Thread: GA: Day laborers find tough going in down market

Day laborers find tough going in down market
By Brian Creech
Story updated at 3:15 pm on 1/17/2009


Outside the red-roofed shelter in The Home Depot parking lot off Epps Bridge Parkway, a couple dozen Hispanic men gather nearly every morning to solicit work. The men step toward cars, holding up fingers to show how much they'll charge per hour for their day's work, often competing with one another to offer the lowest rate.

Luis, who is not in America legally and gave only his first name, has been waiting among these day laborers for almost two years, and has been able to find work on an almost semiregular basis. He came to Athens because the job market for migrant workers was less competitive and the cost of living was lower than in Atlanta.

Even last winter, when construction and landscaping jobs were the most scarce, Luis could count on work at least one day a week. But in the past several months, contractors haven't been stopping to pick up day laborers. Luis said neither he nor any of the parking lot regulars have been able to find work since late October.

United Food and Commercial Workers Union representative Nicolas Stanojevich said he thought the job market in November 2007 - when day laborers were finding work two days a week on average - was the worst he had seen, but this year's labor landscape makes 2007 look sunny by comparison. Before Stanojevich began working at the union, which is based in Athens at the Pilgrim's Pride poultry processing plants, he spent the past couple of years working with the day laborers who gather at The Home Depot through the Day Labor Center and Athens Economic Justice Coalition and helping them find work.

"When you go to The Home Depot, those are the people who can't find work. It's the bottom of the barrel as far as work goes," he said. "Most people do day labor hoping to find someone who will want to keep them on doing construction or landscaping work."

As Athens' housing market took a hard hit in the downtrodden economy and construction jobs disappeared, the demand for day laborers also decreased.

Among the Hispanic population, permanent construction and landscaping jobs are seen as the best, followed by factory work, Stanojevich said. He added that those factory jobs are dwindling just as quickly as temporary day labor.

Many of the day laborers in Athens are undocumented Hispanic immigrants, Stanojevich said.

Hiring undocumented workers can be a risky practice for local contractors. "I don't do it, and I don't know many people who do," said Sean Hogan of Hogan's Builders.

Hogan said he thought most of the people who hire day laborers are homeowners seeking to save money by not hiring a licensed contractor.

Stanojevich said sometimes people also will hire day laborers with the intention of not paying them at all. While working with the Day Labor Center in 2007, he tried to organize the workers and keep track of who was hiring them in order to hold those who hire day laborers accountable.

The Unity Labor Project, a project set up through the Economic Justice Coalition, also tries to help day laborers find more consistent work and a reliable paycheck.

The organization advertises home repair services throughout the community by posting flyers in neighborhoods and networking through churches.

The nonprofit finds temporary work for an average of 10 people a week, said James Walker, a volunteer who manages Unity's workers. Walker said Unity's clients have been happy with the work overall and he expects to find more work for people as Unity's reputation grows.

Still waiting for work that doesn't come, Luis said he's lucky because he doesn't have a family and can move around more easily. Some of the day laborers say there are construction jobs in Virginia, while others are thinking about trying their luck in Atlanta's tougher job market.

Men who have families in Athens say they will weather the storm, keep looking for work and rely upon their neighbors for help.

"When times get hard, people tend to come together in the Hispanic community around here," Stanojevich said. "There's a lot of strong support networks in the area."

www.onlineathens.com

The Unity Labor Project, a project set up through the Economic Justice Coalition, also tries to help day laborers find more consistent work and a reliable paycheck.

Helping them break the law. Isn't that an acessory?

Dixie

Men who have families in Athens say they will weather the storm, keep looking for work and rely upon their neighbors for help.

"When times get hard, people tend to come together in the Hispanic community around here," Stanojevich said. "There's a lot of strong support networks in the area."



Well gosh....I hope they don't hitch their wagon to that "neighborly help" star of theirs.

Times are getting tough for EVERYBODY and people are not as generous and helpful as they once were.....including within the Latino "immigrant community".

I've got tenants who are, very assertively, telling their own family not to bother coming and sending the ones who do anyway packing back home ASAP.

These people....legally here or not.....are in no position to support new arrivals with no means and most definitely do NOT welcome competition in the job market or for the ever increasingly scarce charitable resources they have left.

Originally Posted by azwreath

Men who have families in Athens say they will weather the storm, keep looking for work and rely upon their neighbors for help.

"When times get hard, people tend to come together in the Hispanic community around here," Stanojevich said. "There's a lot of strong support networks in the area."



Well gosh....I hope they don't hitch their wagon to that "neighborly help" star of theirs.

Times are getting tough for EVERYBODY and people are not as generous and helpful as they once were.....including within the Latino "immigrant community".

I've got tenants who are, very assertively, telling their own family not to bother coming and sending the ones who do anyway packing back home ASAP.

These people....legally here or not.....are in no position to support new arrivals with no means and most definitely do NOT welcome competition in the job market or for the ever increasingly scarce charitable resources they have left.

When times get hard, people in ALL 'communities' tend to work together more. The American "community" does the same thing. I'm sick of reading about the "virtues" of these lawbreaking idiots as if they have some special genes the rest of us lack.

They remain here already already aware they are taken better care of than veterans, senior citizens and other Americans. This fraud of a soon to be administration already has promised billions in health for illegal aliens who violate our borders paid for by struggling Americans losing theirs. They also will be the first to be hired for any jobs arising from the trillion dollar taxpayer subsidized Ponzi scheme (stimulus) as Obama will eliminate all federal immigration and hiring laws when he opens the borders right after taking the oath of office. I also hear he will be at Arlington Cemetery supposedly paying his respects for those brave souls who sacrificed their lives in the defense of liberty while ignoring suffering veterans losing their homes and unable to put food on their table because they don't receive the necessary care, treatment and disability payments while illegal aliens receive organ transplants and other care at taxpayer expense many using stolen identities to do so who soon will receive billions more for their care. This is a slap in the face
to those who selflessly gave their lives in the defense of this nation and is beyond reprehensible, unconscionable and immoral for this government to treat our veterans like this by placing the interests of those illegally here before our veterans which dishonors their sacrifices.
It will be a struggle of monumental proportions as Americans try to reassert their rights as LEGAL citizens against a congress and administration that sees us only as a rapidly diminishing tax base to support their corporate master's cheap labor demands. We are seen as illegal aliens while those who violated our laws, borders, sovereignty and rob us of our dignity and identities are the "New Americans".

Originally Posted by retiredairforce

They remain here already already aware they are taken better care of than veterans, senior citizens and other Americans. This fraud of a soon to be administration already has promised billions in health for illegal aliens who violate our borders paid for by struggling Americans losing theirs. They also will be the first to be hired for any jobs arising from the trillion dollar taxpayer subsidized Ponzi scheme (stimulus) as Obama will eliminate all federal immigration and hiring laws when he opens the borders right after taking the oath of office.
It will be a struggle of monumental proportions as Americans try to reassert their rights as LEGAL citizens against a congress and administration that sees us only as a rapidly diminishing tax base to support their corporate master's cheap labor demands. We are seen as illegal aliens while those who violated our laws, borders, sovereignty and rob us of our dignity and identities are the "New Americans".

The fight's not over yet, Retired! Hang in there! You're justifiably angry and you're strong, and we know you know the meaning of "dig in your heels"...We'll win this thing yet!

The nonprofit finds temporary work

I wonder which State agency funds this "non=profit"

Many of the day laborers in Athens are undocumented Hispanic immigrants, Stanojevich said.

Big Surprise there.

Added to Home PAge
http://www.alipac.us/article3907.html

And grandmasmad all this while our state suffers from a 2 billion dollar deficit forcing Sonny Purdue to cut programs and services for legal Georgia residents. Wait until Obama takes office who with this reconquista congress will further cut programs and benefits for veterans, senior citizens and indigent Americans while increasing spending for illegal aliens just like the health care bill which will provide billions more for 20 million illegal aliens already here and the 5,000 to 10,000 illegally crossing the border every week. Anyone who supported that alleged illegal alien who soon will be the new Oval Office resident is in for a rude awakening when they realize everything they make is taken in taxes to subsidize cheap labor and votes.