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We have to import migrant workers to pick N.S. crops??? Why not put some of those lazy pricks on street corners to work there? Or some frigging prisoners? Why Mexican workers??
—Can’t Believe Locals Are Refusing Honest Work
This article appears in Apr 30 – May 6, 2009.
19 Comments
not everyone will work for their money. did you advertise all over for workers? please not mexico right now. everyone is scared shitless as it is.
I’ll work doing that kind of shit, no probs.
why Mexican workers? for the same reason California uses them. The work cheap and don’t complain.
If they could find a spoiled overweight Nova Scotian to pick crops for 2.13/hour ( i don’t know the acutal wage, but i am sure its next to nothing ) they would have hired them by now.
Be happy they do this, If they hired locals to do this they would probably unionize, get paid $14/hour and that next strawberry you ate would probably cost $12/pint.
I always laugh out loud when people ever get on the mirgrant workers for ” taking our jobs”. The reality is they take the jobs no one is willing to do, for a wage that no one would be willing to work for and “we” get to reap the benifits of cheap labour.
If they had shuttles from downtown to the valley every day to get me out there to pick crops, and wanted to pay a decent wage, i’d do it. But I’m not going to get a car so that I can drive to the valley every day for a job, which would barely pay for the car I had to buy.
My girlfriend’s here working on a work visa, so I really don’t have a problem with companies hiring people from out of the country. Obviously hiring locals for low-paying jobs hasn’t worked in the past, because I doubt this is a simple process to sponser work visas.
I’d rather have a mexican pick my crops than a lazy arsehole. Actually, I take that back. Not until this pig flu is under control.
PAS: Ditto, I would have gladly gone up last year when the farmers were asking for help. Just couldn’t get there.
I grew up in the Valley, and I spent much of my youth working on farms for extra cash. A lot of people I know have, and some still do.
Migrant workers make as much as any field worker does, which is not a lot, but above minimum wage and in accordance with Canadian labour laws. One of the main benefits of hiring Mexican and Jamaican labour, aside from the fact that they work hard, is that they can handle the worst heat our summers have to offer far better than we Canadians can. On 30 degree days, while most of us are barely able to move due to the heat, I’ve seen some of those guys out in the field in sweaters.
Also meOw, if you bring someone into Canada on contract, and sponser their visa, they can’t quit or else they’d be deported. Local workers who work minumum wage (or cose to it) type jobs have a tendancy to not care about their jobs because they can just get another one somewhere else or go on EI/Welfare.
Actually PAS, I worked for a farm in the valley once that did just that (picking up people from Hali). They stopped doing it because no one was willing to go. Now they import Jamaicans.
I was told by a few different farmers that one of the reasons they import labour is because all of the Nova Scotians who are willing to put in a hard day’s work have all left for Alberta where they can make more money for the same effort. So, it’s not that Nova Scotians are lazy, it’s just that all the motivated individuals are smart enough to go where the money is.
It also sickens me that too many people are too lazy (and I really don’t have a better word for it) to go out and earn a living. It’s embarrassing.
Now now we can’t go violate the lazy asses human rights. Imagine forcing someone to earn their keep. You evil evil people.
Shut the fuck up “Can’t Believe Locals Are Refusing Honest Work.” Your bitch has no merit. You don’t state whether or not decent wages, benefits, or accommodations were offered to the locals, so all of us, knowing how a capitalistic society functions have to assume they were not offered these things. I am so tired of these snobbish motherfuckers shitting all over the working poor in this province. How dare they refuse to engage in back breaking work for hours on end for little pay and less respect? How dare them I say! I love the fucking indignation when discussing the migrant workers, as if the farmer or corporation or whatever was forced to bring in the Mexicans. I am willing to bet they chose to because they can pay them less than a Canadian worker, you fuck. All the lazy fuckers on the street corners eh? What, do we have a city full of Rosasharns and Tom Joads that should just be salivating over those han’ bills? Here is an idea, what don’t you march your self-righteous, lazy-minded ass down to ANY government office and get all of those pale, fat-assed too comfortable in their jobs public servants out there to pick those crops. Would that satisfy you? You know, so the real useless pieces of shit actually had to earn their wages.
hell, I need work, email me at ninjasalad@hotmail.com. I’m native, so it’s almost like a Mexican haha
Let’s not forget the extra cost of flying (boating?) the foreign workers in and out! If me0w is right and they are paid just above minimum wage, then Nova Scotians are refusing work that would pay a fair bit MORE than minimum wage…factoring in the travel costs.
If you can afford to pay a foreign worker X for a season, then you can afford to pay a local worker X + the alternative foreign worker’s travel costs for a season.
I’m not sure how long the field work season is, but if it’s 3 calendar months, then it’s roughly 500 work hours, and 1000 $ in airfare for a foreign worker would translate to an extra 2 $/h for a local worker.
As far as a Haligonian commuting costing too much, well maybe the better solution would be just staying in the valley for a few months. Surely someone would be willing to. …and you wouldn’t have to stay wherever the foreign workers do now (in case you’re worried they are not good accommodations). You could rent/sublet your place in Halifax and pay your own way (cheaper rent anyway!) to stay in the valley.
Nai Blanc, what are you going on about? The farmers I know WANT to hire local workers. They paid for the bus they couldn’t fill to go to and from Halifax each day. No, labour jobs probably don’t provide much in the way of benefits, but you will pay into the EI and CPP that you may one day take advantage of. And what is the talk of no respect?!? If you want respect, get out there and work. If you want to get no respect, turn your nose up at a decent job like many do.
If this was 100 years ago, you either worked or starved, simple as that. Our ancestors would be appalled by the current laziness that prevails. It’s much easier to sit on your arse and collect welfare than do a productive day at work.
I know you hate religion TTFN….but AMEN!!
Nai Blanc should change their name to Blazing Orange. Maybe he or she is pissed beccause they couldn’t get a government job. LOL. Yup why work when you can go on welfare and bug/beg the shit out of people on SGR and the intersections.
get the bums with their signs and coffee cups off of the street corners and put them in the fields