gang labor

     Gang labor was common years ago, especially when there were a lot of immigrants. Someone who wanted to hire laborers would contract with a "gang boss". The gang boss would agree to supply a certain number of laborers at a time agreed upon. If the laborers were recent immigrants, the gang boss could speak their language. The person who wanted laborers only needed to communicate with the gang boss or one of his foremen, who spoke English. If the laborers had questions or complaints, they addressed them to the gang boss or his foreman, who spoke their language. The gang boss was usually limited to recent immigrants--when they learned enough English, immigrants usually found steady jobs, and didn't work for the gang boss any longer.