It comes as no surprise that there are active Hispanic organizing campaigns in Southern California, New Mexico, Texas and Florida, as well as coastal areas like New York and Seattle. Many Hispanic workers accept the low pay, no benefits, and unsafe working conditions because they are still better than their countries of origin. Moyer has attempted to stop exploitation of workers through local governments and agencies. We've contacted the Department of Revenue, tried to make this a fair labor standards issue, called the city health department. Workers are eating and sleeping on the job.
Conditions are terrible.
But when inspectors get there, the workers are gone. Joining forces with another trade union to organize Hispanic workers, they held job site lunches and Friday night get-togethers to help workers realize that they were being taken advantage of by unscrupulous contractors. Moyer found that his campaign took off when they hired an Hispanic organizer. He 'saw the light' and understood what we were trying to do. Paez was hired as an organizer in September 1999.