Thread: N.C. hires eastern europeans to fill tourism jobs

North Carolina News : Eastern European workers fill N.C. tourism jobs
Posted by jmoir on 2006/8/7 9:07:56
Tourist towns solve seasonal labor shortage by looking abroad

Nobody seems to know who first thought of the idea of importing Eastern Europeans to work in this mountain resort town.

It started about five years ago, everyone agrees, and since then, hiring foreign students has quickly caught on as this town's favorite antidote to a shortage of local labor.

Today, Ukranians sweep the floors of the town's brick-oven pizza parlor. Bulgarians bus tables at its Italian restaurant, where the bacon-wrapped filet costs $33 and $200 bottles are common on its wine list. Romanians welcome the throngs of country-club members who descend on the town each summer from Atlanta, Charlotte and throughout the Southeast.

"It's just kind of a melting pot up here during the summer," says Sheila Bryson, co-owner of Bryson's Food Store, which employs about 20 foreign students as cashiers, baggers and stock clerks. "The kids are really great, and we're glad to have them. Otherwise, you'd have nobody to give you dinner."

As immigration has become a major political issue, the major employers in this town 170 miles west of Charlotte have discovered a novel way to find workers for entry-level jobs they say would otherwise go unfilled. They're looking not to Mexico, but to Eastern Europe.

The practice is becoming more popular throughout the Carolinas, especially in tourist towns where the local labor force is too small to feed, house and pamper thousands of summer visitors. In the Highlands area, for instance, the year-round population of about 3,000 cannot handle the estimated 20,000 people who come in the summer to hike, shop and escape the heat.

More: Charlotte Observer
http://www.americaneconomicalert.com/ne ... ID=2192599

Is it true, the local labor force is too small??????

They were doing the same thing with entry level jobs and such in Florida at Disney etc. It was a pretty hush hush deal and I don't know if they still do.....but their summer is the US wasn't a good one. I was shocked to hear the treatment they got. At that time I think it was mostly people from the Phillapenes.(sp?) Also on alot of the cruise ships.....but I don't know who's jurisdiction they were under.

Is it true, the local labor force is too small??????

Thats possible. But what about American High School and College kids?

In 1989 while in the military I was stationed in Alaska near at town who's main business was salmon. There were three large salmon canneries there. During the summer it was mostly college students from all over the lower states that worked there. They made somewhere around $14 an hour and had free room and board for the three to four months they were there.

I wonder who is working the canneries now?

Originally Posted by JohnB2012

Is it true, the local labor force is too small??????

Thats possible. But what about American High School and College kids?

In 1989 while in the military I was stationed in Alaska near at town who's main business was salmon. There were three large salmon canneries there. During the summer it was mostly college students from all over the lower states that worked there. They made somewhere around $14 an hour and had free room and board for the three to four months they were there.

I wonder who is working the canneries now?

A few months ago, I read where our Salmon is being shipped to China to be deboned, then it's shipped back here to sell. I quit buying salmon.

I knew alot of illegals who headed to Wisconsin during the summer to work at their tourist attractions as well. Seems maybe some of these colleges and stuff could post some of these summer oppertunities for our students. Or even let newly graduated HS kids know of these.

When I was young (and I was ) I know there were a few guys who went to the ski resorts in Colorado for temp jobs. But I have no idea how they found out about it. It wasn't like it was listed in the paper. They were hockey players for the Jr. college team and went as ski instructors. This is Illinois and skiing isn't a common winter sport here.

But if you're not from an area......it's hard to know what's available. Or maybe you just want a quick temporary shot at the experience to see if it's something that's worth the investment of the degree.

My daughter loves snakes and rare frogs and exoctic reptiles etc. She would like to see what it's like to be one of the people who collect the venum etc. for the antidote given to people who have been bitten.
(Don't know where that interest came from! ) But where do you go? She's tried at local zoos but they already want you to have a degree in herpatology. Pet stores that sell the exotic pets aren't that plentiful and usually owned and run by a couple that don't hire extra help.

But it would be nice to hear of the various oppertunities out there. Otherwise......when your just surviving....you stick around home and don't venture far from what the workforce offers right there.

We have a few Ukranian kids(all legally here) working on Baldhead as well as a lot of young college age American kids. We also have lots of illegals doing construction on the Island (more on this in the next day or two).