Guest Workers in Construction

There’s an old joke in Texas that goes something like this:  What did Jim Bowie say to Davy Crockett when they saw the Mexicans coming toward the Alamo?  Answer:  I didn’t know we were pouring concrete today.

I thought about that old chestnut when I saw that the construction industry is angry about the agreement worked out between the Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO.  First of all, do you realize what a breakthrough it is to have those two groups agree on anything?  The Chamber wants cheap labor; the AFL-CIO wants to protect decent-paying American jobs.  The compromise calls for 20,000 “guest workers” the first year, with the number climbing to 75,000 after four years.  After that the number can vary depending on a formula involving the unemployment rate and industry needs.  Skilled workers like electricians are barred under the compromise.  See the article in the Washington Post for the details at <http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/03/30/how-immigration-reform-is-scrambling-american-politics/>.

Contractor trade groups are already lobbying against the compromise.  Their threat is that a cap on construction guest workers will make it impossible to secure the border.  Unspoken is the knowledge that it will be also very difficult to find Mexican roofers, framers, and yes, concrete pourers, at substandard wages.