The new slave trade

[Ariannda Kusanagi]

So I've been sitting on this one for awhile and since I feel the need to rant about it I'll post it here... as at least someone will pay attention, even when they point out the flaws in my logic and make me feel inadequate.

So I live on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and one of the largest employers in the are happens to be Perdue (yes the chicken people). Their corporate office is located in Salisbury, with at least 3 chicken plats located within a 45 min radius, and several granaries, the laboratory and various other stuff. there are also granaries and live haul chicken hatcheries along the east cost, but most of the actual production is done in Maryland and Delaware.

I worked at Perdue for several months, as a security guard. Luckily I never had to work at the chicken plant itself (it's kinda gross what actually happens to the chickens to go from living to dinner ready but it's as sanitary as can be I suppose, given the circumstances) I worked at the corporate office, I was making 7.00 per hour.The security guards at the plant itself made 6.25 per hour. Now obviously it's not like much security was needed really, and security was only used to keep tabs on things like the freezer temps at the lab (headquarters) and to make sure there was nothing blocking aisles and such at the plant, but still 6.25 - 7.00 per hour ? Now we weren't employed by Perdue, we were contracted through a security agency, however I can't imagine the agency was making more then say 10 or 11 per hour off the contract (and if they were then that'll start another rant...).

Now to work at the chicken plant means long hours, but they're so desperate for employees they're always hiring, and their rehire policy is 3 strikes you're done. they'll rehire you, even if you just stopped showing up for work, up to THREE time. And what do they pay the workers at the plant ? 11.00 an hour to start, with a new hire receiving a raise to 12 an hour after 90 days. 12 dollars per hour isn't too bad for most people. I mean it's not enough to live on, but it's a hell of a lot better then 7 an hour and it's still almost 3 an hour more then I was making working NIGHTS as a CNA with 3 years of prior experience !

yes eventually I'm making a point. I'm currently in much contact with an HR temp working at Perdue, they're an HR Generalist and they're doing as many as 40 hires per day. The requirement was for a bilingual recruiter, and why is this ? because 97% of the workforce is Guatemalan. As this person is doing hires they're responsible for the entire process with a candidate from application, to interview, to setting up the physical to the hire and termination. The people that are getting rejected for hire all have any kind of qualification and those that are getting hires have zero qualifications. Perdue in Georgetown, De employs it's own security. An ex cop with 25 years experience on the job was denied a security guard position, maybe because the company thought they couldn't pay him his previous salary but maybe he just wanted some part time work as he's now obviously retired, just something to do now that he IS retired. They never called the guy, he was simply put in the rejection pile. Now the person I know only hires for inside the plant, so they're not sure why the guy was rejected. Also a nurse was rejected for a position at the Wellness Center (Perdue is essentially it's own self sustaining town, they have their on insurance, their own doctors, you schedule a Dr's appointment at the wellness center, they have their own bank and cafeteria as well). No saying why the nurse wasn't given any consideration, maybe they checked the Board of nursing and saw she'd been fired for malpractice or drug stealing or something, but again thats not my point.

This temp is obviously contracted and they're making 10 an hour... the women who's on maternity leave makes 56k a year, and the HR temp is doing the exact same job for 10 an hour ? thats what they're paying the people in the factory to work, not even, they're making MORE then that. So this is my rant... with all the outsourcing to India and China and the loss of American jobs, it's not really all that much better on this side of the coast. I could use the job, I'd hate it and it's be something I did just for the money, but given the amount of money I'd be willing to stick it out, being as nothing else I've applied for lately has worked out... oh wait I did apply at Perdue, and I was never given a phone call in consideration for a position, even though I called them twice after submitting my resume, and application.

What I don't understand is when it became ok to have slaves again. Now don't give me that "but they're being paid, so it' isn't the same thing" because yes, it is the same thing. They're doing gross, disgusting jobs, but the company isn't hiring many non minorities (they can get away with this by having other races in other positions, most of the office staff is black, and security is mostly white)and it's exactly the same thing as slavery. Only it's acceptable now as they're being paid, and highly ? the problem for Perdue is they have one of the highest turnovers around, as I said hiring 40 people a day every day is a huge amount of turnover, even though a fair amount of the applicants are re-hires. The have certain requirements for various jobs, only big huge strong guys can break the legs off the chickens, they want women to do the filleting because they have smaller hands and do a better job. It still sounds like slavery to me, minus the wood chopping and cooking... If the jobs were so great then obviously people would stay int he same job, and given the situation I'm surprised more people aren't staying on longer, however they're implementing new programs with hopes of keeping people around longer then a few days to a few weeks.

Anyway (i'm having to take breaks while typing this, theres a bunch of other little kids around here today, so thats my excuse for the poor train of thought and lack of coherency ) is it a matter of "slavery" being fine as long as you're paying people SOMETHING ?It wasn't very long ago when these people were making barely minimum wage, and some of the other employees aren't doing much better... but it's not just this corporation. McDonald's workers make jack shit, but management isn't too bad in and of itself.. pay wise. I mean for the most part these people are handling our FOOD, the stuff we give to our children , I'd think we'd want to make sure everything was done to top standards, instead of minimum wage in fairly shitty working conditions. When a slave was sold they continued to do their job, the only thing different was the location, same can be said for these types of workers. Maybe you're at a McDonald's or at Allen Foods or somewhere else, but the same job can be done no matter where you go... so whats the difference ? the same with janitors, people who are supposed to be keeping the place where elementary school kids eat clean, making minimum wage, not giving a shit about their jobs, and only doing it because they need SOMETHING to survive on !

I realize this is more a tangent then a rant, but it was bothering me. I'm sure my logic will be shot down immediately with something along the lines of "it's not slavery, they're making money, you're way off base, go back to General" but this is still the way I see it.

[Embar Angylwrath]

Since you want a job there, why do you call it slavery? Slavery doesn't involve choice.

[Ariannda Kusanagi]

I applied for a job there, however I've also applied for any job thats become available. All jobs are getting over 160 resumes, so I feel fortunate for the job interviews I've actually gotten. And most of the jobs I've applied for have been clerical in nature, or advertising.

I can't see how a lot of those people HAVE any other choice. Georgetown is now referred to as "Little Guatemala" and for good reason, they CANT get a better job (although like I have said the pay is a really good amount... now). They're here to make money to send home, to help bring their families to America, so THEY can work great jobs as well.

Really I don't want to work anywhere NEAR Perdue, like I said the process by which a chicken becomes table ready is really beyond disgusting

[Garrdor]

I have seen the dark side of the american working-machine.

You worked as a CNA for 3+ years? Have you looked into any programs for possibly being sponsored into school to become a RN?

I don't know if that's sometime you'd want to do -- I do think however that working as a CNA is only worth it if you're using it for training/sponsorship to work up the ladder. It's super lousy pay. I do far less disgusting stuff than they do, and I make like 4 or 5 bucks more an hour than the guy whos been wiping asses for 20 years.

[Ariannda Kusanagi]

they took my EMT and firefighting into account when they based my pay on a 3 year scale. I actually only worked as a CNA for 9 months, when my license came up for renewal. I drove to Baltimore (the Md board of nursing is in a shopping center in the middle of Baltimore.. ew) and got the application for renewal and all that jazz, got it signed by my employer and then sent it in. It was due by the end of May, they sent it back in October saying i hadn't filled out a circle, and my license was expired and i'd have to take another class if i wanted to get another license. I went back up there and petitioned, but they said "rules are rules". Ok

A friend of mine works at the Prison and she's making35 an hour which is more then the hospital pays. The problem is that she was contracted through the hospital ( they paid for her nursing degree) and the Prison bought out her contract, she owed like 5 years to the hospital, and she had to work for them the entire time she was in school too.

I don't want to be a nurse, I didn't want to be a CNA but it was an accelerated class, 22 hours a week for a month then rotations for a week, congrats you get to wipe ass. I didn't mind the job to be honest, but i worked in Rehab, all my patients got to go home ! I as a new hire with 3 years exp was making 9.25, and thats WITH my night differential. The women who'd been working there 10 years were making 10 an hour.

The reason I have yet to go to college is because I have yet to figure out what I want to do. Nursing is an open possibility, but the program at the community college requires at least a years worth of pre req's with a 4.0 to even be considered for the nursing program... but thats a different rant, how nurses are in such high demand and short supply, but being able to get into a nursing program (i could afford, or get more help for) is next to impossible it seems.

I just feel like it's claimed America was built onthe backs of slaves, and currently america is being run by minimum wage immigrants who will do the same thing as an outsourced job... the same thing for a lot less. So really whats the difference ? i have yet to see any immigrants removing my trash, but they're working Mcdonalds and fixing my chicken. I don't see a single person working in Mcdonalds who's in high school, that used to be the thing to do, get a fast food job part time so you could earn some spending money. It's kind of like summertime around here near the beach, tey hire all the college and high school kids for waitresses, and life guards and to work at all the restaurants but people who can't live down there and have to drive can't get a job thats worth having when you take all the other costs into account (as opposed to packing 6 college students in a tiny house to split the rent). When i did security i could have worked in OC for 2 bucks more an hour, but that wouldn't have covered my extra gas cost. it's not just me, I've been having the same conversation with friends that seem to be stuck in the same situation I am, like my temp friend who's working for 10 an hour, because it was the only job available (even though they have a Masters degree, in human Services).

there's always someone who can do the job for cheaper, so why pay someone when you can pay less.
Like I said it's more of a tangent really...

[Kulaf]

Gee minorities and imigrants doing crap jobs.......that's just un-American.

Err.....

[Ddrak]

I'm confused as to what the actual rant is:

i) Minorities and immigrants are getting jobs that other people don't want (and are apparently getting *more* than min wage for it)?
ii) You don't like people with the wrong color skin and are just projecting?
iii) You're really not sure what's got you upset about the whole thing, but are ranting hoping that something will come out?
iv) There's effectively only one employer in town and they didn't hire you?

Just help me out here - gimmie a 1 sentence summary of your rant.

Dd

[Ariannda Kusanagi]

In one sentence, since when has it been ok to keep America running on the backs of the new age slaves ?

there's more then one employer, I did apply for a job, but I didn't really want a job where I applied, however in my position I didn't feel I could afford to NOT apply. I have no problems with immigrants, so long as they're LEGAL and I have serious doubts as to the legality of most of the immigrant workers. There is no wrong skin color, although if we want to go there then being white anymore is reason enough to not have any help. minorities have cried foul for so long and so loud that now thay have more opportunities and more help available to them that isn't available to others who aren't considered the minority, when anymore there are a lot of places where BEING white is the minority.

I'm not upset about the fact it's immigrants in particular, what I'm upset about is essentially it's the same thing as slavery, only now people are being paid, so i guess it's ok

and for the record other people DO want the jobs (no really I dont), but they're being denied for unexplained reasons.

the reason I included all the information I did was so there's a well rounded background so all the information that I know, is also known, so it doesn't look like i'm totally pulling something out of my ass.

[Embar Angylwrath]

Ari -

It sounds like you're pissed because they didn't choose you to be a slave.

[Ddrak]

Here's what I don't get then:

These workers appear to be well paid for their jobs (you stated as much yourself) at somewhere around 150% of the minimum wage. We have to assume they are here legally. We know they have the opportunity to leave when they want, though most discover that leaving a job is worse than having a relatively bad job (I would suspect that most leave the job to have a vacation, then go back when they are done with their vacation). I just don't get where the whole injustice is.

I'm trying to see where the company is exploiting these people, and I know there's plenty of cases where companies *do* exploit third world immigrants, but this just doesn't seem to be one of them.

Dd

[Ariannda Kusanagi]

Perdue is the only company I happen to have working knowledge of,so I have to specifically cite them for various practices ... lets call it the example of the majority of American Corporations. not every corporation who employes mostly immigrants exploits them, not every company treats thrm fairly st sll, the rant is not as much about Perdue in specifics as major corporations in general. Again I gave background information so the rant had a well rounded balance.

Perdue is not an EOE, and lets face it no company ever has to tell you why they're not hiring you, however Perdue has a whole stack of rejections, and the people that are in that stack currently, today as we speak, are people with qualifications, people with medical conditions/problems that CAN be accommodated , i mean obviously someone in a wheelchair probably shouldn't be catching the chickens, (i suppose thats one way to avoid the EOE lawsuits) and people who are not minorities. The plant consists of mostly immigrants, mostly of the South American variety, while management is mostly black and executives are mostly white. Anyone who cays a class system doesn't exist today in America is not correct. It's not the class system of our fathers, but there is indeed a class system.

The boyfriend and I actually talked about this for an hour last night when we were supposed to be sleeping, and I told him I'd posted this and that I knew what would happen. I'm not trying to start a debate but of course it happens around here, rather I'm stating an opinions and I'm interested to see how others feel about the same situation. This has nothing to do with some burning desire I have to work for Perdue and I'm angry I'm not an immigrant so they won't hire me, it has nothing to do with immigrants at ALL except to state that for the most part tey're being treated no better then slaves.

After World War 2 and Vietnam men came home from war, they secured themselves a job and they worked, hard. they bought houses and raised families, if they couldn't afford something they waited until they could, or they made a payment arrangement, not credit, no interest, you pay me then much for this many months and then X item is yours. Now for a lot of those people they're now staring down the barrel of retirement, and as we know about the current SS situation sometimes the situation is looking bleak. I have a particular case in mind of a man who took a job after he got home from the war, and for 15 years he worked with machines, he did steamfitting, and assembed printing presses, then his company moved overseas and he was left without a job, without a pension and without a retirement. Currently he's working as a janatorial supervisor at a local school. he knows he should be getting paid more and he knows he deserves a better job, but in HIS case this was the only job he could get, and he's been there for 3 years. His wife has developed medical problems, and as he currently has insurance he can't very well pick up and go to a new job, wait the time period for the new insurance to kick in AND they wont cover as much with his wife because she now has a pre-existing medical condition. He has no choice but to work his 15 an hour job in order to keep his family fed... and that house on the hill they were buildig ? It stand less then half finished while they live in a broken down 2 bedroom traled in a trailer park where the police have been coming around to inform people that homeless people have been living under trailers. Is he has no choice then how is it NOT slavery ?

When you all think of slavery as no choice your visions fill with African Americans chained together in giant ships being ripped from their families and brought to America, and being bought and sold, but slavery today isn't about forcing someone to do something through your will, it's also having someone be forced to do something because they have no other choice for whatever reason. And I believe that according to Embar... that IS the definition of slavery.

As a side note I applied for a Perdue job 3 years ago when I first moved back to the area, this isn't a recent thing that has angered me and sparked some feelings of resentment. I did in fact end up working for Perdue, and as I said I'm in close contact with an HR generalist there, and we had a discussion recently, which led me to making a post here.

[Trollbait]

In one sentence, since when has it been ok to keep America running on the backs of the new age slaves ?

In one sentence, since Americas founding and before.

[Ariannda Kusanagi]

In one sentence, since when has it been ok to keep America running on the backs of the new age slaves ?

In one sentence, since Americas founding and before.

In one more sentence... this is supposed to be modern day America where such things do not occur,hence my post dear Jecks

[Partha]

Unrestrained capitalism at work. I bet more than a few of those places have a lot of jobs that become 'hired-in' at 90 days with a lot of questionable turnover at 80-85 days work, too.

Your best bet? Get the hell out of that factory town. The Midwest is screaming for folks with nursing training.

[Kulaf]

Unrestrained capitalism at work. I bet more than a few of those places have a lot of jobs that become 'hired-in' at 90 days with a lot of questionable turnover at 80-85 days work, too.

Your best bet? Get the hell out of that factory town. The Midwest is screaming for folks with nursing training.

Everywhere is screaming for CNA's........unfortunatly the pay for CNA's is usually a buck or two above minimum wage. So buck up.....as you move into your golden years you can look forward to be taken care of by people making $9/hour.

[Kulaf]

Ok let's look historically since Ari seems to want to wax nastolgic about the "good old days".

Post WWII men came home and got good jobs mainly because women were not accepted in the workplace. Women entering the workplace doubled the workforce and diluted wages.

Post Vietnam people were not borrowing money for a very good reason......the prime interest rate was fluctuating anywhere between 7.25% imediatly following the war in May of 1975 to a high of 21.50% in December of 1980. Contrast that to the 5.25% we are getting right now and the "good old days" don't look so good.

Life choices are mainly to blame for most peoples financial woes. I've made a few that have bit me in the ass.....and I am sure everyone on this board can look at something they have done......or a chocie they made......and could or did have a major negative impact on their financial future.

[Embar Angylwrath]

When you all think of slavery as no choice your visions fill with African Americans chained together in giant ships being ripped from their families and brought to America, and being bought and sold, but slavery today isn't about forcing someone to do something through your will, it's also having someone be forced to do something because they have no other choice for whatever reason. And I believe that according to Embar... that IS the definition of slavery.

.

No Ari, that's not the definition of slavery. Slavery is the forced subjugation of one's will on another. The key part of that is "forced". The immigrants aren't "forced" to work therre. You aren't "forced" to work there either (or anywhere else for that matter). For example, women who are not allowed to leave the sex trade because someone has their documentation, and threats, beatings and physical restarints are used to keep them in line, are slaves. Women who work as prostitutes sre not, even though they feel they have no other choice (there's always another choice).

I really don't think you mean slavery. I think when you use that term, its just the closest conceptual abstract you have. I think what you're trying to say is you have an issue with economic stratification, especially if you see an ethnic correlation.

But that ain't slavery...

[Garrdor]

The days of "ma and pa" businesses are virtually over. They have become mere fairytales for people to romanticize over when conducting a 'back in the good ol' days' speech.

It's hilarious to me when I call charter communications (the number listed for their office here in Medford, OR) because I'm having a hard time networking the shit - and I hear the specific click and beep of an international call transfer.

[Ariannda Kusanagi]

Being forced to stay at a job for lack of (decent) alternatives is still being forced, you're just not being oppressed in the process.

The only difference between "now" and "then" is instead of whips and chains and beatings, theres just a lot of red tape you have to go through, and 9 times out of 10 even then it makes no difference.

Most of you here are living on your wage just fine, you're paying your mortgage (or rent) with no problems, paying all the bills in the same month and while maybe you'd like to make more money you're doing ok where you are... and we have our college students who may or may not be getting help from their parents, but they're in school getting an education to put them in the same position. however they still have no relevant job experience so they may or may not get a job out of college in their career field of choice anyway.

I fit into neither of those categories so does this effect my views on things differently then yours ? Most likely.

I would never akin it to the Presidential candidates who talk about the poor single mothers they've seen doing this and that an the other and they want to HELP those people, and the other like them... while they live off, didn't Hillary and Bill make 109 million in the past 10 years or something ? They have no clue what it's like, so they can't possibly help... I'm just saying that various people have various opinions and views based on the things they themselves have seen and done, and perhaps that's why my views are the way they are, while in this particular case no one seems to agree with me =)

[Embar Angylwrath]

Being forced to stay at a job for lack of (decent) alternatives is still being forced, you're just not being oppressed in the process.

Circumstances don't "force", Ari. They merely are, and the choice is to accept them or change them. If you have a choice, you aren't oppressed. Everyone has choices. And people live with the consequences of them. Using yourself as an example, you had (have) a choice to get some more education, and change your circumstances. You have a coice to leave the area to find new opportunity. You have a choice to try and start a new business. And guess what.. every person working today in the US have the same choices.

Its not oppression, they aren't victims, and you aren't owed a job.