sorry Babs, but he did speak through an interpeter. But so did my grandfather and grandmother. they can over from Italy and never learned English. It didn't make them bad people and that doesn't make him a bad person either.
It's easy to blame our problems on illegal aliens but let's not assume all Hispanics are here illegally.
Not to say that all hispanics are here illeagally but for the most part, alot of them are here and working. To turn a blind eye to them is just as bad as these contractors exploiting them. These people, whether legal or illeagal are being taken advantage of from their bosses. I have seen them work 12 hour days with limited breaks and they get paid less than the minimum wage. So you tell me, should we allow people, no matter who they are, be taken advantage of and work hard for less money? The point of this article is that our stimulous money is being used and the people who are working on this prevailing wage job are'nt being paid the right wage. I think the feds need to look into this contractor and make things right. I am not for illeagls being here but I am against them being srewed. Mind ya, that if they were to have came here through the proper ways, they would'nt be in the position of so many americans hating them....
Thanks for correcting me Anonymous - I guess I shouldn't brag about my speed reading skills.
The illegals that are here are being used and abused for the most part. It's as if not being an American citizen makes one less human - actually Americans that take advantage of them are in my book.
I believe that the MAIN reason we cannot keep our borders closed is simply because American businesses don't want them closed.
Rather than taking our wrath out on the immigrants - we should redirect the anger towards the business people that exploit them and of course exploit US too.
The Federal stimulus money is for US - American citizens and American business. The owners of these construction companies/other big businesses throw us under the bus by hiring undocumented workers.
when a serial illegal conversion violator seeks court help to evict the occupant.he will fail because, legally ,the occupant does not exist.
the entrepreneur,who takes full risk when beginning a business,hires an illegal .(who legally does not exist in the court.) the illegal has no rights!!!
it is really a scam ,if federal stimulus funding is being wasted.
how can the gov. fine the construction co. ,
if the illegal worker does not exist?
RE:babs...have you ever been employed by a poor person?
you can brag about your BAB.....ELING speed !!!!!
This asswipe is complaining?
This asswipe is complaining?
I suspect this and other on this project are illegal. The employer is saving on employee payroll and SS tax payments. There are none to make since illegals have no SS unless they produce bogus SS and ID. Highly unlikely that they could produce it or even asked to do so.
Michael - companies are FORBIDDEN by law to hire illegals - some do so of course unwittingly. The fine could exceed 10,000 depending upon the situation.
THEY are responsible - for the most part - for our illegal immigration problem.
I hope we get a follow up to this story -
holy shit what the hell is wrong with everyone.. most likely this carlos is using false documents, possibly your ss# and you defend him. why don't the companies hire only through unempolyment and then the numbers would come down. No these companies are putting the money in their own pockets. i hope all the companies who received stimulas jobs are investergated and fined and the ones working illegally get deported for fraud.
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