The Chinese Staff and Workers Association and other organizations protested against contractor Jian Zhong Lin for hiring non-union workers and illegal immigration workers to work without proper safety protection and insurance at a hotel building project.
Hundreds of workers from different ethnic communities, including many Chinese laborers, gathered to protest at the construction site for the planned Sheraton Hotel in Downtown Brooklyn on June 8. The workers represented various trades including masonry, plumbing, carpentry, and others.
Many Chinese workers joined the protest under the leadership of the Chinese Staff and Workers Association. They held up signs in English and Chinese signs and shouted slogans to express their discontent.
A Chinese worker, who wished to remain anonymous, said that this hotel project is an investment of a Chinese businessman who decided to turn his attention from the garment industry to the hotel business.
The workers said Jian Zhong Lin should understand the workers better, especially the new immigrants who face many difficulties adjusting to American society.
As well, employees pointed out that Jian Zhong Lin shouldn’t hire undocumented workers, especially during a period when the construction industry is slowing down, causing many workers who have legal status to lose employment opportunities. His actions affected not only reduced the legal workers’ employment, they have also made people question the overall quality of the international hotel.
Furthermore, the construction workers’ lives were at risk since standard safety policies were not in place and protective equipment was not provided.
Lawyer John Merlino pointed out that the Sheraton construction project doesn’t employ union workers. According to Merlino’s understanding, many of the current workers are undocumented Latino and Asian immigrants who labor without benefits. Merlino suspects that this project does not conform to proper regulations, a charge denied by Jian Zhong Lin.
Assemblyman William Coltan (D-47 AD), who also joined the protest, pointed out that, at this time, there is no legislation that requires construction projects to hire union workers. According to Coltan, with a project as big as Lin’s Sheraton Hotel construction, which involves so many undocumented workers, it is unlikely that every regulation is followed according the law. This really makes people worry about the safety of the employees.
The hotel’s development company, Flint Lock, refused to comment for this article. However, Lin explained that, the developer indicated that local construction workers from Brooklyn would be hired for the project. He also said that Flint Lock took the necessary safety precautions to ensure that the workers’ safety was not at risk. He insisted that the union’s criticism is unreasonable.
