Former employee: Immigrant nonprofit mistreated day laborers

STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) — A former employee of a nonprofit dedicated to assisting immigrants is alleging he was fired unfairly after he reported his supervisor for exploiting day laborers.

Laborers who came to Building One Community would sometimes paint walls, shovel snow or do other maintenance work at its offices in Stamford while they waited for paid jobs, according to Carlos Alberto Amaya, who helped to maintain the center's facilities before his dismissal. They were occasionally compensated with gift cards but often, he said, they worked for free.

When Amaya reported what he believed to be mistreatment, he said his claims were dismissed and he was framed for an infraction he did not commit before being fired in March.