Yael Rodriguez on labor broker experience at Hudson Companies projects

Thank you for sharing your story.

Good afternoon, my name is Yael Rodriguez.

I worked for the labor-broken Marin for about a year and a half on affordable housing developed by Hudson Companies.

During that time, I find myself trapped in a system that made it extremely difficult to move forward.

The work was inconsistent and I was making around 21 an hour.

But there were times where my wages would change or my paychecks would just be delayed.

Not knowing if I was going to get paid or what the pay was going to be was very stressful, especially when there were bills and responsibilities that had to be done.

But one of the hardest parts was feeling like I couldn't speak up.

I was afraid that if I complained too much about my safety, my pay, or the way I was being treated, I would lose my job or be taken off the schedule.

And that's how work has become trapped, honestly.

You need the paycheck, so you have to keep working, you have to show up, but you're also afraid to speak up because you might lose your work.

But at the same time, if the job doesn't give you stability, protection, or opportunities to build a better future,

It shouldn't be a reality for any working construction site in New York.

When we're talking about affordable housing being built with public dollars, as the city prepares to build more housing, we have to make sure that the building is building better opportunities for the workers who are actually building it.

Workers deserve safe jobs, fair wages, stability, and a real pathway to a better future.

We should not have to have a system that keeps workers dependent on labor brokers and afraid to speak up.

We deserve better, and the people building the city future deserve a real opportunity to be a part of that future.

Thank you.