Unions Oppose Hiring of Mexican Workers by Vidor Business (Texas)

kfdm.com ^ | May 17, 2006 | Camille Briggs

[mlc9852]

BUNA BASED SOUTHEAST TEXAS INDUSTRIES SAYS IT HAS EXHAUSTED EFFORTS TO FIND QUALIFIED WORKERS IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

COMPANY REPRESENTATIVES SAY THEY'VE BEEN FORCED TO GO ACROSS THE BORDER TO SEEK OUT EMPLOYEES. THE COMPANY'S ATTORNEY PETITIONED THE VIDOR CITY COUNCIL TONIGHT TO ALLOW THEM TO HOUSE UP TO 100 DOCUMENTED MEXICAN WORKERS ON SITE ... TO FILL ITS NEED. REPRESENTS FROM LOCAL LABOR UNIONS EACH TOOK TURNS VOICING THEIR DISAPPROVAL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS INDUSTRIES DURING THURSDAY'S VIDOR CITY COUNCIL MEETING. Jerry Wayne Pillsbury/Pipefitters Union "It's 2006 and we are setting up concentrations camps. They work 12 hour days ... 7 days a week ... Have we progressed to that."

SOUTHEAST TEXAS INDUSTRIES' ATTORNEY ... JIM WIMBERLEY IS ASKING THE VIDOR CITY COUNCIL TO ALLOW HIS CLIENT TO HOUSE DOZENS OF MEXICAN WORKERS IN A FENCED IN AREA ON SITE. Jim Wimberley/Southeast Texas Industries "There's going to be a communication problem. This is not something my client wanted to do. This is a last resort."

[AppyPappy]

That sound you hear is the whirling of liberals heads as they attempt to absorb this issue.

[stylin19a]

Jobs Americans wont do alert.

WIMBERLEY SAYS THE COMPANY HAS WORKED FOR MONTHS TRYING TO HIRE LOCAL SKILLED LABOR, BUT HAS COME UP SHORT. Jim Wimberley/Southeast Texas Industries "Just to be clear $18 an hour is what you are paying them right? For steal workers, yes mam."

SO THE COMPANY WANTS TO HIRE UP TO 100 MEXICAN WORKERS UNTIL THE JOB MARKET IMPROVES OR UNTIL THE JOB IS DONE. ... "The company plans to house up to 100 Mexican workers on the property next to its main building. Their food, lodging and utilities would be paid for by the company. Union members say if they are paying them $18 an hour ... That just doesn't add up." Jerry Wayne Pillsbury/Pipefitters Union "I would believe he is paying a handful of guys $18 an hour, but I would bet you the average wage is $14."

never once mentioned that they went to other states looking for help

[speed_addiction]

Ping for later.


What We Are About To Do Here Is What The Good Lord Would Call A Cleansing of the Wicked. I Call It A Good Old Fashioned Texas Ass Kicking.

[kinghorse]

Okay I have to chime in here. As a business we can't get shiznit out of Port Arthur(Vidor is in PA) because they have an acute labor shortage. Work is left undone. How long are we supposed to wait for Americans to find that hurricane ravaged area palatable for living and working? PA is huge HUGE in refining. They need workers. They also need skilled people to do stuff like pay bills. It's a mess and I know from first hand experience. If you can't get people to answer help wanted ads then what do you suggest???!!!!

[sheik yerbouty]

My guess is that the EEOC gives them a dispensation in this because of this "diversity".

[mlc9852]

I am actually in favor of a guest worker program. I just thought it was an interesting article and I also enjoy seeing unions complain.

[P-40]

I am actually in favor of a guest worker program.

This is a guest worker program in action and I don't have any trouble with it per se. The problem is that the border is still open and it is still cheaper to hire an illegal than a legal.

[sinkspur]

Vidor is the home to the Texas chapter of the Grand Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.

[Leatherneck_MT]

A. How much are your wages?

B. Have you actively recruited on Jobs sites on the web?

I don't know your particular situation, but I know there are people here where I live who would go to wherever the work is. But the work ethic in Montana is considerably better than I've seen it in other states.

[hispanarepublicana]

No English-speaking minorities who "know" about Vidor will go there for all the rice in China. THAT'S the problem.

[kinghorse]

A)Satifactory and B)we are recruiting heavily.

It's a problem with the area. There is a shortage of housing. Most houses have a big blue tarp as a roof. Rita blew off most roofs. People don't seem enamored with the area (doh).

[TXnMA]

FEMA still has thousands of trailers setting idle out in fields near here. Get a bunch and offer them for trained worker housing -- and advertise that housing comes with the job.

[Leatherneck_MT]

No I guess they wouldn't be.

How about a Tent City for temp housing? Or does FEMA still provide trailer housing for that area?

[Xenalyte]

Actually, the problem with the area is that Vidor is home to the Texas chapter of the Klan.

And everyone in Texas knows it, which is why no one with any sense ever moves to Vidor.

[Vote 4 Nixon]

Man, People don't read the papers anymore. You should try the internet or radio.

[Digger]

Me thinks that they can't get qualified workers at qualified depressed wages.

[stylin19a]

Thanks for filling in the blanks on the background of this.