Thread: Verizon to Press Contractors On Immigrant Workers' Pay

Verizon to Press Contractors On Immigrant Workers' Pay

Verizon Communications said yesterday it might withhold work from some of its contractors if it finds that immigrant laborers who dug ditches for the company's next-generation fiber-optic cables in the Washington area were not paid for their work.

The statement by Verizon came after advocates for immigrants said they would rally in front of the company's District headquarters today, calling on the company to ensure that the laborers were paid fairly for their work.

"If it is true that workers are not being paid by subcontractors . . . Verizon will take the proper course of action," Sandra Arnette, a Verizon spokeswoman, said in a statement. She added that these actions may include "withholding work from the prime contractor, suspending the prime contractor until the contractual obligations are met or firing the prime contractor."

Representatives for the three groups pressing the workers' cause -- Silver Spring-based CASA of Maryland, the District-based Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs and the Charlottesville-based Legal Aid Justice Center -- said they would press ahead with their planned protests.


"Verizon has known about these problems for some time," said Tim Freilich, a lawyer with the Justice Center's Immigrant Advocacy Program. "They need to ensure payment now."

Advocacy groups have been pressing Verizon on the issue since at least 2006, a year after the company began offering FiOS, or Fiber Optic Service, in the Washington area. The service uses the fiber-optic cables to send data via pulses of light, allowing the company to offer Internet, cable television and phone services over a single line.

Verizon contracts with construction companies, or prime contractors, to do the work. Those companies often contract out the jobs to smaller companies.

Advocates representing immigrant laborers have won some judgments against subcontractors in recent years. But they have had difficulty collecting the money they were owed.

CASA, the Washington Lawyers' Committee and seven laborers who dug ditches throughout Maryland and other states filed a class-action suit last week against one of Verizon's prime contractors and several of its subcontractors. The suit alleges that the workers were not paid for all the work they did, including some overtime hours.

"Verizon FiOS cannot exist without the trenches that are dug by these workers," said Laura E. Varela, an attorney with the committee. "And Verizon has the moral responsibly to assure that these workers are paid and continue to be paid as the Verizon FiOS network is built."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 02065.html

These are illegal immigrants that Verizon is referring to.

The more important question is: why is Verizon not requiring it's contractors to use E-Verify to make certain that employees are not illegal immigrants, who are not allowed to be employed by anyone within our United States!!!

Anti-illegal groups need to rally in front of Verizon's headquarters to protest illegal immigrants being hired in the first place!!!

This is a perfect opportunity to confront Casa de maryland and Verizon head-on.

Where are the Minutemen??

Verizon FiOS cannot exist without the trenches that are dug by these workers," said Laura E. Varela, an attorney with the committee. "And Verizon has the moral responsibly to assure that these workers are paid and continue to be paid as the Verizon FiOS network is built."

What about the "moral" obligation Verizon has to ensure the contractors it's doing business with are not cheating Americans out of work opportunities by utilizing illegal invader labor?

Not to mention the legal ramifications from doing business with contractors who are knowingly using illegals to peform contract work.

What about those "obligations" Verizon?

As I mentioned previously here, when we had new lines run to our business last year, the crew Verizon sent to dig the cable trench arrived in a PA tagged rust bucket truck and NONE of the workers spoke a lick of english.

I sent the article to the Minuteman organizations in that area -at least the two I could find email addresses for.

This is the perfect opportunity to confrront Casa de Maryland.

Are we talking legal or illegal here? I hate it when they don't talk straight because there is a big difference.

I emailed all groups that I could come up with in that area Save Old Dominion, American Legion, Fire Coalition, NumbersUSA, the Minuteman groups, etc..

Originally Posted by SOSADFORUS

Are we talking legal or illegal here? I hate it when they don't talk straight because there is a big difference.

Casa de Maryland defends the "rights of illegal immigrants" there isn't any doubt in my mind that we are talking about ILLEGALS.

I'm hoping that a protest with, and against the protest, forms up.

All Americans need to begin standing up against anyone, and anything, associated with the illegals.

This all stinks to high heaven. If you're here legally and you aren't being paid, you call the cops and sue. The class-action lawsuit only shows the magnitude of the offense while hiding the illegal nature of the plaintiffs.

Could the article more skillfully dodge the high probability that the sub-contractor was using illegal labor?

If so, where is ICE? Why isn't the sub-contractor being investigated? Why aren't the plaintiffs being checked? Why are we even allowing illegal immigrants to sue in the first place?

Ugh, this stinks! I almost feel bad for Verizon *but not really*