using people, and *using* people
Jun. 21st, 2006 09:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
whitereflectionO rite...that was the other thing on my mind yesterday. Some of the people here have been talking to the stacks movers. Turns out they were bussed in from Texas, and are being paid utter crap. Like six an hour. (Say, do you know the Federal minimum wage is only $5.15? That hasn't changed much if at all since i was in *high school* WTF.) They're staying at some low-budget motel throughout the 21-day--seven day a week--job. Get the uncomfortable feeling that this is a group of migrant/undocumented type workers, people who are desperate for employment, so someone can take advantage of that and make them do heavy labor with low pay and few to no benefits? Because I certainly get that feeling. Hell, they don't even have their own first aid kit--they were coming to us for freaking band-aids ffs.
And this is *my* university, my administration, my employers who through their decision to go with the lowest bidder without selecting contractors who are, say, ethical in their treatment of their employees, helps to condone the poor treatment and taking advantage of those desperate for any sort of job. We have books in our collection about people like Cesar Chavez, who fought for migrant workers' rights...I guess the people at my university didn't actually *read* those books.
Hello. Living wages. Benefits. Good living/working conditions. Basic care for the employee. *HELLO*. If you're going to hire someone, don't just use them and abuse them because they're desperate or because they won't rock the boat to avoid law/immigration notice. It makes me feel horrid that my own employer is part of those perpetuating this.
And this is *my* university, my administration, my employers who through their decision to go with the lowest bidder without selecting contractors who are, say, ethical in their treatment of their employees, helps to condone the poor treatment and taking advantage of those desperate for any sort of job. We have books in our collection about people like Cesar Chavez, who fought for migrant workers' rights...I guess the people at my university didn't actually *read* those books.
Hello. Living wages. Benefits. Good living/working conditions. Basic care for the employee. *HELLO*. If you're going to hire someone, don't just use them and abuse them because they're desperate or because they won't rock the boat to avoid law/immigration notice. It makes me feel horrid that my own employer is part of those perpetuating this.