Labor Union Protests at Eastside, Alleges Use of Undocumented Workers

According to a group of three protestors standing behind a large banner outside Eastside Medical Center, the hospital is "contributing to the erosion of area standards for carpenter craft workers."

Mulkey Enterprises was recently hired by Eastside Medicals' General Contractor J.E. Dunn as a contractor by Eastside to perform metal stud and drywall work on the building. But according to the protestors, Mulkey Enterprises does not meet area labor standards. 

Part of the flyer distributed by the group contains the following information:

"Mulkey Enterprises is a contractor that has a history of using labor brokers who we believe pays workers below area standards and has a history of not paying payroll taxes in the communities where it does business."

They claim that Eastside Medical has an obligation to the community "to see that area labor standards are met for construction work being performed at their properties."

Jimmy Gibbs, special projects director with Southeastern Carpenters Regional Council, a labor union, is a little more blunt when asked what precisely the problem is.

"Mulkey Enterprises has a history of using labor brokers," he explained. "These labor brokers are from Latin America illegally. [Mulkey] pays them off the books, and they don't pay into social security, Medicare, or taxes."

Neither Mulkey Enterprises nor Eastside Medical returned a request for comment from Snellville Patch. Snellville Patch was not able to confirm that Mulkey Enterprises uses undocumented workers as their contractors. 

According to Gibbs, there are drywall companies that pay taxes, healthcare and workers compensation on their employees, but they are at an economic disadvantage when companies who hire cheap labor are in the competition pool.  

"Eastside Medical should ask that work be done by workers who are classified as employees, not contractors," Gibbs added."We'd like to see Eastside Medical use carpenters who maintain the expected area standards."