You can't have it both ways

Lately I’ve seen, heard, and read a lot of coverage about day-laborers. Some stories have covered the opposition toward day-labor work sites built with tax-payer dollars while others have interviewed day-laborers.

In a nutshell for those unfamiliar with the term day-laborer, a day-laborer is typically someone who finds a central location to be picked up for work that is usually only on a daily basis and revolves around construction, fruit picking or yard work; sometimes you’re lucky to get work for the day, sometimes you’re not. Most day-laborers are illegal immigrants who are in the U.S. to find work to help support their families in a different country or earn a better living for themselves because the wages offered in their country are too low.

The article here revolves around tax-payer dollars being used to build a day-laborer center, a place where day-laborers can stay out of the streets while seeking work. Many people are upset by this because of the illegal immigration aspect but I can’t help but share a question I have:

Is there anything different about outsourcing production to cheaper places like China and Taiwan versus hiring illegal immigrants to provide cheap labor here in the U.S.?

Not really. Bottom line is large companies and small local companies are all trying to make a profit while cutting costs in other areas. So basically, you can’t have it both ways. You either pay a regular workforce normal wages and lose some profit or you hire someone willing to be paid less for a day or until the job is finished.

I admire the strength of day-laborers for enduring the unknown day-to-day job status to better themselves. I also admire those who help them and hope that others can take a look at more pressing issues surrounding labor rather than the laborer themselves. As long as someone is willing to hire them, day-laborers are willing to do the work.