----- Original Message ----- From: "Reggie Bautista" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Killer Bs Discussion" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, January 03, 2004 7:29 PM Subject: Re: Mexican Diplomat Charged With Helping Smuggle Arabs Into U.S.
> I wrote: > > > Just from anecdotal knowledge from around the Kansas City area, pay > > and to > > > access to bathroom facilities are better in the construction > > industry, but > > > it's still seasonal and weather-dependent work with long hours of > > > back-breaking labor with little to no benefits and a paycheck only a > > little > > > better than what you would get for flipping burgers. > > > > > Rob replied: > > Ack!!!! > > Reggie, where are you getting this info from? > > I work with a guy from KC and I can tell you that KC is pretty much a > > union town compared with Houston. > > Non-union companies *have* to pay something close to union wages, > > otherwise they would not be able to compete for skilled laborers. > > Same with benefits, and I know that benefit packages for union labor > > are significantly better in KC than Houston. > > Pay is much higher in KC than it is here and *I* made over 50k last > > year. > > Laborers make 12 - 15 bucks an hour here and somewhat more there. > > What do burger flippers make there? > > > > > > Calling construction work "seasonal" is a bit misleading. Only "new" > > construction is seasonal in *some* parts of the country. But "new" > > construction is only a portion of the construction market. There are > > remodels, retrofits, and maintenance contracts to consider, and > > together they make the bulk of the construction market. > > Actually, a lot of construction workers work indoors all year. In cold > > weather areas, work is scheduled so that outside work is performed > > during the warmer months and the balance of the work is done in an > > enclosed environment. > > I got the info from an illegal alien to whom my niece used to be married, > who worked in the construction industry (in new construction, mostly doing > roofing IIRC). I was not trying to suggest that regular employees in the > construction industry don't make a lot of money. Ahhhhh...OK...Thanks for the clarification! Roofing!!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!! > But illegal aliens work > for far less than union scale. That's why a lot of companies break the law > to hire them. Also, I won't dispute that citizen employees who work in > construction get good benefits. But employers don't treat illegals the > same. > Bear with me on this. Anyone who would break one law by hiring a worker illegally and then would break or skirt another with discriminatory pay policies is not much better than a slaveowner. A "real" American would turn them in. (I'm serious!) I had a cousin who was a great friend when we were kids. I didn't see much of him after his time in the US Navy, but he started a roofing company. I later found out he wouldn't hire Americans. He would only hire illegals and then payed them less than minimum wage when he could get away with it. (This is in Houston mind you. Boiling in summer, miserable when its cold.) Oh yes, he was a real piece of work. He got caught cheating on his taxes, and when his lawyer informed him he would only have to pay pennies on the dollar he screamed at him "I paid you so I wouldn't have to pay taxes at all". Apparently he felt that because he had served as a cook on an aircraft carrier during Gulf War 1, he shouldn't have to pay taxes. The jerk owned 3 houses, a real nice boat, several cars and that still wasn't good enough. [On a side note, he also was a Rush quoting fire breathing Republican without a concience, which goes a long way toward explaining why I mistrust the motives behind that party, even though I like the conservatives I know here on the List] Knowing all I know now, *I* would have turned his sorry ass in, but in one of his frequent drunk driving episodes he was killed in an auto accident along with 4 other people in the car he hit. He was about 33. But perhaps if he had been subjected to the full force of the law a few years earlier, he might have changed his ways and would still be here bitching about Clinton. xponent My Cousin......The Bastard Maru rob _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
