On Thursday, October 6, the Houston Interfaith Worker Justice Center (HIWJ) hosted an event to raise awareness of the wage theft crisis in America. The Houston Wage Theft Forum featured moderator Francisco “Pancho” Arguelles Paz y Puente: former teacher, activist, author, co-founder of HIWJ, and current co-director of Colectivo Flatlander. Attendees were invited to come and hear from a panel of workers from various industries who shared their experiences of wage theft abuse and from responsible business professionals who are struggling to remain competitive in a market where others are cheating their workers. Dinner was provided as well as listening devices through which the entire evening was translated so that anyone who was not bilingual in English and Spanish could understand what each speaker said during the evening, which alternated between the two languages. The purpose of the event was to encourage citizens to join the fight to make Houston, and ultimately the United States, a “zero tolerance place for wage theft
Reshaping the Construction Industry
The federal minimum wage in the United States is $7.25 per hour, but 18 states and the District of Columbia have higher minimum wage rates, as they have laws which adjust the...
October 12, 2011
As we stated earlier this week, the employment numbers that came out this morning from the Bureau of Labor Statistics may be telling as to whether we are still recovering, stagnating or slipping back toward the edge of another recession. They are, at best, mixed. That means more uncertainty, less likelihood of more hiring and another month of sluggish activity – not so positive for the construction industry.There were some new jobs created, but when we looked a little deeper, we found a problem. According to the BLS press release that came out at 8:30 this morning,“Nonfarm payroll employment edged up by 103,000 in September, and the unemployment rate held at 9.1 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The increase in employment partially reflected
October 07, 2011
Today, The WorkFaith Connection of Houston held its 4th annual fundraising breakfast with keynote speaker Herman Cain. There was an overflow crowd.The WorkFaith Connection is a group who works with individuals in transition from prison to the workplace. The message is that it is possible to make the right choices and decisions that will give you a productive life for the future. The Connection shows individuals that someone cares for them and that they can learn new skills, through God’s help, that will enable them to transition back into the workforce in a responsible manner. Many of their clients find work in the construction industry. Several of their clients spoke about their experiences. One of the most poignant stories was Freda Smith’s story.Ms. Smith was introduced by her son, Dominic Miller, who attends the “5-0” University of Houston on a full football scholarship. Freda’s story is that she served 24 months in a federal prison facility for accepting child support money that was later proven to be drug money. She served her time and then, in her transition, became a client at the WorkFaith Connection. Through the team at WorkFaith, she found a job where
October 06, 2011
The latest employment numbers will be released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) this Friday, October 7 and we are all on “pins and needles” waiting to see what they tell us. There has been talk around the country that we are either emerging from the economic doldrums or heading into a double dip recession. It is hard to tell where we are, especially with the politicians spouting their rhetoric in the debates and in the media. This Friday’s numbers should give us a better indication of where we stand.The latest numbers indicated that 90.9% of us are employed and 9.1% of us are looking for work. They also indicated that 60,000 new workers applied for unemployment. The numbers in our industry, according to the latest ENR review (subscription required), are still in the 85-87% employed
October 03, 2011
Previously we interviewed subcontractor and human rights activist Brandon Darby about human trafficking in the U.S. and its impact on the construction industry. During the interview, Darby stated: “Many people confuse the issue of human trafficking with illegal immigration, but they are not the same.”The office of New Mexico Attorney General Gary King does not assist with immigration status, but does endeavor to help immigrants who are treated unfairly or unlawfully. In their brochure titled Immigrant Consumer Services, the AG’s office explains: “As immigrants adjust to life in America; enter the workplace; pay taxes; seek education; open bank accounts; and purchase goods and services, they often fall prey to consumer abuses that thrive in the low-income communities in which many immigrants live.”
September 30, 2011
Construction may have slowed in the city during the recession, but one creative group has found a use for the heavy equipment. Dig This! is an “adult sized sandbox” where for a hefty fee and with ten minutes training, you can jump into the seat of a backhoe and move rocks or dig in the sand. What a thrill to actually drive the equipment that you played with as Tonka Toys when you were a kid.According to an Associated Press article, owner Ed Mumm started the company “after renting and operating an excavator for himself for two days while building a house in Steamboat Springs, Colo. He quickly realized that toying with heavy construction equipment is a diversion that takes participants completely out
September 29, 2011
Last week, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman signed a “memorandum of understanding” between the US Department of Labor and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The agreement is part of a continued effort to put and end to the practice by unethical employers of misclassifying their employees as independent contractors in order to avoid paying workers’ compensation insurance fees, overtime pay, federal payroll taxes and unemployment insurance for those workers.Representatives of state labor agencies from Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota,
September 27, 2011
Two weeks ago, 2000 high school students participated in the Dallas ISD Districtwide College Fair, an event which included information to prepare students for college as well as information to prepare interested students in workforce careers. The Career Education and Workforce Partnerships division of the Dallas Independent School District sponsored various “career clusters”, providing information about various careers available for students to pursue. The Dallas division of Marek Brothers Systems represented the Architecture & Construction industry and sponsored a booth for that cluster. Two of their former workforce development trainees who are now supervisors in the company shared the benefits of the Marek workforce development program to the participants. Harold Curry, Safety Manager for Marek Brothers in Dallas, provided photos taken at the event for this blog post.
September 26, 2011
This saying was hanging in the bathroom of the facility where we were working at a recent planning session for a contractor’s leadership team.AttitudeThe longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company…
September 22, 2011