Thread: Bay firms depend on foreign workers

http://washingtontimes.com/business/200 ... -9967r.htm

look to the left and click for bigger picture of Maricela Lopez Hernandez, left, Enriqueta Pena Barrera, center, and Alba Hernandez Mata, right, all guest workers from Mexico, pick crabs at the J.M. Clayton Company in Cambridge, Md., last Monday.
Daniel Rosenbaum (THE WASHINGTON TIMES)

Bay firms depend on foreign workers

By Jeffrey Sparshott
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Jack Brooks observes the 25 or so women sitting at stainless steel tables, picking lumps of meat out of blue crabs fished from the Chesapeake Bay. There are a handful of Americans and about 18 Mexicans packing up small tubs for sale to restaurants and markets.
"We have to have the Mexican workers just to sustain our business. American workers simply are not available," the co-owner of J.M. Clayton Co., a Cambridge, Md., business founded by his great-grandfather in 1890, said last month.
Many in the United States disagree, arguing that foreign workers drive down wages and impose social, cultural and other costs on the United States.
But Mr. Brooks earlier this year led a popular effort by the Maryland crab industry to deal with a potential shortage of foreign workers, making sure Mexicans could keep heading to the Eastern Shore, legally, where they are an integral part of the local economy.
Seafood processors won a two-year reprieve when Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, Maryland Democrat, ushered into law a temporary increase in the number of seasonal workers who can come to the United States.
The potential shortage of seasonal workers along the Chesapeake illustrated a broader problem in the United States â€â€

The story on the crabs is all crap. Americans work in the restaurants that serve them for less than $10 an hour. These people are a bunch of liars, cheaters and thieves.

1) Troops to the Borders

2) Moratorium on ALL Immigration Indefinitely

3) Boycott Crab

"They save a lot of American jobs," Mr. Brooks said of the foreign workers.

Well if that's the case replace more Americans with illegals to save even more jobs.

Brian503a--Absolutely correct, right on!!!

The guy promoting CAFTA, Tom Donahue, was on Lou Dobbs Tonight. Called Lou, one of those that provides facts that "just simply aren't true".

Lou was on vacation and the lady was filling in.

I think Tom forgot what show he was on!!

Tommy says the same thing...we need CAFTA because then the "textiles" that will be made in Central America will purchase 60% of their components from the US. If the companies move it to Asia, then they'll only purchase 10% of the components.

How many components are there to "cloth"?

Answer: 3

Fibers, Dyes, Packaging

Did I miss any?

If so, please post.

I say, let the companies do whatever is best for them. If Asia is better, then have at it. If America is better, then make it here. If Central America is better, then make it there. If there is still a textile company left in the USA that wants to open a plant in Central America, then it is my understanding, they are free to do that now....so have at it under private agreement. Go there, buy some land, build a building, install your equipment, hire some people, and ship it wherever you want to.

CAFTA is not needed for any American company to open a plant anywhere in Central America. Most of the major companies already have plants in Central America.

I really hate being lied to by these treaty promoters, don't you?

Tommy Boy was so slick he made my skin crawl....and then he stepped right in his own mess calling Lou Dobbs a fact-fibber on the Lou Dobbs show....that is not what I would consider Good Public Relations!!

If I was paying him alot of money, I'd have to let him go, because he not only forgot his audience (Lou Dobbs Lovers) he insulted the host, Lou Dobbs who was kind enough to give him national air time to peddle his Traity Plan.

Some days, it pays to stay up late!!