Immigration Bills Continue to Affect Construction Industry

On May 10, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law a reform bill that will require private employers with 25 or more employees to use the federal E-verify system to confirm a worker’s immigration status. It also expands penalties for employers who fail to comply, including the possible suspension and revocation of employer licenses and the imposition of specific penalties on employers that knowingly employ illegal aliens. The law goes into effect July 1.

Florida is not alone in its efforts. Also in May, the House voted 219-213 to pass H.R.2-Secure the Border Act, which calls for restarting the border wall construction, restricting asylum and other measures. It is not likely to pass, given Democratic opposition and a veto threat from President Biden.

But just the discussion itself has had a chilling effect. In the weeks prior to Florida’s reform bill passage, CBS Miami reported that many construction industry workers were leaving for fear of deportation.

At a time when affordable housing and labor shortage issues are in the news almost daily, immigration is top of mind for building contractors.

Immigrants Willing Workers

Rene Ayala, director of Yowell’s Roofing in Tampa, believes the Florida ruling will “exacerbate already difficult labor challenges.” Ayala employs between 15 and 18 people so will not be affected by the ruling but says he knows “of other roofers who have faced empty job sites. That’s a real problem in Florida when out of nowhere a rain shower can start up and ruin a home.”

In San Francisco, Carlos Rodriguez, CEO of Mr. Roofing, a family-owned business, says he’s not experiencing “that same sort of rigor around immigration,” but still faces the same labor shortage issues.

Ayala and Rodriguez are both from immigrant families themselves and understand the difficulties U.S. newcomers face. Both adhere to the law when it comes to hiring practices. Ayala says he has had success working with local non-profits that help legal immigrants get established in the U.S. “I’m finding highly skilled and or educated immigrants who have nothing and just need the opportunity to build something for themselves.”

Rodriguez has a four-month backlog of work and is finding it hard to hire and train people in his company’s production department. Current immigration policies curtailing immigrant numbers have decreased his hiring pool. In addition, our educational system is doing a great job of encouraging kids to go to college, but not a good job of vocational training,” he says. “We need more people to enter the trades. The people willing to work in roofing and solar and those open to doing that have been immigrants. They have ambition, good hearts, and a strong work ethic.”

What also hurts their businesses they say are companies that skirt the law by hiring non-legal workers. “I have competitors who hire non-legal people and pay them less than what skilled labor should be paid. They charge less for the same roof I’m doing,” Ayala says. “The Florida law could stop this from happening.”

Rodriguez believes companies should treat people with dignity, train them and pay them a living wage.

“Unfortunately,” he says, “a lot of companies take advantage of folks willing to work for a low wage and under whatever conditions.”

The Associated General Contractors of America, which represents about 27,000 firms, has no objection to the Florida law and the use of E-verify, says spokesperson Brian Turmail. “We don’t need a market where we make it hard for people to find lawful workers and easy to hire and exploit unlawful workers. There needs to be an easier way for employers to check the status of workers, but only the federal government can craft legislative reform to allow people to come into the U.S. legally.”

And the federal government is basically shirking its duties, he says. “They are putting the onus on employers to rely on documentation to determine the legal status of employees. Our members are in the business of building things and not in the business of verifying whether a driver’s license or worker card is a fraud.”

The Difference Between Management and Leadership

—GARY COHEN

Management and leadership are two distinct yet interconnected concepts that play vital roles in organizational governance. While they share certain similarities, they differ in terms of focus, approach, and outcomes.

Management primarily deals with the efficient utilization of resources to achieve specific goals and objectives. It involves activities such as planning, organizing, coordinating, and controlling tasks and processes. Managers are responsible for ensuring that resources are allocated effectively, timelines are met, and tasks are performed efficiently. They establish structures, create processes, and enforce policies to maintain order and stability within the organization. Managers are often concerned with monitoring performance, analyzing data, and making informed decisions based on available information. Their main objective is to maximize productivity, reduce costs, and achieve organizational targets.

Better Way?

Current immigration policies just continue to make things difficult for employers. Ayala began the process of hiring an engineer from Venezuela. What should have taken a year to 18 months, he says, “has taken almost four years, and we have proven that there is no one here with this engineer’s skill set. What are the avenues for people like me to get the employees that I need?”

He’d like to see government support for a fast procedure for people to get a work visa if they’ve got an employer ready to hire them.

AGC hopes for “some kind of path to legal status, not necessarily citizenship, for those who are already in the country,” Turmail says. “No one benefits — not the owner of construction firms nor the workers —if you have a large pool of workers not legally allowed to work in this country.” n

Leadership, on the other hand, is centered around inspiring and influencing individuals and teams to collectively work towards a common vision or goal. Leaders set a clear direction, create a compelling vision, and communicate it effectively to motivate and engage others. They inspire people to go beyond their limits, foster innovation, and encourage creativity. Leaders empower individuals by delegating authority and promoting autonomy, allowing them to take ownership of their work and contribute to the organization’s success. They build strong relationships, encourage collaboration, and create a positive organizational culture that promotes growth and development.

While management focuses on the day-to-day operations and the efficient execution of tasks, leadership is more concerned with driving change, inspiring others, and creating a sense of purpose.

Management ensures that the organization functions smoothly, while leadership ensures that it moves forward, adapts to new challenges, and achieves long-term success. Effective managers are skilled in planning, organizing, and problem-solving, while effective leaders possess qualities such as vision, communication, empathy, and the ability to inspire and motivate others. In summary, management is about operational efficiency, resource allocation, and maintaining stability, while leadership is about envisioning the future, inspiring others, and creating a culture of innovation. Both management and leadership are essential for effective organizational governance and successful organizations strike a balance between the two, utilizing the strengths of both management and leadership to achieve sustainable success. n