Source: Latino USA / Justin Sullivan.
GCI Senior Associate Nik Theodore has released a new report that examines the employment conditions of informally employed construction workers in Houston following Hurricane Harvey. Dr. Theodore, a UPP Professor and Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs, found that 26% of Houston’s post-hurricane day laborers (so-called “second responders”) experienced wage theft in the weeks following the storm. Others were exposed to environmental toxins and unsafe working conditions. Since many day laborers are undocumented immigrants, they were not able to report many unsafe and illegal practices to local authorities.
The report, “After the Storm: Houston’s Day Labor Markets in the Aftermath of Hurricane Harvey,” has been noted by media outlets across the country, including the following:
