US Department of Labor to give workers a $4.00/hour raise.

But, as usual, these raises won't be going to US citizens, they'll be going to the foreign guest workers who are taking jobs away from US citizens.

US plans $4/hour pay hike for foreign workers


In an act likely to reduce the number of landscapers, hotels, country clubs, and other businesses that try to import legally-permitted foreign workers each year, the US Department of Labor today published a proposed rule that will boost wages under the program by an average $4.38 an hour, for up to 66,000 non-US laborers working here.

"This means a citizen or a legal immigrant will be more willing to take these jobs," said Nelson Carrasquillo, president of Glassboro-based Comite de Apoyo a los Trabajadores Agricolas, a 31-year-old farmworkers' association that claims 4,000 members in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

"These jobs, in landscaping companies in Cherry Hill and places like that, paid $7-$8.50 an hour, generally, in New Jersey. Now they'll have to pay maybe $10 an hour, maybe more," if the bosses still want to bring in labor from Mexico, Central America, and other countries because he claims he can't find local workers willing to do the job, Carrasquillo added.

The ruling follows a ruling by Philadelphia federal judge Louis Pollak in August overturning the Labor Department's previous standards for paying workers imported under the federal H-2B temporary worker program.

In a lawsuit against Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, CATA had accused the government of discriminating against U.S.-based farmworkers by allowing foreigners to come here at artificially low wages that didn't really reflect local pay rates as the law requires.

The proposal would boost Philadelphia-area pay for dishwashers employed under the program, from $7.90 an hour, to $9.24; for janitors, from $9.23 an hour, to $13.02; for landscaping workers, from $9.84 and hour, to $13.88; and for roofers, from $14.12, to $21.38.

The foreign worker program is supposed to protect U.S. jobs by setting wages at levels above what American worker earn, so employers will only demand them if they really need them, and won't be tempted to import a foreign work force because it's cheap.

Philly.com


Hopefully these changes will force companies to hire actual American workers who need the jobs but, I wouldn't be surprised if companies continued to employ foreigners over American workers anyway. Having a foreigner dependent on the company to keep their visa gives the employer a lot of power over that employee, power they wouldn't have over a legal US citizen.

Something tells me this will just result in a lot of foreigners getting fat raises while it does nothing to help the American workers.

Wow, a janitor would get paid more than me, and I work on an ambulance. Thats depressing. Whats to stop them from just paying illegals under the table?

Or... It'll just encourage illegals to come here seeking these jobs and make employers more likely to illegally hire undocumented workers under the table.

Or did I read that wrong?

paying someone more based on their skin color well seems a bit racist to me..............there i used the race card since its been so often been used on me!!!!!!!!!!!!

the only thing that this will accomplish is killing more jobs............pay rates are based on the product and service being given and the pay is adjusted accordingly..........just because you may do the work did you go out and find the clientel so that they would have a job? no do they do anything other than planting trees or shrubs and washing dishes? did they do any work with providing the captial to start said businesses? no do they pay the electric bills,gas,property taxes, real estate loans etc..................hell no they dont do anything at all except dig a hole and put a tree or plant in it..............

i am sick and tired of this idiocy the left has no freaking clue when it comes to businesses............and a $4.00 an hour raise? that they dont have a choice in doing? hell the owner cant give himself or herself a rasie anytime they want one..........?? MOOOOOOOOOOOOROOOOOOOOOOOONSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

THIS IS NOTHING BUT A JOB KILLER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..................for crying out loud is there anyone on the left that has any brains whatsoever?????

Bah, I disagree wholeheartedly with any wage increase that isn't for everybody. In fact the whole notion actually makes me kind of mad. I think that anyone who legislates the minimum wage should have to be forced to live on a minimum wage for a couple of months... That would get it to a rational level right quick.

But, at least landscaping isn't a job that can be outsourced to China - so maybe this will at least open the door towards making our service industry based economy into something more than effective indentured servitude for those of us left in this nation willing to work.

~Heff

reply to post by 35Foxtrot


With the Obama administration encouraging the illegals through back-door amnesty programs, it is inevitable that those companies, especially the lawn care outfits will switch from legal guest workers to employing more illegals.

The risks involved with hiring illegals would probably be less costly to a business than having to give all those workers a $4.00/hr raise. I wouldn't doubt that the companies would get rid of the guest workers and then hire them right back as illegals so they could save a few bucks.

This is like trying to put out a fire with gasoline. It will only kill that many more jobs. And put more than a few companies out of business as well. This is going to make that many more under the table pay off and kick backs. Just where do these people get these crazy ideas at?

this infuriates me........................tell all those congressman the liberal ones to give their staffers and drivers a $4 hour raise...................and i can guarantee you all this.........theres not any way in hell they would ever do that or even dream of doing it..................

I usually stay neutral when it comes to the topic of illegal immigrants. I don't feel like I have room to talk because honestly, if my grandparents hadn't immigrated back in the day I wouldn't be here and it's probably true for a lot of other people here.
However, this certain subject makes me livid.
My fiance comes back from 2 years in Iraq and can't find any kind of decent job. I need two jobs myself just to get by.
I understand that living in a crappy country sucks and you would want to go somewhere else and do what you can to make it better for your family.
I don't understand how the government thinks it's ok to help foreigners over their own legal citizens, that are paying taxes.
But afterall, it is the American government, and lord knows their agenda for whatever reasons are far more important than us little folks

reply to post by casijones

But afterall, it is the American government

You really think it's the American Goverment??
From what I see, they work for anyone but the American people...

They took your job!

This is ridiculous that we as citizens can't get raises but the people who lie to us get a 4.00 dollar raise

I really hope an asteroid wipes out all of the US in 2012. Well one can hope. I mean they already removed my right to work (I am a smoker) and they have finally allowed almost all businesses to hire only non-smokers...this EFFING country I hope It burns!!!! I swear to GOD!

Seriously... ten damned dollars an hour for that?

I like how arbitrary all of this is, like increasing minimum wage. Manpower is one of the single largest of all business expenses. Most -real- businesses only turn about a 5% profit at the most - usually hovering between 2-5%. Forcing companies to pay out an additional 60% on what accounts for anywhere between 25 and 60% (it does depend largely upon the business) of all business expenses is just insane. Obviously, if you do that, the business has to increase prices... which increases cost of living... and increased cost of living is the argument for minimum wage!

You may as well open up the printing press and become Pre-Nazi Germany. You take your pay and buy what you need at the store on the way home - after dinner you won't be able to afford anything because inflation is so hideously high.