- Location
- Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
- Occupation
- Service Manager
Re: 100 Arrested at Wal-Mart Construction Site
To (mis-)quote Nick DePaulo from Tough Crowd, "So, what, do you think they have dirty toilets in Duluth? You think they've got no garbage men in Fargo? C'mon..."
Really, when you bring basic economics back into the picture, the illegals willing to do undesirable work are screwing up the curve. It's supply and demand. When the job is undesirable, the employer looking for a worker to do the job has to increase the wage to make the job desirable again.
Let's face it, any one of us, regardless of race, creed or origin would hop into a septic tank with the appropriate gear for $800 bucks an hour. Well, maybe most of us. Heck, I'd do it. But I betcha an illegal would feel the same way for much less than the honest worth of the job.
In construction, the illegals (and those who knowlingly seek and employ them) screw up the system, driving down wages for certain jobs while the rest of us are still at the same level. It's only a matter of time before this has a widespread affect on the industry as a whole, IMO. It's only a matter of time before GC's starting seeking and discovering EC's exploiting the predicament for gain.
If a company decides one day to stop paying overtime, or hire illegals at half pay, and have employees unwilling to speak up about it, that company will suddenly have a economic advantage over it's competitors. It's just a matter of time before that advantage that company enjoys chokes out the competition. It may be in a niche, but that niche will only grow. We're in an industry where a bad season can kill a business, and the low bid seems to be king. What long-term effects will these factors have? No good ones that I can see.
Oh and another thing: In our trade, depending on the locale, we have laws in place to license electrical workers. This has two benefits. The most evident use of these laws is to ensure the safety of the public, in that licensed individuals do all the work. An unintended benefit of these laws is that they provide traction against the economic peril that shady economic practices engender. Inspectors who care about the long-term health of our industry need to card.
I have had a couple conversations with inspectors who say, "Yeah, I card. I know some who don't. It's just such a hassle when we catch somebody." It's unfortunate that even in areas where the laws are in place, inspectors just get headaches if they bother. Wish I had a solution for that: I've never been carded.
With that, I'll get off my stump.
I used to think so, now I'm not so sure.
To (mis-)quote Nick DePaulo from Tough Crowd, "So, what, do you think they have dirty toilets in Duluth? You think they've got no garbage men in Fargo? C'mon..."
Really, when you bring basic economics back into the picture, the illegals willing to do undesirable work are screwing up the curve. It's supply and demand. When the job is undesirable, the employer looking for a worker to do the job has to increase the wage to make the job desirable again.
Let's face it, any one of us, regardless of race, creed or origin would hop into a septic tank with the appropriate gear for $800 bucks an hour. Well, maybe most of us. Heck, I'd do it. But I betcha an illegal would feel the same way for much less than the honest worth of the job.
In construction, the illegals (and those who knowlingly seek and employ them) screw up the system, driving down wages for certain jobs while the rest of us are still at the same level. It's only a matter of time before this has a widespread affect on the industry as a whole, IMO. It's only a matter of time before GC's starting seeking and discovering EC's exploiting the predicament for gain.
If a company decides one day to stop paying overtime, or hire illegals at half pay, and have employees unwilling to speak up about it, that company will suddenly have a economic advantage over it's competitors. It's just a matter of time before that advantage that company enjoys chokes out the competition. It may be in a niche, but that niche will only grow. We're in an industry where a bad season can kill a business, and the low bid seems to be king. What long-term effects will these factors have? No good ones that I can see.
Oh and another thing: In our trade, depending on the locale, we have laws in place to license electrical workers. This has two benefits. The most evident use of these laws is to ensure the safety of the public, in that licensed individuals do all the work. An unintended benefit of these laws is that they provide traction against the economic peril that shady economic practices engender. Inspectors who care about the long-term health of our industry need to card.
I have had a couple conversations with inspectors who say, "Yeah, I card. I know some who don't. It's just such a hassle when we catch somebody." It's unfortunate that even in areas where the laws are in place, inspectors just get headaches if they bother. Wish I had a solution for that: I've never been carded.
With that, I'll get off my stump.
