Rebuilding after Katrina: a population-based study of labor and human rights in New Orleans

Author(s)
Fletcher, L., Pham, P., Stover, E. and Vinck, P.
Pages
55 pp
Date published
01 Jun 2006
Type
Research, reports and studies
Keywords
Hurricanes, Protection, human rights & security, Response and recovery
Countries
United States of America
Organisations
Human Rights Centre Clinic

The International Human Rights Law Clinic and the Human Rights Center at the University of California, Berkeley collaborated with the Payson Center for International Development and Technology Transfer at Tulane University to conduct a study of the situation of construction workers in New Orleans. The study took place in March 2006 and examined both documented and undocumented workers. Documented workers include U.S. citizens, permanent residents, work visa holders, and those workers with temporary immigration status, while undocumented workers are immigrants who are considered to be living in the United States illegally, although some may be eligible for legal status but have not obtained it.

The specific objectives of the study were:

  1. To collect demographic information about laborers employed in the construction and related industries in New Orleans and its environs;
  2. To assess the needs and experiences of workers in the construction industry including job security, safety, fair pay, discrimination, and access to adequate housing and health care; and
  3. To study the overall impact of the changing workforce demographics in the Gulf Coast region.