Speech #1090079276

All of those are very low wages for those jobs if you know anything about plumbing and the high cost of it across the Nation. Such wage rates are hardly earthshattering by anyones standards. but under the Bush plan. skilled workers. many of whom lost their homes and all their belongings in Hurricane Katrina. will only be paid the Federal minimum wage of $5.15 an hour. We hope that they will be paid the Federal minimum wage. because as I said before. the only workers that you are going to get to work for such low salaries are usually illegal immigrants. people who cannot fight back. who cannot report you when you fail to live up to the requirements of the wage and hour act. and who are at your mercy. That is the pattern where we are finding large numbers of illegal immigrants are being used. The question of illegal immigrants is certainly one that I do not want to be recorded as being backwards and not sympathetic on. I favor what was proposed by the AFLCIO last year. Let us look at all of the immigrants who are in the country now who are undocumented and who have been here for a while. who pay their taxes and are working.. and through an amnesty create a situation where they may begin the process of becoming citizens. They can then begin the process to become citizens. They can join unions or associations. Or if they want to stand as an individual. they know they have rights and cannot be intimidated or cowed by an employer. They will help to raise the standards by working for decent wages. wages consistent with the cost of living in this country. I do not like the exploitation of illegal immigrants. I do not blame the illegal immigrants for being exploited. and we can get out of this situation and allow them the opportunity to work without being exploited if we will act on amnesty as soon as possible. As we have discussed at length on this side of the aisle. certainly with Democrats policies. the Federal minimum wage also at present will not allow anyone to climb out of poverty. That $5.15 an hour. assuming that the contractors will at least pay that and that they will not go below the national minimum wage. that Federal wage will not allow anyone to climb out of poverty.