The collapse of the Hard Rock Hotel in New Orleans earlier this year has shed light on the plight of undocumented construction workers.
Three workers were killed after the structural failure. One survivor, an undocumented worker who had tried to warn supervisors about safety concerns, was subsequently deported to Honduras.
A 2006 academic study found about half of the New Orleans reconstruction workforce was Latino, with about half of that group being undocumented. To speed up construction after the storm, the federal government suspended enforcement of employee eligibility checks by employers and some workplace protection measures.
This resulted in widespread worker exploitation including wage theft, underpayment of wages, and abuse of employees, according to a report in The Guardian. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency had a steady rate of deportations under President Obama, but the current administration’s aggressive crackdown on immigration and asylum seekers has raised the level of fear among the Latino population in New Orleans.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Nov 29, 2021
FAA seeking design of air traffic control towers of the future
Call for design submissions for safe, efficient structures.
Codes and Standards | Nov 28, 2021
Efficient electric water heaters in multifamily buildings significantly reduce carbon emissions
In buildings with 5+ units, water heating uses more energy than space heating, cooling, or lighting.
Codes and Standards | Nov 23, 2021
New York’s Labor Law Section 240 and how it affects general contractors
The ‘Scaffold Law’ was first enacted by the New York State Legislature in 1885 and is one of the single most-used laws in construction accident cases.
Codes and Standards | Nov 22, 2021
ABC’s Construction Technology Report finds focus on solving operational problems
More than half rely on project management software.
Codes and Standards | Nov 22, 2021
Contractors say 811 utility location system has significant flaws
More than half of firms in survey report damages, near misses because lines were unmarked or marked incorrectly.
Codes and Standards | Nov 19, 2021
Creating net-zero/net-positive buildings is top priority in Green Building Trends 2021 report
Findings also demonstrate compelling business case for building green.
Codes and Standards | Nov 19, 2021
Construction Startup Competition 2021 awards highlight tech innovations
AI-powered software to identify and explain critical issues in construction contracts takes top prize.
Codes and Standards | Nov 18, 2021
Infrastructure bill contains $5 billion for energy efficiency in buildings
Wide range of programs to reduce energy use, improve materials, train workers.
Codes and Standards | Nov 17, 2021
Skanska will provide embodied carbon assessments on all new projects over 53,000 sf
Will use the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator it helped create.
Codes and Standards | Nov 16, 2021
NOAA, Univ. of Maryland, and ASCE partner on climate-smart engineering codes, standards
Efforts will account for climate change in future infrastructure design and construction.
