Nobody knows what kind of large-scale disaster will next hit the New York City region, but you can be sure that after the initial chaos will come the mess. And as Hurricane Sandy taught us, some of the hardest and most dangerous jobs fell not to first responders — cops, firefighters or utility crews — but to homeowners and small contractors left to improvise the cleanup and demolition and to the thousands of day laborers who joined them.
100 day laborers and organizers from throughout the region are expected to attend the first regional gathering of reconstruction workers, Rebuilding our Communities after Hurricane Sandy. Together they will take their first look at the last month of recovery and assess the current situation of day laborers and immigrant communities after the hurricane. They will address identified health and safety issues to protect those rebuilding after the storm, establish new wage standards to prevent abuses, and workers' inclusion in immigration reform in the coming year. The day will end with day laborers carrying out volunteer cleanup and reconstruction work in the surrounding area of Union Beach, whi
Apparently seeking post-Sandy advice, New York Mayor Bloomberg’s deputies recently paid a visit to New Orleans. According to The New York Times, Deputy Mayors Howard Wolfson, Linda I. Gibbs and Robert K. Steel met with New Orleans officials to discuss recovery and rebuilding. If New York’s development-minded mayor is consulting his equivalents in Louisiana, one can only hope that housing justice activists and especially public housing residents in this city are consulting theirs. When it comes to next steps after Hurricane Sandy, there are lessons to be learned from New Orleans after Katrina. The question is, Which ones will New York learn?
For more than 12 years, a center in Bensonhurst provided a myriad of services for day laborers and undocumented workers. The laborers depended on the center to keep them off the streets and help connect them to employers. Officials depended on the center because it helped to ensure the safety of the laborers and employers.
When Hurricane Sandy destroyed the space, it forced everyone to start from scratch.
The small red and yellow structure used to stand in the Caesar’s Bay parking lot. In the beginning, it was just a simple tent. After Caesar’s Bay management and the Department of Transportation planned to remodel the lot, Workers’ Justice Project (Proyecto Justicia Laboral) Director L
As FEMA attempts to help the tens of thousands of east coast residents affected by Hurricane Sandy, undocumented immigrants cannot apply for funding.
FEMA reports 236,000 New Yorkers have requested relief in the wake of the storm, however cash assistance for home repairs are only available to US citizens.
There are over 11 million immigrants who live in the US without documentation.
Immigrant day laborers working on the cleanup after Hurricane Sandy in Staten Island’s Port Richmond took a brief break Thursday to receive U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. She said the federal government is concerned about their safety and urged them to report hazardous conditions and missed wages.
"We want to know where there are problems so we can find solutions," said Solis. "Don't be afraid to call us. Everything is confidential, and we are here to protect."
The purpose of the visit, on which Solis toured the devastated area wearing jeans and sport shoes, was to avoid mistakes made during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Back in 2005, when the destructive storm struck Louisian
It’s been widely reported that in the post-9/11 rush to rescue victims and clear rubble, recovery workers’ health and safety were compromised. Under President Bush, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) relaxed enforcement of workplace safety rules during the clean-up. Many workers were not properly trained in how to use the respirators that are essential health safeguards for those handling toxic debris.
The result was disastrous: Thousands of ground zero workers needed treatment for respiratory illnesses, cancers and other health problems linked to their 9/11 clean-up work.
La cifra de mexicanos, quienes perdieron sus casas y/o bienes materiales a raíz del paso del huracán Sandy en Nueva York ha aumentado a 920, de acuerdo con el Consulado de México en esa ciudad.
La mayoría de esas víctimas tienen el denominador común que no tienen un status migratorio legal en Estados Unidos y le es difícil cualificar para ayudas federales y estatales que se ofrecen a través de diferentes organismos en las áreas afectadas por la tormenta.
Julio Cesar García, encargado de prensa del Consulado de México en Nueva York, aseguró a HuffPost Voces que sin importar la situación migratoria en Estados Unidos, el gobierno de México está ayudando a los afectados.
Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis visited a day worker center on Staten Island that has been involved in cleanup efforts after Sandy. She toured the Midland Beach neighborhood on Thursday.
Solis said the federal government is trying to reach different parts of the population to let them know about opportunities arising through recovery efforts following Sandy.
“The President … reiterated the importance and significance of us working on a broader scale to make sure that we really reach the vulnerable populations, that we really provide jobs,” she said. “This is an opportunity to help build back infrastructure, housing, and to help provide incentives for more economic development.”
As construction workers in areas devastated by Sandy rip out ruined insulation and clear moldy walls, the feds want to make sure laborers are safe and aren't being ripped off.
In Staten Island’s Port Richmond section Thursday, U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis met with immigrant day laborers and told them she is concerned about the health and safety of Sandy cleanup workers.