[conservative in nyc]

I believe their tuna plant workers on American Samoa were being paid under 3 dollars per hour while the HKs amassed their palatial mansions.

They were being paid the American Samoan minimum wage for tuna industry cannery workers, $3.05 per hour in 1995, $3.26 today. This rate is set by a special industry committee appointed by the U.S. Department of Labor, and varies by industry. There's nothing illegal about that. I'm sure Heinz workers in other places were paid much less.

As far as I can tell, R.J. Heinz Co. no longer owns the American Samoa Starkist plant. It was sold as part of a larger transaction to DelMonte in 2002. Tuh-ray-zuh received DelMonte stock in that transaction, which she sold in 2003.

We need to remember to keep the R.J. Heinz allegations in perspective --- Tuh-ray-zuh has sold most of her Heinz stock, and owns only about 4% today. It may not even be her largest stock holding.

[bray]

We still need to see how their lawyers cook their books while Yaaaawn votes against tax cuts for the regular guy! Let's see if they are paying their fair share??? 5 million tells me they are hiding $$millions!!

Pray for W and Our Troops

[I-53]

I have never understood why a corporation that pays fish cleaners in Puerto Rico $7.00 per hour seems to think when it gets down here that a Samoan is only worth $3 per hour. I do not subscribe to pseudo economics that say this is the way it must be. I rather subscribe to the gospel that a Samoan is entitled to the same pay from the same corporation if he does the same work as any man or woman born in any other part of America. I would certainly like to believe that both Puerto Rico and American Samoa are part of America. After all, our sons and daughters fight and die for America. All we ask in so doing is that we be given no more or no less than any other American.

THE HONORABLE ENI F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA