Immigration and labor issues?

JCardoza

Has anyone noticed a difference in the amount of help available since the immigration issue came into the spotlight? Has it changed prices? How do you think the slow in the housing market played into the equation? I had several legal contractors go back to Mexico in the last year... They were my clients and competition... I know of several contractors around me that had guys deported several times this past summer... I work for and with Hispanics but have none that work for me so I'm just curious how it's been affecting the rest of you. Be nice! Many of my friends are Hispanic. and most of them work harder than most American crews.

evolve991

the legitimate Mexican finishers I know are still here but I've noticed an absence of alot of Spanish construction workers in general at the coffee counters lately. I know of several companies who use illegals and they are dead in the water right now. I agree Hispanics work harder than most Americans. My issue is with the guys who sneak in the country,cause the prices to remain in the 1980's pay range since they dont have to worry about taxes,and go back home much more comfortable than I am in my own home state while working 7 days a week all year. If anyone,ANYONE comes here and signs on the proverbial dotted line,gets an unflattering picture of his mug on a card with all his Big Brother info on it and lives according to the unfair rules we ALL do then Hey man WELCOME to the U.S.!! Otherwise they're a thief. And this goes for Koreans,Russians,Chinese,whatever.

pacesafety

Out here in CA, the biggest problem I've had is the communication barrier. It is so difficult to express safety related information to our English-as-a-second-language (ESL) personnel. Does anyone have any ideas as to how to overcome this barrier (aside from hiring a full-time translator)?

evolve991

When i ask my English speaking Spanish buddies how to speak Spanish they just laugh at me. Then they turn up 99.1 El Zol which used to be 99.1 WHFS Baltimore/DCs True Alternative. I do know 'bendejo'

savant

I agree with Ev., this is a matter of laws, scruples, and responsibility. I've come to the conclusion that the illegal immigrants are NOT filling their share of financial contribution to the infrastructure. They are not paying for the schools, the police, the highway paving, or the healthcare they receive.

That being said, The grearest offenders are the businessmen who employ this nearly-slave-labor workforce. They spend 1/4 the amount I do on labor, have no overhead because they don't keep records(which would be incriminating) and understate their income for tax evasion purposes. They only reason they are financially successful: is because they are willing to violate the law. They are betraying their citizenship.

bob16

Don't even think about finding drywall work in NY.

All the contractors here have sold the american workers right down the river.

I briefly worked for one who listened to Limbaugh and told me i wasn't patriotic enough as he was hiring the illegals.

studmancny

I have not seen a spanish hanging drywall in NY. What is the deal is there a new law in regards to illegals? I always thought there were laws for illegals that obviously never worked.

bob16

>> I have not seen a spanish hanging drywall in NY

There are very few american drywall hangers where i am (burbs of NYC).

All latino.

On big houses i seen crews of 12 guys. All latino.

The local contractors tell the americans right to their face "I don't need you"

studmancny

what is the legal issue they are talking about that started this whole conversation? I am upstate, near syracuse very few latino.

bob16

>> what is the legal issue they are talking about that started this whole conversation?

The hiring of workers that are not legal in the US.

Made possible only by the tacit acceptance of institutions that are suppose to be preventing it. (i.e. ICE)

bob16

>> And this goes for Koreans,Russians,Chinese,whatever.

I worked as a developer in a giant software house near Wall Street. When i got hired in 1999 it was already about 60% Indian (mostly on h-1b visas).Their pay was way below US workers.

They also didn't buy a friggin thing. Not even lunch. They always brought beans and rice from home.

People are wondering why the housing market is in one of it's worst slumps.

Cause if you actually THINK AHEAD you will realize that todays job destruction is tomorrows market destruction.

savant

Hey, that's the american way. "Screw-you, I'm eating!"

studmancny

that's why i live upstate, that melting pot BS is not for me. I think we are on the same team, although i have never worked for any "giants" near wall street. Asta luago bob.

Honza

Greed, is a powerful motivater.

JCardoza

Hey great to hear everyone's experiences on the subject. I am in direct compitition with several Hispanic crews in the area... So far my quality and speed keeps me in business... Several of my competitors actualy moved back to Mexico when times started getting tough with the economy. I have one guy I know of that can match my speed because he also has a big rig... but he hates residential and knows little about custom textures so I'm safe so far...

JCardoza

Oh and service, PR is a key that allows us to charge more than the next guy... Hispanic or otherwise. Be nice and jump when the client says "jump"! LOL

bob16

>> Greed, is a powerful motivater.

And an even more powerful force of destruction

bob16

>> That's why i live upstate, that melting pot BS is not for me.

Well we have to be careful.

MLK showed that racism is a losing strategy.

There is nothing inherently wrong with Latinos. If we adopt racist tactics to try to defeat the employers of illegals we will never win.

I'm not saying anyone here is racist. I don't know anyone well enough to make that claim anyway.

evolve991

Our quality was always what kept us working but in the long run work went to the fastest anyway. We subbed from a contractor that used another crew which was 1 hanger who hired 4 newbies a week. 5 of them did in 1 day what we could in 2.....it looked more like overlapping blankets routered or pounded in than adjoining sheets with defined edges,they managed to break on every 'down' joist in the ceiling and traded most of the glue to Home Depot for tools and used a case where 4 were needed. Today I'm sitting here and they're out hacking it up somewhere. Of course if I call the contractor he'll say no one is working.

Racist: Never was. I grew up in Havre de Grace,MD which had its share of diversity. I went to school and hung out with alot of kids from alot of races. I stood next to blacks,asians,latinos and Jewish and we all said the Pledge of Allegiance and had a little pride in this country. I also remember 'Whites Only' signs in certain windows and even after the signs were long gone they were places I didn't bother spending my money as a teenager. I believe ALL of us who weren't born with a Silver Spoon in our trap are of one 'kind'.......words like 'serfs,peasants,subjects' come to mind. I also believe thieves are thieves and if you sneak into some place and take whats not yours you're a thief. Those who enable you to do so are basically mob bosses. What do you do with tens of thousands of people who are starving,becoming homeless and happen to be used to rough conditions....whose physical capabilities are a little bit different than those who had white collar jobs outsourced? I think the top guys in construction got the idea from corporate methods but they forgot who they're screwing.

bob16

>> and traded most of the glue to Home Depot for tools and used a case where 4 were needed.

I'm near NYC and the contractors around here hardly ever use glue. Matter of fact i haven't see them use any glue in the last 20 years.

I try to tell them but some of them have actually laughed at the suggestion. What idiots.

Out of all the states i have worked in i would say that american drywall workers in Maryland, DC and VA know the most about how to do a good job.

I see some insane things done by many contractors near the NYC area. Weird thing is they think they do quality work.

Worked for one guy running both side of his angles at the same time with the undercut right down the center of every angle. It looked like hell and he's considered to be quality around here.