Local home-improvement stores on front lines of day-laborer issue - By Lornet Turnbull, The Seattle Times
Some say the homeowners and contractors who hire these workers are helping to keep wages low, creating an unrealistic expectation for what contractors should pay for such work. And labor unions say it leaves the workers open to exploitation because the cash-only payments allow employers to walk away with no further responsibilities.
'We feel that affects the economy,' said Jimmy Matta, lead organizer for King County/Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters. 'When they are hurt, the burden falls back on taxpayers. Legitimate contractors should have to pay payroll taxes and federal income taxes.'