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Migrants in the City Jack Black
One common store that
seems to attract the largest number of day laborers would have to be
The Home Depot. Migrants in the city can be observed any day
between 5:00 A.M and 6:00P.M. at any one of the nine locations in
the greater Phoenix Area. The popular location that I chose was the
intersection of Cave Creek Road and Bell. Wednesday morning at 6:15 A.M I snapped a few pictures of migrants waiting in hopes of a good days work, and a great days pay. On all four corners of this particular intersection, I counted around 80 individuals that were waiting for a pick-up truck to give them the sign. These individuals then would jump in the truck, and take off for a days work, not knowing what they will be doing, what time they will be returning, or if they will even be returning that same day. Even though it seems a little dangerous, at an average tax free wage of $10 per hour, the pay is pretty good. At this particular intersection, there is also a business called labor force which coordinates work for ‘documented’ day laborers. This is an alternative to waiting on the corner for the sign, but at a cost. Typically the day labor companies charge around $10.85 an hour to the customer, and end up paying the worker between $7.50 and $8.50 per hour. As the Phoenix economy begins to boom, the word spreads that there is demand for labor, and the parking lots surrounding The Home Depot continue to be scattered with day laborers.
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| Author: Jack Black | |
