When a contractor is allowed through fraudulent business practices, to come into Alaska and take jobs from Alaskans, its very detrimental to us as a whole, whether you are union or non union
While this story is bad enough, you ought to see the software industry where Americans can’t even bid on government contracts because there are too many minority owned Indian firms that get priority over Keeping Americans At Work????
Andrea Gusty
KTVA-CBS 11 NewsANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTVA-CBS 11 News) A contractor hired for a major construction project on Elmendorf Air Force Base broke both state and federal law.
At issue: the illegal immigrants that were granted access to the base to help construct the Air Force’s new F-22 hangers.
This summer the Air Force started a multi-million dollar effort to build new F-22 hangers on Elmendorf Air Force Base. The contractor hired for the steel work was Steel System Erectors out of California.
An investigation has reviled the company employed undocumented workers and allowed them access to a national security site.
A “critical infrastructure site essential to national security.” That is how the federal government describes Elmendorf Air Force Base.
At each entrance, security checks the ids and has the right to search the vehicles of all who enter the base. So then, how were illegal immigrants with forged and expired documents granted access?“I do not have a clue how a contractor was able to take these individuals onto a military base, constructing a building for one of our most sophisticated fighter planes.” Says Ironworkers Local 751 President/Organizer John Lewis.
Lewis noticed this summer that Steel System Erectors out of southern California had not hired any local workers. In fact, he found the company flew 30 employees from California to Alaska for the job.
“For you to be able to bid a job and win it with the cost of air fare and housing for that many men raises a huge red flag that something- there’s another area where you are cheating,” says Lewis, “Either your cutting costs on workers comp, or you are misclassifying your workers.”
Lewis would find Steel System Erectors was doing both. Not only did the company not follow Alaska’s workers comp law for their thirty employees, but four were found to be undocumented workers.
“It’s extremely disturbing that a contractor is able to, day after day for months on end, take undocumented workers and get them through security,” says Lewis.
While they declined to talk on camera, officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did confirm four of Steel System Erectors’ employees on the Elmendorf job did not have proper employment documents, and one of those even had a criminal history in California.
Since the federal investigation at the end of October, all four men have been arrested. One of the workers has been deported, two voluntarily returned to their country, and one will be pleading his case in front of an immigration judge.
Elmendorf officials say while the illegal workers did not have access to the sensitive areas of the base. Still, they are now looking more closely at their contractors.
In a statement sent to the Eye Team, 3rd Wing Public Affairs Deputy Chief Stephen Lee says, “We take this incident very seriously and have begun a complete review of all contractors working on the base.”
Lewis says the damage has already been done in terms of the loss of jobs and wages for local workers. “When a contractor is allowed through fraudulent business practices, to come into Alaska and take jobs from Alaskans, its very detrimental to us as a whole, whether you are union or non union,” he says.
The newly strengthened E-verify rules were supposed to prevent this exact thing from happening.
E-verify is a government program that compares information employers provide about their workers to federal government databases to verify worker’s employment eligibility. It’s designed to ensure only legal American workers are employed on government projects.
Only it was not followed for the Elmendorf project.
“The contractor is responsible for vetting any prospective employee to ensure they meet citizenship requirements,” Lee said in his statement, “In this instance, undocumented workers used fake identification to gain employment with the contractor.”
As for any legal action, Elmendorf officials say they are working to review their contract with Steel System Erectors to see what action if any should be taken.
Steel System Erectors did not return repeated calls for comment.
http://www.ktva.com/ci_14010172?source=most_viewed
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In a study from the National Bureau of Economic Research, based on the Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation, analyzed the cost of immigrants based on their specific use of (means-tested) welfare entitlements (both direct and indirect), and revealed that the total immigrant receipt of benefits in–1996–came to $180 billion. THAT IS $ ONE HUNDRED & EIGHTY BILLION IN 1996? WHAT ARE THE EXPENDITURES NOW? Today's costs if audited would support some foreign governments treasuries. Obama and his army of pro-illegal worker lobbyist, faith groups, unions, anti-sovereignty Caucuses, to adjoin and undermine our voting system, by organizing huge numbers who will automatically vote in favor of the Democratic party.
"This is owing to a Sacramento Liberal Assembly, which has edged the state to near bankruptcy. Only by the interruption of multi-millions of American citizens, legal residents and congregations of anti-illegal immigration groups will America prevail. Here is the Capitol switchboard number to call 202-224-3121 because your vote is needed to stop any AMNESTY. The last 1986 Immigration bill was never aggressively enforced, that is why millions of illegal immigrants roam freely throughout America? The blame can be placed upon previous administrations as they have always been in collusion with the business, including Wall Street that is the real mechanism that governs our country? That is–WHY–we are taxed to subsidize–CORPORATE WELFARE–with incredulous numbers of lowly paid illegal wages and no benefits. THIS IS ALL ABOUT CORPORATE GREED and the complete indifference to the AMERICAN WORKERS SURVIVAL AND AN OVERPOPULATION FUTURE.
In 1999, newly elected Democratic Governor Gray Davis had the case brought before mediation, and then intentionally dropped the appeals process before the courts, effectively killing the law so it–NEVER–reached the Supreme Court. Dan Stein, President of FAIR stated, "California's addiction to 'cheap' illegal alien labor is bankrupting the state and posing enormous burdens on the state's SHRINKING MIDDLE CLASS TAX BASE," he added "Most Californians, who have seen their taxes increase while public services deteriorate, already know the impact that mass illegal immigration is having on their communities, but even they may be shocked when they learn just how much of a drain illegal immigration has become. After these fiscal numbers were released, there seem to be an intentional reluctance to offer costs for both legal and illegal immigrant cost to the US taxpayer. The latest news now is the border state of Arizona, is in dire straights financially and also heading towards bankruptcy. Arizona is being dragged down into the financial abyss, just like it's adjoining state of California because of illegal immigration. This will be the demise of many other states, if the politicians don't start accommodating US citizens and those who came through legal channels.
Either a House or Senate bill, that releases millions of foreign workers into our country, will devastate the public safety net. As it is now–California–a SANCTUARY STATE–is under constant bombardment to support uncounted numbers of foreign invaders on the health care, education and penal system. America's largest population of illegal immigrants, California bears a huge cost to provide basic human services for this fast growing, illegal low-income segment of its population. A new study from the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) examines the costs of education, health care and incarceration of illegal aliens, and concludes that the costs to Californians is $10.5 billion annually. California voters rebelled and overwhelmingly passed Proposition 187, which sought to limit liability for mass illegal immigration. Since then, state and local governments have blatantly ignored the wishes of the voters and continued to pay out publicly financed benefits on illegal families. Prop 187 was brought before Judge Mariana Pfaelzer, who in November 1997 found the law to be unconstitutional. Governor Wilson appealed the ruling, which brought the case to the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. (who are extremist Liberals)
The millions of illegal people here would pay small fine of $500.00 dollars, learn English and pass a criminal background check. The law suggested stripping police officers of their federally-sanctioned (287 g) powers that detains individuals for immigration and visa violations, according to The Chicago Tribune. Sen. Harry Reid, Pelosi, Napolitano, Schumer and others know that our only true deterrent E-Verify will be obsolete? This is just for those 20 to 30 million illegal aliens and families who live within this nation borders now. Even more millions will be waiting outside the borders, ready to make the rush for US soil, before the president signs the AMNESTY (CIR ASAP) document. THAT WILL BE THE HIGHEST PINNACLE OF MADNESS, FORCED UPON THE AMERICAN WORKER. THEY WILL HAVE TO COMPETE WITH THOSE ALREADY HERE AND THOSE WHO SUDDENLY SWARM INTO AMERICA. All these destitute, unskilled people will need food, housing and welfare support to exist in our society.