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Originally Posted by Perry Winkle
That's good. How much would legal skilled (and likely unionized) labor cost?
My cousins are in construction and excavation. I don't know what they make, but it is quite good money, even for the ones who work for the state or county.
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Sorry man, this isn't the midwest; there are a couple of unions, but they are far from universal. They are generally considered much more hassle than they're worth. Those who are unionized usually own their own businesses, they're the ones hiring other people to actually do the work. All the grunts--white, brown, or other--make exactly the same if they're paid in cash, and a little higher if they're regular employees (who pay taxes). There's plenty of under-the-table employment for legal residents as well.
I find it rather ironic that you suggest the illegal workers aren't "skilled;" they are usually just as trained and experienced in their jobs as the other people who do them, and often bring their own equipment. Are they ready to be site supervisors? Not usually, but that's not necessarily something they would somehow learn faster or better if they were legal residents. The
number one skill that holds anyone back--legal or not--is an inability to speak English, which is not something they would magically get were they granted legal status.
Being "in" construction and excavation doesn't say what your cousins' role in the business is. Do they own it? Are they estimators? Are they ordering/delivering supplies? Site supervisors? Machine operators? Grunts shoveling the leftover debris into wheelbarrows? It obviously makes a huge difference.