Construction workers in South Florida earn an average of $19 per hour, although some may earn less than that. Many in an irregular immigration situation denounce precarious working conditions and lack of protection
Text: Antoni Belchi
It has been 20 years since Luciano Pascual left his native Mexico to start a new life in the United States. He began working as an apprentice in the construction sector and now does carpentry work in South Florida, where he has lived for more than a decade.
In recent years, the demand for labor has increased greatly as this region of the country is seeing tremendous growth in the home construction sector. Pascual has noticed a high demand at his job, but recognizes that the working conditions are “terrible”, both in terms of salary and protection from his employer.
“I have been in construction for more than ten years and nothing has changed,” Pascual told Voice of America.
He, along with several of his colleagues, are mobilizing to demand that South Florida authorities promote new regulations to improve working conditions in the construction sector, especially for those like him who do not have documents to work legally in USA.
“We need security, especially when it is very hot. We need protection with water, with rest time and that the rules are followed, because practically it is very difficult to work in these conditions, with extreme heat and without having the appropriate liquid,” says the man, born 40 years ago in the state Mexican from Toluca.
Salaries in the South Florida sector in numbers
Hourly wages in the commercial construction industry in South Florida are considerably low compared to other regions of the country, according to a survey from the WeCount! project. published this Thursday.
The study shows that the average hourly wage for commercial construction workers in this area is $19, with large disparities between different trades.
Heavy machinery operators, iron workers and electricians are those who reported the highest salaries within the sector. However, laborers, drywall installers and those engaged in plumbing work are among the lowest paid. They point out as particularly concerning that 48% of laborers and 17% of drywall installers earn less than $15 per hour.
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Although the majority of respondents (56%) have worked for the same employer for a year or more, and 27% have stayed three years or more, the results suggest that salary progress over time is limited. Low salaries indicate, according to the survey, that improvements in income are minimal, even with the experience gained.
Claims for salary improvements
Arturo Rizo, a Nicaraguan who has worked in California and Nevada and who has been working as an electrician in Miami since 2023, acknowledges that right now he is earning the same as “14 years ago” when he was in the western states of the country.
“The cost of housing is exaggerated and with these salaries the misery is practically reduced, taking into account the work we do, which is hard and, in my case, is very technical,” he said, claiming the need for “better benefits.” to have a little decent life”:
«We are building luxury buildings that, without us, would be impossible, and instead we live practically in misery. We need the minimum to have decent housing that, for now, we cannot afford with our salaries,” he added in this regard.
He acknowledges that the data derived from this study “are very illustrative” in that construction workers earn “between 16 and 19 dollars an hour,” when, according to him, they should be earning “between 25 and 35 dollars an hour.” hour,” according to the South Florida cost of living.
The situation of undocumented immigrants in Florida
Carlos Antonio, another employee residing in Miami, but born in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, regrets that the situation is especially complicated for people who do not have legal status in the United States, since they face “constant labor abuses” and that , in many cases, “are not paid properly.”
“By not having the appropriate papers to be working here, I feel vulnerable because they can abuse me at work,” says the young man, 27 years old, who attended the rally in his work uniform and recalled that a few months ago An employer owed him “almost $3,000 and could not file a claim for fear of the consequences of not having papers.”
Furthermore, he regrets that there is no type of legal protection on the part of public administrations to address this type of situation since, doing it privately, “entails a cost that is impossible to assume.”
“I feel like one of the forgotten ones because, no matter how much one wants to demand at the end of the day, bosses and business owners even threaten dismissal and that is why I feel so vulnerable,” he insists about his case.
The Miami-Dade County Commission, which is in southern Florida, has expressed its intention to review its local legislation to try to find solutions and labor protections for construction workers, as well as farmers and other jobs that carried out mostly by migrants. To date, no additional measures have been taken.
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