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Illegal workers want to be paid
7/8/2005 6:26 PM
By: Shawn Flynn, News 14 Carolina

An illegal immigrant tells News 14's Shawn Flynn that she was treated unfairly by her former employer.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Some local businesses might be taking advantage of workers who are not in this country legally.

The Latin American Coalition, which serves the Latino community in Charlotte, has talked to many illegal immigrants who said they haven’t been paid for the hours they worked.

“We see, on average, five individuals a day, so it's a large problem for us,� said Raquel Lynch, the Coalition’s director of housing.

The Coalition works with the Department of Labor to make sure people are paid, regardless of their status.

Some local businesses might be taking advantage of workers who are not in this country legally.
“The only issue (the Labor Department) looks at is that the employer is not paying a person for the time they worked,� Lynch said.

One of those illegal immigrants talked to News 14 about her situation. She came from Mexico six years ago and began working for a restaurant chain.

“I worked for them eight hours in the morning in one store and six, seven, eight hours maybe in another store,� said the woman, who didn’t want to reveal her identity.

She said she would often work 16 hours a day, seven days a week, without any overtime pay. And sometimes, she said, she wasn’t even paid for the regular hours she worked.

One illegal immigrant, left, talks to News 14 reporter Shawn Flynn.
“I knew they had to pay, but I didn't want them to call immigration,� the woman said Friday. “I just want the money that I think I deserve, because I worked for that.�

The woman is now working for another employer, but she still wants her former one to pay.

“They are making very good money from us, and it's not fair,� she said.

Web Journalist: Kyle Almond