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Trivedi makes a play on immigration

Democrat Manan Trivedi waded into the simmering immigration debate Wednesday, calling for stepped up investigations into companies that hire illegal workers and singling out a suburban Philadelphia industrial contractor that has been accused of the practice.

The statement from his campaign, coming as emotions on the immigration issue are running high, appeared to be Trivedi’s first play for moderate and even conservative voters since he won the 6th District primary in May. In doing so, he inserted himself into what seems to be an acrimonious conflict between the company in question and local unionized construction workers.

Saying he was responding to “recent discussions with members of the Building Trades community,” Trivedi floated allegations that the Malvern-based company Forcine Concrete & Construction is using undocumented workers at a project site in Abington. Those allegations were first floated officially by Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz (D-13), who has asked immigration authorities to investigate. The Abington project is in Schwartz’s district, while the company itself is based in the 6th District represented by incumbent Republican Jim Gerlach.

“If the allegations about this company are true, then a great disservice has been done to our community,” Trivedi said. “Companies that employ undocumented workers and guide them on how to operate outside the law are only encouraging more immigrants to pursue jobs in our country illegally. And with so many in our community already looking for job opportunities just like these, it is outrageous that any company would skirt the law by hiring undocumented workers.

“In any instance where there are questions regarding a company’s hiring practices,” he added, “it’s imperative that the company be investigated thoroughly by the proper authorities.”

In an interview, Forcine spokesman Greg Matusky adamantly denied the allegations.

“Forcine doesn’t hire illegal workers, under any circumstances,” he said. “Every one of these workers is legal to work in this country.”

The source of the conflict is Forcine’s project at Rydal Park in Abington, where the company and a subcontractor are not relying on unionized workers. But the only evidence available Wednesday was a YouTube video of workers at the project being questioned about their immigration status. The video, which had been viewed more than 23,000 times as of Wednesday and is embedded at bottom, seems to lack significant context, its origin is unclear and it cannot be independently assessed without further information.

Matusky said the video was misleading, and claimed it was produced by disaffected union members.

“All of the workers that are pictured in that video have been verified and reverified that they are legal and have the proper documentation to work in the United States,” Matusky said. “These are legal workers who are portrayed in this video, harassed by union workers.”

Forcine, he added, “goes to great lengths to verify the legal status of their workers.” He said the company had already filed a unfair labor practices complaint against the local carpenters’ union, The Metropolitan Regional Council of Philadelphia & Vicinity.

An official at the union could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday. Schwartz’s office confirmed that the congresswoman called for an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which also could not be immediately reached.

Later in the day, the Trivedi campaign clarified that it was not making allegations itself, but merely emphasizing that all allegations of improper hiring practices should be investigated by the appropriate authorities.

“A safe work environment is essential for all American workplaces,” Trivedi said in his statement. “As a doctor, I cannot tolerate companies jeopardizing their workers’ safety because they’re trying to hide their own illegal activity.”

Forcine took particular exception with the Trivedi campaign’s assertion that Forcine provides “exactly the type of jobs that should be going to one of the many skilled and trained American workers currently unemployed.” Matusky noted that discriminating against legal workers because of their citizenship violates labor laws. Matusky said that Trivedi, himself the son of Indian immigrants, is “espousing a policy which is in direct violation of federal labor law.”

Gerlach’s campaign, for its part, shrugged off Trivedi’s comments. The race is currently No. 4 on the pa2010.com Congressional Power Rankings.

“Trivedi has stated publicly he favors amnesty for 15-17 illegal immigrants,” Gerlach spokesman Mark Campbell said in a statement. “He supports the far-left fringe position on the amnesty issue. … Jim Gerlach has voted in favor of holding businesses accountable who knowingly hire illegals. … Trivedi favors amnesty, which would make all these workers legal, so what’s his point? Simply put, none. Trivedi’s just a hypocrite.”

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July 28, 2010 at 4:42 pm

--Dan Hirschhorn

Tags: Jim Gerlach, Manan Trivedi, PA-6

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