| Number | 19908 |
| Subject | Migrant Workers |
| Source | WKBD-TV (Warren |
| State | MI |
| Year | 2002 |
| Publication Date | July 22 and 23, 2002 |
| Summary | "Each year, hundreds of non-English speaking Mexican men and women are recruited by one of the largest landscaping corporations in the U.S., Torre & Bruglio of Pontiac, MI. T&B brings them in the U.S. under the special federal 'Guestworker' program to live and work in suburban Detroit for eight months. They are promised good housing and wages of $9 to $12 and hour to trim shrubs and cut grass --a fortune for most, who live in a country where the minimum wage is $5 a day, if they can find work." This report shows how these people were living in dangerous and deplorable houses, with major health code and zoning violations. The reporters also found that T&B would make all kinds of deductions from their salaries to pay for rent, refrigerators, furniture, television sets, uniforms, boots and equipment necessary to perform the work they were hired for. They also found that these workers were making less than minimum wage. All this on top of several violations of federal labor law. |
| Category | Contest Entry |
| Pages | 17 |
| Keywords | Mexican workers;federal labor law;illegal deductions;fraud;Torre & Bruglio;Michigan;Detroit;TAPE;TV;TRANSCRIPT |
| Related Links | |
| Related Video | |
| Contest Questionnaires | Only members can download contest entry questionnaires! Log in to get access. |
| Ordering info | Want to place an order? Email us or call us at 573-882-3364 (Stories are only available to members of IRE. For membership information, please refer to our membership page) |