Thread: Immigrant workers reportedly not paid for Reston project

Immigrant workers reportedly not paid for Reston project

Mar 3, 2008 3:00 AM (5 hrs ago) by Freeman Klopott, The Examiner

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - About a dozen immigrant drywallers — some illegal — were never paid for their work last summer at a Reston Town Center project by their employer, Salvador Blanco, an unlicensed labor broker, according to contractors on the job.

Among them was Flor and her husband, Juan Carlos, both illegal immigrants from El Salvador. The couple, who asked to be identified by their first names only because they feared deportation, said when they weren’t paid for a month’s work, their family back home had to sell what little property they had to cover the medical bills for their sickly 4-year-old daughter.

The workers eventually received compensation totaling about $35,000 from C.J. Coakley Co., the subcontractor that hired Blanco, and Hitt Construction, the general contractor, after carpenters union officials alerted the contractors and property owner, Boston Properties, of the problem.

Calls to Blanco were not returned.

The couple could have legally filed a complaint with the federal Department of Labor, but Flor said when she tried, questions about her legal status scared her away.

Flor’s story is just a sample of the underground construction labor market that legislators and union officials say tops $1 billion in the region.

As many as 60 labor brokers like Blanco operate in the area, union officials said. Oftentimes, the brokers improperly classify workers so they can skirt tax and workers’ compensation laws, officials added. When they don’t pay into the system, it’s taxpayers and legitimate business owners who pick up the tab.

“These people are cheating the system and have repealed every benefit we’ve fought hard for — workers’ compensation, Social Security,â€

A crackdown on brokers is an excellent idea. If it's no longer profitable for them to hire illegal aliens, it should cut down on the numbers of illegal aliens here.

Cracking down on labor brokers is a great idea. How about also arresting them, prosecuting them to the fullest extent of the law, seizing all of their assets, and throwing their asses in prison where they belong? Doing so would send the message that no one is kidding hen they implement laws cracking down on these people.

And please, stop giving these developers and general contractors the out of placing the blame on subcontractors for hiring illegals. The subcontractors are working for these folks, therefore they should be responsible for ensuring that everything is being done in accordance with the law and be held equally responsible when laws are broken.


And as for this one:

[b]Flor has become wary of working for labor brokers, although oftentimes they’re the only avenue to finding a job, she said.

“We came here to work, and we expect to get paid for it,â€

Many of the "labor brokers" are immigrants themselves with ties and contacts for illegal alien laborers....it's set up that way.. Then the contractors can shield themselves from liability while ensuring that they can continue to have an easy, accessible supply of illegal alien labor via the "labor brokers". Again, people, keep ICE's number handy and report suspected illegal aliens, their employers and/or "labor brokers" and/or any suspicious immigration activity directly to 1-866-DHS-2ICE.