Harvey Means More Jobs. But Does It Mean More Exploitation Too?

“They specifically go where the Hispanics are, because they know we are looking for work….There is some fear [to report], because we are not protected,” says Jose David Lizardo, an undocumented worker in Houston.

By Allison LeeOctober 2, 2017 9:30 am, ,

From Houston Public Media:

Officials estimate Hurricane Harvey has damaged more than 126,000 homesin the Houston region. Putting things back together is a monumental job, requiring thousands of workers. But it may also be raising a risk for the most vulnerable of workers: day laborers.

Like many large cities, Houston has dozens of corners where day laborers gather to find work. Many of them are undocumented, like Jose David Lizardo. He said he comes to this corner on most days, to find work.

“After the catastrophe there was a lot of work,” Lizardo says, in Spanish. “But previously, there was very little [work].”

And while jobs are in abundance, Lizardo said it’s difficult when an employer refuses to pay him, or puts him in danger.

“Most of the time, they come only for the labor. They do not take safety into account, [or] the protection for the workers,” Lizardo says. “These days we see a lot of racism. They see us and they know we are Hispanic. They specifically go where the Hispanics are, because they know we are looking for work….There is some fear [to report abuse], because we are not protected.”

Lizardo says he feels like workers in the undocumented community are not protected, especially with the emergence of Texas’ so-called “anti-sanctuary cities” law, Senate Bill 4.

And Marianela Acuña Arreaza, Executive Director of the Fe y Justicia Worker Center, says recovery storm work augments already existing problems.

“After a storm, there is definitely the urgency to get a lot of work done…. But at the same time, protecting people’s ability to take breaks when they need them. Especially when they’re still dealing with other safety risks. For example, like heat and lack of ventilation and things like that,” says Acuña. “That always exist in Houston, even before storm, but is so much worse after.”

In Texas, private employers have the choice whether to provide workers’ compensation, if an injury happens on the job. That’s different than most states. And Houston lawyer Tom Padgett says natural disasters bring up a flurry of potential hazards.

“There’s going to be a big danger of exposure to chemicals, mold, disease, bacteria. That floodwater was a toxic mix—just a toxic environment,” says Padgett. “And working in those environments, you have to have the proper safety equipment.”

Under federal law, all workers are entitled to safe working conditions. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said it has 23 staff members operating in the Houston area, to identify hazards and keep safety a priority during clean up.

But Padgett said it’s inherently difficult for OSHA regulations to be enforced – especially after Harvey.

“I think it would be virtually impossible,” says Padgett. “If we even had enough OSHA regulators to go around and monitor, and check and make sure employers are doing it properly, they wouldn’t be able to be everywhere they needed to be.”

Padgett says the economic stress that comes with post-hurricane work is also a perfect storm for wage theft.

Acuña said wage theft is already a huge issue in Texas, and she has already received complaints from workers who say they are victims of wage theft from Harvey-related work.

But there’s also another wrinkle to post-Harvey recovery work, if you look at today’s political climate.

According to the Migration Policy Institute, just under a quarter of construction workers in Texas are undocumented. That’s over 200,000 workers who are especially vulnerable, when faced with employment issues.

And undocumented worker Jose David Lizardo says it has been a problem. In addition to general wage theft and safety issues, Lizardo told News 88.7 people have routinely shouted slurs at Hispanic workers, who wait on Houston corners for day jobs. He even says one of his past employers, in Louisiana, made workers wear “Make America Great Again” hats.

Lizardo says he sends money to his family of seven, back in Honduras. And while he would like to fight for money he claims he’s owed, according to Lizardo, there’s not enough time to deal with it. He has to keep going.