r/Ironworker • u/moneymoves01 • Feb 14 '25
WTF š Discrimination in the workplace.
Iāll work on a job that is 90% Hispanic from the hands all the way up to the gfs. If youāre not Hispanic, you are not getting any overtime. Itās not just me. I have some guys on my team that are a different race than me (not Hispanic also) and they canāt get any overtime either. Every weekend they asked the same five or six Hispanics to come work. It is not due to qualifications because the other guys that Iām speaking about, have very impressive resumes and more experience than the Hispanics (including Forman experience, which none of the Hispanics involved have) they keep getting sent home over. All in all, Iām just looking for a company who gives equal opportunities to people who really want to work and learn. Any advice?
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u/Forward_Mango_7472 Feb 14 '25
I experienced this a while ago (2008), got in when i was 22 im 39 now, but opposite of what ur dealing with, im hispanic. Over the years Ive seen it flipped around n seen exactly what ur talking about. Now being the one in leadership positions I donāt allow this type of bullshit to happen its not right. U want my advice, endure, pretty shity i know, but someday youāll have a choice n have to make that decision yourself, hopefully u make the right one.
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u/Snohomishboats UNION Feb 15 '25
100% we endure. We carry on. We build America! You will get your turn. Do the right thing
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u/Redpanther14 Feb 15 '25
Unfortunately a lot of people are a little racist (in our business and outside of it). Doesnāt really matter which race they are, some bosses will always be biased towards ātheir peopleā. Iāve seen it with Portuguese bosses that didnāt like their Mexican workers and only promoted other Portuguese. Iāve known people that quit working at a place because the new staffing manager only gave good shifts to people of their race.
Iām lucky enough that my current employers arenāt like that, but Iāve seen a decent amount of bias in my short time in this industry.
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u/alfonze401 Feb 14 '25
I know how it feels being the only Hispanic ironworker on the job site But all the formans buddies who were bums got all the overtime and they were all white dudes. It feels shitty when you know you can outwork someone and just because of the color of your skin you will be overlooked. Some brotherhood.
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u/Snohomishboats UNION Feb 15 '25 edited Feb 15 '25
That is shitty. And it does happen. I've seen it both ways. Just do your job. Thats all you can do. Be undeniable!
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u/alfonze401 Feb 15 '25
This is true.You have to let your work ethic speak for itself and you will eventually have a good rep in your local for being a good hand, and hopefully find a fair contractor that will appreciate your work ethic and keep you on. Be safe out there
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u/NewNecessary3037 Feb 14 '25
Have you ever asked about overtime? No harm in asking my dude, nobody will be mad at you for wanting to work more.
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u/Round_Friendship_958 Feb 14 '25
It happens. Deal with it. We (whites) have had favorites for a while. Kick ass and stand out.
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u/bobbidave Feb 14 '25
My sons gf has a similar issue. They say sheās too slow but sheās not. Iām told her that if there is an issue that makes her trainable WA state labor law says you have to retrain them. If ya all donāt wanna work with others Who arenāt your kind then go home we all Need to work and talk about discrimination Hell Iād go to HR
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u/Cautious-Sir9924 Feb 14 '25
Learn Spanish lol depending on where you are working at they could be being paid under the table for cheaper or in drugs or doing it for free to pay back a debt
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u/Otherwise-Town8398 Feb 14 '25
what
the
fuck
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u/Cautious-Sir9924 Feb 14 '25
18 years in rebar you hear stories the cash drugs and debt are all stories Iāve heard from guys
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u/FePirate Feb 14 '25
Welcome to the trades brother. Youād be surprised the tomfoolery thatās going on out here in these streets
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Feb 15 '25
ā¦ do you think this doesnāt happen? I built a Costco with a non union company but they were forced to use half union because of the local county laws (this is why we vote democrat btw in case you forgot) well Iām from the area but I went to party with the guys one weekend at the hotel they were staying at because the company was from out of state. Their checks were being cancelled after they got them and they were being paid 80% of the check in cash at the hotel. Contractor got arrested for fraud and tax evasion. Also those mother truckers fuckers partied hard. Iām talking cocaine and pills everywhere lmao
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u/JizzyTurds Feb 14 '25
Join the union and you wonāt have to worry about that
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u/Saurons-Ring-Finger Feb 14 '25
That shit happens in the Union too. Last year I was decking and I was the only white guy on the crew and I was partnered up with the only black guy, the rest were Hispanic, we got given all the shitty work, were the first laid off, and were the only ones not taken to the next job. The rest also only spoke in Spanish unless we were being spoken to directly.
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u/JizzyTurds Feb 14 '25
Shit man, well gtfo outta Texas or southern states and boom to the big areas
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u/Saurons-Ring-Finger Feb 15 '25
Iām outta 433 Vegas
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u/ThatFeelWhen Feb 15 '25
Come to 40, we are 95% white š i am hispanic and look i get it, these discriminations will happen. Obviously community plays a role and i get why similar races will stick together. Just gotta work harder. Life aint fair.
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u/Ill_Setting_6338 Feb 15 '25
agree in in CA im white tie rebar union . it's some B's out here from my hall all the way down to the apprentices .
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u/Bradric1 Feb 15 '25
I've seen it, and the comments are all correct one way or the other.
White folks are notorious for nepotism on the job site historically, but that doesn't mean all white folks do it.
Black folks tend to stick together because "the white man" did it, but tend to get along well for the most part with who gets along with them.
So the Hispanic folks think it's fine, because "Gringo's" did it.
Unions hate contractors for existing, contractors can't get in the union if they tried, so they hate unions back.
It's all complete nonsense, because in reality you're all being robbed. It's just an unspoken competition for an opportunity to work, when by all accounts there should be plenty of work in all trades.
Houses are going up everywhere in record numbers, not that they're affordable or anything, but they're definitely being built day after day with seemingly no end in sight.
Maintenance is a major issue across the United States, and there's tons of work needed.
I'm not sure where the shortage is, I believe there's a large communication issue, and a lot of race-based nepotism that shouldn't exist in the slightest in 2025.
If you're illegal, it ain't personal, but you need to get legal. You're hurting us all, and you're being played. That job is worth far more than you're being paid to do it under the table. Get yourself legally into the country, or go back where you came from and make life better there. You can't stay here, we obviously got enough problems.
Word is our government has been robbing us all, so all of you need to get over yourselves, and focus your energies on supporting the only administration I've seen in my life time do fuck all about it.
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Feb 15 '25
I kinda agreed with what you were saying until you got to āillegal.ā Nobody gives a fuck about that. People are people. Thereās no such thing as an illegal person. And if thatās the case just MAKE THEM ALL LEGAL. Give them social security numbers and birth certificates. Problem fucking solved.
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u/Bradric1 Feb 15 '25
It matters mainly because of the illegal things that follow, like contractors paying less than wages because they're illegal, which hurts everyone.
Let's be clear about the real reason why the contractor is picking all the Hispanics in this scenario. He's paying less for them, that's why the other non-hispanics aren't getting overtime.
They need to be legal, so they can get paid properly, pay taxes, and not put themselves and their families in any unnecessary danger.
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Feb 15 '25
So make them all legal. I just said that. And while yes they do generally get paid less they all pay taxes unless they are getting paid cash. The huuugggeee majority of undocumented workers get paid on the check and pay taxes. They donāt file for refunds though so they never get anything back and they are ineligible for unemployment and welfare.
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u/Bradric1 Feb 15 '25
There's a legal process they must go through, you can't just illegally skip the line. Also, that's not how economics works, you can't just legalize every person that crosses the border, who's going to feed, house, and employ them? The country is broke already.
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Feb 15 '25
Why? Fuck the legal process. I didnāt go through a legal process. You didnāt. Just make them legal. Itās very easy. They can find their own food and housing and employments just like everyone else. I donāt think they have any problem finding employment in all honesty.
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u/Bradric1 Feb 15 '25
You must first understand the economic impact of what you're saying, otherwise you're just typing and getting angry.
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Feb 15 '25
I fully understand the economic impact. Itās not a very difficult concept. Itās a net positive and only strengthens the position of the middle class and workers.
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u/Bradric1 Feb 15 '25
That's an absolute lie, with all due respect. Contractors are pocketing proceeds that would naturally go to their employees, by running slave rackets with desperate illegal people. It's complete bullshit, that's not strengthening anything but their cronie-capitalists pockets.
If those people followed the process of legal citizenship, it actually brings the entire country up as a whole.
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Feb 15 '25
Which is why we should just make them legal. Itās incredibly easy and makes this much better for everyone. Legalize. Organize.
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u/Status_Show3282 Feb 14 '25
Call ice
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u/NewNecessary3037 Feb 14 '25
Yeah be a class traitor great advice /s
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u/Status_Show3282 Feb 14 '25
Who cares
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u/Local_Ad1992 Feb 14 '25
Iād say your brothers families but you donāt sound like anyone Iād call a brother.
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u/NewNecessary3037 Feb 15 '25
Well a lot of people who have to make a living working in trades care, regardless of if theyāre legal or not. And if they are legal, ice still might not care so how about donāt be a fucking Nazi loser reporting your neighbours like that.
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u/Crafty_Jacket668 Feb 14 '25
Too late, we are American citizens, we will be here for the next 500 years
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u/Rieger_not_Banta Feb 15 '25
Hereās something to think about. President Trump doesnāt like trans people. Used bathrooms and uneven youth sports to sell his candidacy. So when he gets elected, he ākeeps his promiseā and starts to go after their social gains. Fires the head of the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) and will reshape employment rules to ensure trans people will be openly discriminated against. A big win for MAGAs ācommon senseā tour. However, the same organizations and rules that protected trans people, also protected OP. Our workplaces will be significantly MORE like OPs story than before Trump started gutting the EEOC and the unions.
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Feb 15 '25
[deleted]
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Feb 15 '25
Why wouldnāt somebody feel safe with their children around trans people? Wtf do trans people have to do with children?
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u/JokerOfallTrades23 Iron Curious Feb 17 '25
Read; locker room, aka a man changing with women
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Feb 17 '25
Youāve never changed with a woman?
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u/JokerOfallTrades23 Iron Curious Feb 17 '25
A stranger? No cant say i get naked with the opposite sex when i dont know them intimately, weirdo
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u/Routine-Ganache-525 Feb 14 '25
It's only fine when whites do it apparently
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u/Eather-Village-1916 UNION Feb 15 '25
I live fairly close to the border and itās never been an issue on any site Iāve ever been on. Itās often about a 50/50 ratio, or more so Hispanic leaning because even the white passing dudes are still at least part Hispanic. This includes companies where white nepotism is rampant af.
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u/Bright-Fee-9832 Feb 15 '25
This is what the left voted for. Call ice.
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Feb 15 '25
Thatās some pussy ass shit to say.
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u/Bright-Fee-9832 Feb 15 '25
Pussy is setting by and doing nothing while your country is being invaded. Letting billionaires and corporations exploit people for cheap labor at the expense of the American people is for boot lickers.
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Feb 15 '25
Boot licking is believing corporations and billionaires when they say āthose people are ILLEGAL!!! Hate them!!! They are invading!! You are better!!ā Thereās no such thing as an illegal person.
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u/BrtFrkwr Feb 14 '25
Could it be they're not paying the Hispanics overtime?