Granted, they didn't leave us fully stocked with food, but we had all the basics. Actually, I think we could make due very easily for a few weeks, but when the chips shelf is empty and the cookie cabinet has one stale Oreo left, we tend to get a bit dramatic. Usually I take things like this in stride, but this time I found myself sucked in to the negativism like a bystander participating in a street riot. It's the mob mentality.
I felt a bit guilty today as I read an article my wife sent me. It's about a Captain of a fishing vessel telling his story of his crew. The ship he is on is owned by an American company. It is an American flag ship. The Captain is American, but the crew is not. He spoke 2 new deckhands his company sent to to work on the ship. They're from Indonesia.
You see, the beauty, in their eyes, of American owned ships working in foreign waters is that they can hire people who will work for next to nothing. As the Captain went over the paperwork these 2 gentlemen had with them, he was horrified to learn that they would be getting paid $7200 and free food......for 2 years work! The Captain did the math and figured they were getting paid 0.70 an hour. That's SEVENTY CENTS an hour. They work 15 hours a day on his ship.
Aren't we disgusted when we hear of the sweatshops over seas paying workers similar wages for long hours? This is an American ship, owned by a American company, doing the same thing.
If it wasn't for the Jones Act, which assures that American flagged ships, operating in United States waters will hire it's own citizens, I'd probably be working for seventy cents an hour. I would also be tickled pink with all the food that the last crew left on this boat.
5 comments:
How can we get our government to respond to abuses of foreign workers?
Seriously... what can be done about this....
So many people complain about the immigrants coming here to "take advantage" of our country. Yes, there is some of that, but there is also a basic desire to work for the sake of their families.
Perception is in the eye of the beholder or something like that. They probably think they are making a ton of money and food in the belly, hooray! Or maybe not. I remember when I worked for Nike and they would get accused to not paying the workers enough in Asia, yet the ones that worked for them often had meals and more income than those that didn't work for them. I do think they should be paid, fed, and treated the best ever for they do an amazing service. I think I am rattling here, but worth thinking about.
I can't imagine working for such peanuts...how can one even live in America on those wages. I think I'd sneak my own stash of cookies in every time! Have a great week!
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