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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Marc Gergely |
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Gergely votes to reduce illegal workers on construction jobs
HARRISBURG, June 9 – House Labor Relations Committee Vice Chairman Marc Gergely voted this week in favor of two bills that would crack down on construction contractors hiring illegal workers in Pennsylvania.
"This is about protecting jobs for hard-working Pennsylvanians," Gergely said. "As vice chairman of the Labor Relations Committee, I was proud to help steer this job-saving legislation through the House to stop dishonest contractors from hiring hire illegal workers at lower pay at the expense of family-sustaining jobs."
Gergely said the two-bill package passed the House with strong bipartisan support. House Bill 1502 and H.B. 1503, would require all contractors and subcontractors in the construction industry to verify the employment eligibility of their employees. Both bills would require use of the Social Security Number Verification Service to verify existing employees, and the E-Verify Program for newly hired employees.
"An estimated 35,000 illegal workers are on construction sites in Pennsylvania. Those contractors are cheating the system to get cheap labor and that is helping to contribute to the 35 percent unemployment rate in the construction industry.
"This legislation should help many unemployed construction workers to get back to work and level the playing field for the honest companies which have continued to hire American citizens or people who are in this country legally."
Gergely said 14 states and the federal government use some form of E-Verify which is managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In Pennsylvania, over 2,000 employers are voluntarily using E-Verify at more than 16,000 work sites.
The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.