crossposted from
unbossed
They are invisible, these people who work in the "secondary market" - a shadow workforce that does our hard work that no one else will do. We pass them on the streets, at building supply stores, on jobsites and don't give them a second thought. They are literally everywhere.
Now we can know who they are and what happens to them on the job:
This report profiles, for the first time, the national phenomenon of day labor in the United States. Men and women looking for employment in open-air markets by the side of the road, at busy intersections, in front of home improvement stores and in other public spaces are ubiquitous in cities across the nation. The circumstances that give rise to this labor market are complex and poorly understood. In this report, we analyze data from the National Day Labor Survey, the first systematic and scientific study of the day-labor sector and its workforce in the United States.
A new report from
CSUP
-
On The Corner: Day Labor in the United States - tells us what the worklives are like for the day laborers who do our dirty work. The report does not have good news.
Day Labor is Dangerous Labor
Most day laborers work in construction, gardening and landscaping, as painter, roofers, and drywall installers.
Over all one in five is injured each day while on the job. Injury rates are highest in the Midwest where one in three is injuried every single day. They are injured because they are exposed to hazards on the jobs yet are not given protective equipment. They are given faulty equpment. They are not trained.
Only one-third work say they do not work in pain. Most receive no medical treatment for their injuries.
Who are they, and Who Employs Them?
Most are Latinos - 87% - and 75% are undocumented. Only 7% were born in the US. Over half attend church regularly (52%), 22% are involved in sports clubs, and 26% participate in community worker centers.
Their employers are mostly homeowners or renters (49%) or construction contractors (43%).
How Well are They Treated?
The answer is they are paid poorly, and they are often mistreated.
The median hourly wage for day laborers is $10. However, employment is unstable and insecure, resulting in volatile monthly earnings. Median monthly earnings in July and August 2004 were $700. Median earnings during peak periods (good months) are $1,400, while in slow periods (bad months) median monthly earnings fall to just $500. Even if day laborers have many more good months than bad months, it is unlikely that their annual earnings will exceed $15,000, keeping them at or below the federal poverty threshold.
They are vulnerable because of their low skills and illegal immigrant status, and, as a result they are preyed upon by the unscrupulous who have power over them.
Day laborers regularly suffer employer abuse. Almost half of all day laborers experienced at least one instance of wage theft in the two months prior to being surveyed. In addition, 44 percent were denied food/water or breaks while on the job.
In sum,
Our findings reveal that the day-labor market is rife with violations of workers' rights. Day laborers are regularly denied payment for their work, many are subjected to demonstrably hazardous job sites, and most endure insults and abuses by employers. The growth of day-labor hiring sites combined with rising levels of workers' rights violations is a national trend that warrants attention from policy makers at all levels of government.
In some cities, the rise of day labor has been accompanied by community tensions, in part because of inaccurate and unsubstantiated portrayals of these workers. The aim of this study is to provide sound empirical data on the day-labor phenomenon that can inform public discussions and provide the basis for thoughtful policy approaches to this complex issue.
Not in My Backyard?
This report tells us that we all are separated from this shadow world by no more than 1-2 degrees of separation. This is happening in our backyards. So we must ask ourselves:
Who are we as a people when we regularly ignore those who do our work? How are we treating them? How do we benfit from their mistreatment? What are their lives like? We now have a report that tells us . . . if we want to know. I have faith that we do.
. . . and for more information on public health, including recommendations for immigrant workers, take a look at the American Public Health Association new policy proposals.