Hard to find good workers in S.F.

Michael Gardner, President and CEO of Siegels (left) talks with customer Craig Settles of Los Angeles, at Siegel's in San Francisco, Calif. on Wednesday, June 17, 2009. Michael Gardner, President and CEO of Siegels (left) talks with customer Craig Settles of Los Angeles, at Siegel's in San Francisco, Calif. on Wednesday, June 17, 2009. Photo: Lea Suzuki, The Chronicle Photo: Lea Suzuki, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Hard to find good workers in S.F. 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

If this is the worst economic downturn in 60 years, why can't Michael Gardner find anyone to hire?

Gardner, who has run Siegel's Clothing Superstore on Mission for 34 years, says he gets job applications, but they come with conditions. Some applicants only want to be paid under the table. Some say they don't have the time to come in for an interview. And some tell Gardner they have "things to do."

"I go out on Friday nights," one told him. "So I can't come in before 2 p.m. on Saturday."

Those in retail say that attitude can be typical of job seekers in sales. Many are looking at the job as a brief stop in their career and aren't invested in the business.

But that's not what fries Gardner. What gets him is that he's found an eager, enthusiastic group that would love to have a job. But he can't hire them because they are undocumented immigrants.

"Some people I would really, really like to hire," Gardner said. "They come in here with great personalities; they're on time, ready to go. They say, 'If you need me to work until 8 on a Friday night, I'll do it.'"

If you'd like to see an example of the cockeyed laws on the employment of immigrant workers, I'd suggest you stop by Gardner's store. In April, Citizen and Immigration Services implemented a stricter Employment Eligibility Verification form for employers. Businesses that hire undocumented workers face fines that could reach $2,000 per worker for a first offense and could climb as high as $11,000. Mission District employment attorney Shirley Wang says the law is working against the economic reality.

"With the federal laws cracking down on employers, you've created an impediment to what is otherwise a group of hard-working people who could really contribute," Wang said. "It could be a win-win."

Supervisor David Campos not only represents Gardner's district, he came to the United States as an undocumented immigrant who spoke only Spanish.

Immigration law reform

"This just points to the need for real immigration law reform," Campos said. "The longer the federal government waits, the more it exacerbates the burden on small businesses."

There is some hope. Last month Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduced the AgJOBS bill, which would identify and grant employment rights to undocumented workers in the agriculture industry. With bipartisan support, the bill may be a strong first step. However, it has run into snags before.

For someone like Gardner, however, help is a long way away. He freely admits that his business model - long-term employees who settle in and become fixtures at the store for years and years - is old-fashioned.

Custom-made zoot suits

But the funny thing is Gardner's business is thriving by using the Internet. A few years ago, when business began to slump, Gardner's tailor suggested that they create custom zoot suits. The baggy, flamboyant outfits found a niche market.

"Nobody else was doing it," Gardner said, "and we became famous."

He's filled orders for swing bands, theater companies putting on shows set in the '30s and '40s, and specialty acts. In the last few years, Siegel's has sold to TV's "Dancing With the Stars," a London theater group, and pop star David Bowie, who is one of several celebrities who has stopped in for stage costumes.

It isn't as if job seekers would be joining a mom-and-pop operation with a dusty inventory.

Gardner admits no one will get rich at the job - estimating income at $25,000 to $30,000 a year - but he pays half of a very good medical plan, there are paid vacations, and a chance to move up. To someone looking to earn a little cash before deciding whether to give graduate school a try, that might not sound very appealing.

'Loyalty and commitment'

"But for someone coming into the country," said Campos, who says he once rented a tuxedo at Siegel's, "to find a job where the owner treats you well and there's medical, it creates a sense of loyalty and commitment."

Chances are you won't see that at other stores in the neighborhood. Johanna Bialkin, who owns the Aldea Home store near Siegel's, says employees usually stay eight months to a year.

'Hard to expect more'

"In this day and age, I think it is kind of hard to expect more of people," she said.

Gardner does. He also wants people who don't balk at cleaning and dusting, folding shirts and packing cartons. And he's finding that the response from job seekers who don't want a job like that.

But the undocumented immigrants do. Wang says that's the answer to those who complain that undocumented immigrants are taking jobs from citizens.

"In San Francisco we are approaching 10 percent unemployment" (it has gone between 8.8 and 9.0 in the last few months), she said. "And he's not getting enough applicants. Doesn't that defeat the argument?"