Work nearly grinds to halt as immigrant-raid rumors circulate (Houston)

[PfcHammer]

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/topstory2/2509369

April 16, 2004, 6:47AM

Work nearly grinds to halt as immigrant-raid rumors circulate
By EDWARD HEGSTROM
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

Most days, teams of Latino immigrant workers swarm over the townhouses under construction near Gulfgate, filling the air with the buzz of power tools and orders shouted in Spanish.

But the site was nearly silent Thursday. Instead of dozens of workers, there was just a handful, mostly Anglo contractors.

Like dozens of work sites across greater Houston, construction at the Gulfgate site was nearly brought to a standstill because the immigrant workers had fled, likely after hearing rumors of government immigration raids.

"The crews have just scattered, sometimes leaving their tools at the site," said Allen Griffiths, a plumbing contractor who busied himself talking on a two-way radio Thursday. "It's just brought construction to a halt."

The rumors -- which the government denies -- have spread throughout greater Houston, affecting work from Pasadena to Tomball. Other businesses -- like groceries, meat markets, lawn services and taquerias -- have also lost workers and customers because of the rumors.

The rumors have been spreading for about a week, workers said. But they gained momentum Wednesday afternoon, when Houston Spanish-language radio stations and then television began reporting the news.

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[denverbill]

1. Good. Keep spreading the rumors.

Maybe these firms will be forced to raise their wages and hire actual citizens and/or legal aliens.

[saigon68]

2. No way it will cut into Capitalist Profits

These Mother Fuckers who run these companies need to be wearing the Orange Jumpsuit of the DEFENDANT.

BUT ALAS nothing will happen to them. They pay $3 to $4 per hour cash to their "EMPLOYEES" (read self-employed sub-contractors) This is all a sham. The Chimp's friends use the same scam for their gardeners, maids and nannies.

DISGUSTING

[Just Me]

4. I agree,...the encouragement of corporate abuse is astonishing!!!

The destructive force of unleased greed is right there, before everyone's eyes,...yet, we are so brainwashed by capitalist propaganda that,...we are complicit in the destruction. We must wake up to the fact that greed, just like all other destructive human weaknesses, must be controlled by the rule of law. There is NO freedom without fairness and equity.

[Gman]

3. La Migra!!

Its a shame that people that just want to work have to hide.

My wife and I were leaving Nassau to come home when we came up on U.S. Immigration at the airport. I yelled out, "La Migra!" and both guys there burst out laughing. They said, "Here comes a Texas boy!" Turns out one of the was from Eagle Pass, TX and had worked the crossing from Piedras Negras. The other had worked down in the Valley. They both were very homesick (Nassau is about as different from South Texas as you can get) and we enjoyed making their day.

[treepig]

5. deportation would be the best thing to happen to anyone in houston

otherwise, the air pollution will kill you:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x7350

[Tims]

6. It's not the big corporations who will be hurt

Most of the immigrant workers here (Houston) are picked up by the small subcontractors on a day work, cash basis. The big businesses low ball their subcontractors to the point that they are forced to cut corners to get jobs. Effectively, if you don't pad your crew with under-the-table, no questions asked, cheap labor, someone else will and you don't get the job. This is similar to the recent WalMart bust where WalMart claims ignorance and no responsibility because the illegals were officially hired by a subcontractor. The big guys know it going on and effectively make conditions such that it must go on, then simply point the finger at someone else when they get caught.

It is common practice here for a subcontractor to get in his truck or van in the early morning and cruise Harwin and Westpark roads in southwest Houston and pick up workers who gather daily on the street corners. After a quick negotiation on the spot, they jump in the back of the truck and they are off to the job site. It is such a common and open practice that many ordinary home owners will also gather workers there for their own household projects.

As long as big business continues to gather greater monopolistic powers and can dictate the terms to their suppliers and subcontractors with impunity, the use of illegals will be viewed by many as their only option for survival. The same goes for the continued export of jobs over seas and other questionable or unethical practices used to force cost down. Greater profits are made by the people on top, yet they can shield themselves from direct criticism and responsibility because they shift the burden and blame down to their contractors and suppliers who a squarely under their thumb and whose survival is dictated by the big guy's nonnegotiable terms. Competition (the real backbone of capitalism) is dead.

The illegals simply want work and are willing. We must change our immigration laws to face up to the reality of these people's existence and the fact that they are not going to go away. Only by changing their status can we regulate their wages and working conditions and therefor not exacerbate the suppression of wages and the deterioration of working conditions that effect all of us.