Editorial: Showing a lack of class

Saturday, June 10, 2006 | 7:19 a.m.

A recent study shows that illegal immigrants make up a large portion of rebuilding crews in New Orleans but are not being afforded the same safety precautions and pay as documented workers, as federal law requires.

The survey, conducted by Tulane University and the University of California at Berkeley, shows that about 25 percent of construction workers helping to rebuild New Orleans are in this country illegally.

According to a story by the Associated Press, nearly one-third of the illegal immigrants interviewed by the researchers said that they worked in dangerous conditions with harmful substances, and 19 percent revealed that they had not been given any protective equipment. The researchers also discovered that illegal immigrants earned $10, on average, compared with the $16.50 paid to documented workers.

Federal labor law requires that illegal immigrants have the same health and safety protections and are paid under the same minimum wage and overtime regulations as workers who are in the United States legally. These are not issues that are up for grabs in the ongoing immigration debate. They are federal laws that already exist and that should be enforced.

One 29-year-old worker, who is an illegal immigrant, told the AP that if he complains about working conditions, "The boss says, 'Hey, if you don't work hard, I'll take you to Immigration.' "

It is disgusting that these workers are being underpaid and placed in harm's way. It is equally disgusting that their employers, many of whom likely are working under government contracts, blatantly violate federal laws by taking advantage of workers who they know are here illegally. For that matter, these employers should be hiring U.S. citizens to rebuild their city. The entire situation underscores the need for fair, compassionate immigration reform. Once again, Hurricane Katrina has laid bare the ugly side of our nation's cultural and class struggles. And the resulting image isn't suitable for a nation founded on the principles of tolerance and human rights.