In the aftermath of wildfires in California, immigrant workers play a significant role in debris cleanup and reconstruction efforts. These laborers often face challenging conditions, including inadequate safety measures and insufficient training, as highlighted by experiences shared by clients and contractors. Many workers, like Anabel Garcia, found employment quickly through social media ads, only to discover poor working conditions and low pay. This scenario reflects a broader issue of labor exploitation in disaster recovery situations, revealing risks associated with the urgent need for cleanup and restoration work.
"Those contractors were picking up groups of workers, meeting them on a corner, driving them in a van to these workplaces where they were sent into these buildings without the proper training, without the proper personal protective equipment."
"It’s a bit of a wild west situation at times. Just because of how massive the work is and how varied the worksites and how spread out they are."
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