Readers had praise for the report, but also showed concern about both worker's conditions and a system that allows for hiring immigrants without authorization to work in N.J. Watch video
Over several months, NJ Advance Media looked into how the growing temp industry affects New Jersey.
Reporter Kelly Heyboer spoke to dozens of temp agency recruiters, labor activists, government officials, researchers and temporary workers -- many of them unauthorized to work legally in the U.S.
With the assistance of California-based Reveal from The Center of Investigative Reporting, Heyboer's investigation shed light on a dark side to the temp agency industry in New Jersey, which counts on some 90,000 workers.
The story documented complaints of workers not getting paid, racial and sexual discrimination, unsafe working conditions. The booming temp system exploits workers who are not willing to risk deportation by reporting mistreatment to authorities.
Hundreds of readers responded to the three-part investigation in comments on NJ.com and Facebook, as well as through emails.
Commentary was fairly evenly split between those who sympathized with the temp workers' plight and those who believed the story was part of a larger conversation about illegal immigration. Others offered comparisons to conditions in other low-wage industries and how the nation's wealth disparity coupled with government inaction has exacerbated kinks in the country's economy.
Here's a sampling of reader comments, which were edited for brevity and clarity:
On NJ.com, zemack blames the government for lack of controls:
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Facebook users offered some of the most lively discussion on the topic:
Why in God's name are all of these temp agencies allowed to hire these people without any repercussions? Regulations? Licensing? What good are they if they are not enforced? With so many citizens looking for decent work there is no good reason for this to be going on in the first place. Nothing will ever change until something substantial is done about illegals, AND there are severe and punitive fines (and jail time if necessary) for these temp agencies and the corporation's who use them.
As long as there are large pools of illegals looking for work, these "temp" situations will survive and thrive. Simple supply and demand. If there were fewer illegals, the supply of workers would be reduced and employers would be forced to pay more or go out of business. It is simple economic/demographics. As more and more illegals come into the country, this will only get worse.
Unions need to step it up and go into some of these plants. In a union shop only a certain number of temps can be employed at a time, and they have to go before a certain time or else the company has to bring them on full time and pay benefits.
I read the multi page article today. [Rafael Sanchez, who is unauthorized to work in the U.S.] has been working for the same factory in Trenton for SIX years straight- but as a 'temp' employee making significantly less than an American citizen would be willing to make. One side of me says- "hey, stop taking jobs from our own citizens." The other side thinks- "how can the factory owners get away with this?" You can't tell me that they don't know they are using illegals to make higher profits...
This story shows that illegal immigrants do drive down wages and hurt the economy. These jobs probably paid a living wage prior to the "Day Laborers" and others who break our laws. The Feds and States need to start locking up the employers who use illegals and the agencies that enable them. Also deportations need to take place for all illegals in a timely fashion.
Very good article. It goes to show you how much people complain about illegal immigrants, but everyone turns their backs because they need those people to fill all these low paying jobs.
I applied for a temp job in Jersey. Despite the fact that I'm a licensed attorney, I was rejected because of a "lack of experience" (fortunately, I eventually found a job in the law industry). It's an open secret that temp agencies only hire Hispanic people.
First of all, nobody should be working for $10 an hour. There isn't a job priced right now that doesn't deserve $15. Go do any of these jobs from teachers assistant to laborer to waiter and tell me after a full day that you are only worth $10. Of all the comments on this page, I didn't see one so far that talked of the owner that gets rich on the back of the employee. Regardless of the status of citizenship, this story tells me that the age old story of the rich getting richer on the backs of the laborer is alive and kicking in New Jersey. If you think these jobs are so amazing and you or your kid needs a job, go get in line - they'll even give you a ride.
We also sorted through hundreds of responses sent via email:
Mexican immigration is encouraged and lauded and promoted by government, big business, and one-percenters largely, if not solely, for the purpose of exploiting an enormous pool of cheap labor; all occurring within the guise of an endless bleeding-heart plea aimed at the heartstrings of decent U.S. citizens. This is taking place for the purpose of increased profits, and common people actually believe that government and big business, etc., are encouraging, promoting, and voting for open immigration because they 'care' about these millions of Mexicans.
It 'is' an ongoing blatant exploitation-for-profit scheme, but loaded with enough warm propagandist slogans to dupe the public into believing we are acting as benevolent saints when we demand that all of these poor, poor people be allowed to come up here. I have worked labor all of my life. My family is white. I have Mexican friends, and even Mexican family members, via a marriage, thanks to my brother. Yes, many success stories have been told and re-told ad nauseam, but these only play right into the propagandists stream of deception, glossing over the hard truth, and only serve to dupe the american public, and further mislead the poor who have been led to believe that a benevolent American father has their best interests at heart. I wish it were so. Instead, exploitation is the aim; greed the father's motive. And father lives on Wall Street.
-- Garret Wahl, Seattle
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An equally disturbing facet is where and how these people are forced to live. You mentioned an unheated garage with extension cords. That is the tip of the iceberg.
Slum landlords (although in many cases they are "slum leaseholders" who rent a house from someone who asks no questions) sublet rooms and closets to unsuspecting immigrant workers, putting them at very real risk....basements, attics, outbuildings, etc. These are difficult, nigh impossible, to track, and are every bit as as deplorable as the work conditions in your article.
-- Gary Lewis, Montville
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To cut to the chase it is shameful that this condition exists but it not the our country's fault. Mexico should provide a better quality of life for their people. The people who live there should not have children unless they want them to follow the same pattern. And Trump is right in that we don't have jobs or resources to put ahead of what the U.S. citizens need.
-- Frank Ciccone, Union County
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