Working Wonders

It's early morning in the South Bronx, and representatives from construction, manufacturing, meat-packing, cleaning and moving companies are cruising the streets, plucking would-be employees, many of them undocumented immigrants, from the sidewalks. They are gathered there, hoping for at least one day's work to put money in their pockets.

This common scenario is dangerous for both parties: Businesses can be fined or shut down; the workers may not be paid the promised amount, or they may be cheated altogether. Yet companies nationwide resort to these easy-to-hire workers in order to fill their need for day laborers and temporary or seasonal workers.