On 219West on Ch. 75 on CUNY TV, Rima Abdelkader looks into the issue of conflict minerals from the DR Congo.  Air dates and times to come.

“At times, they pick us up and they don’t pay.  They just don’t pay,” said Martinez, 39, an illegal alien who for 14 years has spent part of his time in Staten Island, part of it in his native Mexico.  He’s afraid to report employers who don’t pay him for his work, usually construction, not so much because it’ll get him in more trouble with immigration authorities, but because of recommendations for jobs from his employers.

Most of the owners of the construction companies know each other, and often recommend their best workers.  The day laborers, Martinez said, rely on these recommendations for jobs.

Martinez got in trouble at the border a couple of times, but still risks his life crossing the border to come here for the good weather and leave to Puebla in the winter.

Martinez, who used to work in nearby convenience stores before the economy tanked, said the men have the skills for lots of different jobs – construction, plumbing, brickwork, electrical repairs, lawn care, cleaning and clearing.

“Once he’s picked up, he gets more opportunities.  His work depends on his skills.  And his skills are what get him recommended for more jobs,” said Martinez, in Spanish, as he stood along Forrest.

Many of the 15 to 20 men, like Martinez, came from Mexico to Staten Island, which has seen a dramatic rise in its Hispanic population.  The 2000 Census counted 7,798 people of Mexican descent in the majority-Italian borough, a number far higher now, residents say.

Martinez’s journey to Staten Island 14 years ago illustrates what brings migrants to the area.  A native of Teziutlan in Puebla, Mexico, he crossed the border in 1995 when the bad Mexican economy left him without any work.  The single Martinez settled in an apartment on Staten Island with his older brother and sister.

Martinez now stands on the corner with other day laborers who gather almost every day for work with no promise of work or daily wages.

Martinez said he doesn’t take the job unless it’s well paid.  He requests at least $100 for his labor before he takes on the assignment.  But, there’s no guarantee that he’ll get compensated.

Martinez took out his cell phone and revealed text messages from employers promising to pay him back.  He said he doesn’t believe they’ll follow through.

A January 2006 U.S. day labor survey through the UCLA Center for the Study of Urban Poverty discussed this labor exploitation of day laborers.  “Because most day laborers are working without immigration documents, exploitative employers are emboldened to withhold wage payments, abandon workers at job sites and subject workers to other abuses,” the report said.

Church volunteers hand out croissants, coffee and a blessing to the day laborers lining Forrest Avenue.  Even on Sunday, the men stand in a straggled line, waiting, hoping they can get work from the passing motorists.

The church volunteers at the corner of Forrest and Willow Road E. say they understand what the day laborers face.  The congregants from the International Christian Center distribute food and bibles to the men, and plan a coat drive for them and their families, said the Rev. Tito Corsino.  “We try to feed them physically and we try to feed them spiritually,” Corsino said.  His parishioners also drive the men to church on Sundays.

The day laborers appreciate the help.  But they continue to face exploitation on a daily basis, Martinez said.  “Once they picked me up here.  They lied to me.  I worked, but the boss never came back. I had to go home without money,” said Martinez.

A white Sedan pulls up to Forrest Avenue from the Staten Island Expressway.  A group of day laborers huddle over the stopped car, and the car drives off.  Martinez laughs as he waves at his cousin, who got picked up for the job.  Then Martinez turns back to the road, still waiting for his job.

(click photo for story in The Dinar Standard online)

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-Rima Abdelkader, Social Media Coach, www.amln.org/blog

Street Vendors Rally at City Hall from Rima Abdelkader on Vimeo.

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