Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I guess that is a CA thing, because around here kids work fast food. Farm kids still work on the farm. This American actually fired a masonry contractor who showed up with non-english speakers and couldn't produce a green card in the bunch. It cost me $400 more to get another contractor. It was worth it. I wouldn't hire a scumbag who uses illegals.
I have acres of grass that I mow myself. Just spent the weekend paining my 24x36 work shop. No not all Americans behave as you suggest.
Depends on where you are. Here in Texas the all-American (sarcasm) chains like Walmart and McD's (especially the fast food places) are full of non-high school kids. When I was growing up these jobs were taken by teens, but not now. This is in Dallas. When we head up to more rural areas we notice that it's different with fast food, grocery, etc...workers are teens just trying to make a buck.
Where I am, it's almost impossible to find a contractor who doesn't use illegal workers, no matter what you're willing to pay.
Shouldn't a contractor carry workers comp on his employees? It would seem that the person that hires would ask for this anyway? Once when I was a payroll auditor for a major company back in the late 80s, I asked for they payroll for the workers. The man told me that they were illegals. The company demanded that I collect any and all proof of payment to the illegal workers and assess premium on that payroll. Since it was a hazardous code (framework construction), the man was not very happy.
What sleazy construction companies do is pay for workmen's comp for just one worker instead of paying for each worker. They figure that if one gets injured, they are covered. Some don't even carry any insurance. I've heard stories of contractors picking up day laborers and when the day laborer gets injured, they get taken back to the corner where they got picked up. Guess who pays for their medical care? Yup. The taxpayer.
Sleazy contractors are also able to underbid on contracts because they pay their workers under the table. When that happens, honest contractors lose out and eventually lose their livelihoods.
So VERY VERY TRUE!! I lived in SoCal from 1991-2005 and now again since may 2013. When I was a kid growing up in the 70s, I would help my Dad wash the car and mow the lawn in so Texas. When I arrived in So Cal, everyone I knew took their car to a car wash. This was a special treat when I grew up. Now everyone does it. Pedicures. This was expensive when I was growing up. Now EVERY woman does it. When I was a kid, neighborhood kids would go from door to door to ask if they could mow the neighbor's lawn. I sure do miss that one. High school kids used to race to get jobs at fast food places. Now the illegals have taken over many of those. I had a similar situation like yours when I visited my friend in Bedford, Tex (near Ft Worth) back in the mid 90s. The lawn maintenance and fast food workers were American!!- I was shocked. Not sure what it's like now. We do enable the illegals to stay here.
Well you know where I live, and do not know the city you live in L.A. but my immediate family has always washed our own cars, and have a daughter that details on the side.
Never since I have been married and got married younger. Have hubby and I had any manual labor done for us. We have added on additions, paint inside and outside the home. Do electrical, our own plumbing, put down all kinds of flooring. Do woodworking, and moudling. Do our own granite put in new showers and bathtubs and do it quite well. We have put in new kitchen cabinets, all the lighting in the home, and we have some high ceilings. Only problem is we have had to slow down a bit due to health issues. And never ever have we had to have any of our cars serviced. My husband services them all. All 6 of them. Since marriage, and our cars work quite well. Mean to say since marriage no matter the cars we have had, my husband has serviced them.
I still see neighborhood kids working fast food where I live, and they all speak English. I clean my own 5,500 sq for single level home that looks like a two story. We do it all. And yes we can afford to have others do this work. Why, we do it better. We get satisfaction doing the work ourself. The way my father taught us, he also did it all.
I think it depends on the area where you live, and the demographics of the area. But things overall have changed, and believe me not for the better.
Last edited by california-jewel; 07-07-2014 at 01:36 AM..
What sleazy construction companies do is pay for workmen's comp for just one worker instead of paying for each worker. They figure that if one gets injured, they are covered. Some don't even carry any insurance. I've heard stories of contractors picking up day laborers and when the day laborer gets injured, they get taken back to the corner where they got picked up. Guess who pays for their medical care? Yup. The taxpayer.
Sleazy contractors are also able to underbid on contracts because they pay their workers under the table. When that happens, honest contractors lose out and eventually lose their livelihoods.
About those "sleazy" contractors.....they bid on jobs....perhaps if the consumer asked about their employees....rather then just looking at the bottom line....things would change.
What sleazy construction companies do is pay for workmen's comp for just one worker instead of paying for each worker. They figure that if one gets injured, they are covered. Some don't even carry any insurance. I've heard stories of contractors picking up day laborers and when the day laborer gets injured, they get taken back to the corner where they got picked up. Guess who pays for their medical care? Yup. The taxpayer.
Sleazy contractors are also able to underbid on contracts because they pay their workers under the table. When that happens, honest contractors lose out and eventually lose their livelihoods.
That is exactly what happened when we had work done in 2010 it was huge undertaking making a already huge home bigger, that made more sense, New additions added, built in cabinetry, all new molding, flooring a huge 11x10 new shower, with all the gadgets, marble, granite and tile, with 6 shower heads and two huge seats. Remodeling the kitchen, and adding a second island and a single breakfast bar area.
Other things also plus another 3 car garage, with built in cabinets, work bench, has a ceiling fan, and a skylight, that is also husbands shop.
The contractor bid lower then anyone else, that should have tipped me off. and promising all high end fixtures, flooring etc. Once into the job, he knew he made a mistake, Knowing from past how to do all of the work, we have done all of this when we were younger and with no health issues. I watched like a hawk. I was noticing that work had to be pointed out to this idiot contractor. Drywall, a baby could have done a better job. Texture was a joke etc etc etc.
But we also run a business, so I was attentive to that. But I found out that the contractor had hired illegal workers not all of them but quite a lot. One illegal even told me to my face, how easy it was at that time 2010 and that Obama made things easy on them. Kind of an arrogant jerk. These idiots could not do the work given to them at all. I was constantly pointing things that were not done right, and yes I am a perfectionist.
Well at the end the contractor walked, could not find him at all. Leaving us after paying to finish the work ourselves. Which by the way turned out better then a professional could do, even the inspector said so.
But I did make phone calls and tipped them about this Contractor and his workers. Tell ya this, he is no longer a contractor. I did get a Thank You, for being a concern citizen. Now what happened to the illegal workers working for him, I truly do not know. You have to really be careful these days, I literally wanted to hurt this contractor, I was so pissed off. I was mad as hell, he was Italian, I am Italian, and that is so not good.
What sleazy construction companies do is pay for workmen's comp for just one worker instead of paying for each worker. They figure that if one gets injured, they are covered. Some don't even carry any insurance. I've heard stories of contractors picking up day laborers and when the day laborer gets injured, they get taken back to the corner where they got picked up. Guess who pays for their medical care? Yup. The taxpayer.
Sleazy contractors are also able to underbid on contracts because they pay their workers under the table. When that happens, honest contractors lose out and eventually lose their livelihoods.
That's why we did AUDITS!!! When a framer had only 1 worker or claimed themselves as officer/owner of the company (exempted option), we would ask WHO does your labor?!!! That's where we'd get them. My only regret was that I bilked a dog pound for extra. I was a kid and din't know anything about how cruel the world could be.
How does the average citizen contribute to the flood of illegals? By voting for politicians who pander to illegals.
Agreed, however sometimes they lie to you before they are elected and change their stances afterwards. The known flip-floppers in politics.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
