Construction and landscaping bosses have sunk to a new low in hiring day laborers in New Jersey. Four or five times a year immigrant workers will put in weeks or even months on a job without receiving any money whatsoever! If they call their boss, they’re told: “If you complain, you will get deported.”
Near one muster zone, a non-profit organization provides families with information, referrals, parenting classes and general advocacy. Many concerned people have met there — including two organizations, a church and several attorneys — to be ready to do whatever it takes to get the workers their pay.
We had a phone conference, divided up the names of various bosses, and called them individually. In reaching out, we found that some folks were willing to go beyond phone calls and pay these bosses a visit— even to go in front of their houses and churches with picket signs.
This capitalist system allows freedom, but only for the bosses. They hire and fire at will, and pay below minimum wages (or at all), and contract under unsafe conditions for both “documented” and “undocumented” workers. They threatened to take one boss who owed over $2700 to court!
Because of our phone calls, the three workers received over half the money due to them. One worker came to our meeting the next week. He was promptly invited to May Day and given CHALLENGE so that he and his friends could know there is an alternative to the international wage slavery system. Meantime, we don’t intend to give up our fight!J
Jersey Red