September 13, 2006

Contractors want help keeping immigrant workers

By STEVEN K. PAULSON
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CENTENNIAL, Colo. - Contractors concerned that Colorado’s tough new immigration laws will hurt their industry asked two congressional candidates on Monday to help them find a way to keep immigrant workers, warning they could face serious labor shortages next year.

Democratic congressional candidate Ed Perlmutter told the Colorado Contractors Association that Congress failed to deal with the issue this year and it will be up to the winner of the November election in the 7th Congressional District to make sure the federal government deals with it when Congress convenes after the election.

Perlmutter said workers who learn English and pay their taxes should be allowed to keep working in the United States, but they must abide by the law. Perlmutter said he also would support a guest worker program that would allow immigrants to enter this country legally to work.

Perlmutter said a lot of people who are in this country legally would like to work for contractors, but they can’t compete with illegal immigrants. He said it’s the employers who will pay the price for hiring illegal immigrants under Colorado’s new law, which Gov. Bill Owens has called the toughest in the nation.

‘‘It cuts both ways here,’’ Perlmutter told the group, which represents contractors who work for the government.

Republican Rick O’Donnell said guest worker programs failed in France and Germany, and resulted in riots last year after immigrants refused to assimilate. O’Donnell said U.S. companies need immigrant workers and the federal government needs to expedite the process to enter the country legally, while providing enough visas for jobs that are in high demand.

He said immigrants who are in this country illegally ‘‘need to go home and come into this country legally.’’

Association president John West told both candidates that contractors are facing a crisis next year because of the new laws that punish employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. He said contractors could lose 10 percent or more of their workforce.

‘‘Because of the legislation passed in Colorado, we find ourselves competing for a shrinking group of workers,’’ he told the two candidates.

The association’s executive director, Tony Milo, said expelling illegal immigrants would be a disaster for his industry.

‘‘We can’t ship them back to Mexico, or our industry is going to crumble,’’ he said.

Milo said contractors typically support conservative candidates, but the issue of illegal immigration could change that this year.

‘‘We aren’t a partisan organization. We’ll support the candidate who we believe will help our industry,’’ he said.

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