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March 25, 1911 was the date of the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Fire in New York City. The fire exits were blocked, windows to the fire escapes were nailed shut, 146 garment workers perished. Many cite it as the beginning of the labor movement in this country.
Yesterday the U.S. Department of Labor levied fines against C.J.’s Seafood, a Louisiana supplier to Wal-Mart for violations including a blocked exit door, unsafe electrical outlets, and a lack of fire extinguishers and exit signs. All this in a plant where shrimp were peeled and boiled by workers who were not paid the minimum wage or overtime, were forced to work 24 hour shifts and were threatened with violence against them and their families if they complained. To its credit, Wal-Mart suspended C.J.’s as a supplier when it found out about these abuses and violations. Full details are in the link below.
C.J.’s Seafood Fined for Labor Abuses
Has nothing changed in a century? Are workers lives still seen as so insignifigant that they are treated like this? Why are employers allowed to sacrifice employees on the altar of profit? How long will this disregard continue?
I understand the state our economy is in. I know that people are desperate for work. But how many of you reading this right now would be willing to work under these circumstances? I’d wager the answer is zero. In that case, we need to speak out whenever we see labor injustice or worker abuse. As it was so aptly stated by Martin Niemoller:
First they came for the communists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew.Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.
It is alarming to read that employees are being treated in that fashion. I would suspect that this is more widespread than what we think. There are many companies like C.J.’s Seafood but few get exposed in this manner.
Fred,
Hopefully those alarms will keep going off until more of these exploitive employers are rooted out.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Only the best,
Ron
Can we say slave labor, anyone? It is OK to treat employees like this because:
1. They can.
2. The ee’s are mostly immigrants or illegal immigrants. It’s OK as long as the workers are not natural born US citizens.
3. It is all about the almighty dollar and greed.
I am thinking that American capitalism, since it was founded in a country with slave labor, cannot exist without slave labor. Of course, since the workers are getting paid, employers are off the hook and can’t be accused of being slave owners.
Myra,
Yes, they are being paid, minimally, but you know as well as I that this one doesn’t pass the “duck test.”
“If it walks like a duck, and it squawks like a duck…”
A slave is a slave no matter what you call them.
Hopefully more employers who exploit will be on the hook like the seafood C.J.’s caught.
Thanks for your comment.
Only the best,
Ron
If the workers are illegals, isn’t the company on the hook for employing them in the first place?
Yes, but isn’t it amazing that the penalties and prosecution for this violation are so lame that companies keep doing it?