Why Americans Won't Do Dirty Jobs

MSNBC ^ | November 09, 2011 | Elizabeth Dwoskin

[JerseyanExile]

Skinning, gutting, and cutting up catfish is not easy or pleasant work. No one knows this better than Randy Rhodes, president of Harvest Select, which has a processing plant in impoverished Uniontown, Ala. For years, Rhodes has had trouble finding Americans willing to grab a knife and stand 10 or more hours a day in a cold, wet room for minimum wage and skimpy benefits.

Most of his employees are Guatemalan. Or they were, until Alabama enacted an immigration law in September that requires police to question people they suspect might be in the U.S. illegally and punish businesses -

[truthguy]

High schoolers and college students who used to do these jobs need to pick up the pace and get back to it.

ABSOLUTELY! In high school and college, way back in the late 70's and early 80's I had some of the most menial jobs you could ever want to imagine. I did janitorial work, loaded trucks, construction work of the hardest type, and many other minimum wage jobs. I paid nearly 50% of my college tuition with this type of work. As a result of this I graduated with no debt. Today this is practically impossible as all these jobs are typically taken by immigrants, both legal and illegal. It use to be that when you went into a fast food place, it was staffed mostly by young kids. Today when you go into these places, there are middle age immigrants behind the counter. So there is tremendous youth unemployment due the influx of these immigrants.

[StAnDeliver]

"Tom Surtees is tired of hearing employers grouse about their lazy countrymen. “Don’t tell me an Alabamian can’t work out in the field picking produce because it’s hot and labor intensive,” he says. “Go into a steel mill. Go into a foundry. Go into numerous other occupations and tell them Alabamians don’t like this work because it’s hot and it requires manual labor.” The difference being, jobs in Alabama’s foundries and steel mills pay better wages—with benefits. “If you’re trying to justify paying someone below whatever an appropriate wage level is so you can bring your product, I don’t think that’s a valid argument,” Surtees says."

[stars & stripes forever]

Americans don’t do the dirty jobs because the media has brainwashed a generation into thinking those jobs are unwanted, suited only for illegal immigrants.

[ontap]

Not all people are mentally or cosmetically capable of getting into retail. The people who use to do these jobs are on welfare,selling dope, begging at street corners or mooching off someone. They never have been the sharpest knives in the drawer but they use to not have a choice.

[BigpapaBo]

There are automated machines that will do this type of work. They are expensive!

[Truth29]

"...so if Americans wanted to stand out there, it is common knowledge that they would have the opportunity to do so."

Americans would probably be arrested for loitering. Wouldn't want to adversely impact one of the Democrat's favored voting blocks (illegals).

[asinclair]

You can pay well above minimum wage and still not get an american to take the job. Just how much do you think an unskilled worker should be paid to gut a catfish???

I wonder if this mindset is part of the reason we are in the situation we face in our economy? There are more than a few companies that have discovered that there is more to "compensation" than money and insurance: employees with skin in the game in general work harder. This goes under the guise of "profit sharing", "employee ownership", "product/process/cost improvement bonus", and similar methods to reward hard work, particular if that hard work brings in more.

Who knows, that catfish gutter may come up with an idea to increase productivity, product quality, and profitability. Encourage him to speak up, and reward him appropriately.

[Persevero]

“On the other hand, maybe working (physical labor) in a cold, wet environment for 10 hours a day is worth more pay than minimum wage!”

Exactly. Raise the pay. The workers will come.

[GladesGuru]

Post #7 nailed it!

“It’s that illegal labor artificially lowered the going value of labor.

If it weren’t for the illegals, he’s be raising his rate until an American would take the job.”

Accurate and succinct.

[Persevero]

“Just how much do you think an unskilled worker should be paid to gut a catfish???”

Let the market decide.

[papertyger]

For years, Rhodes has had trouble finding Americans willing to grab a knife and stand 10 or more hours a day in a cold, wet room for minimum wage and skimpy benefits.

Well there's his problem: he doesn't believe in market economics when it's not working in his favor!

[moehoward]

" Just how much do you think an unskilled worker should be paid to gut a catfish"

Have you ever handled a Catfish? They are not the easiest fish to handle. These workers are basically butchers. They deserve more than minimum wage.

[central_va]

ABSOLUTELY! In high school and college, way back in the late 70's and early 80's I had some of the most menial jobs you could ever want to imagine. I did janitorial work, loaded trucks, construction work of the hardest type, and many other minimum wage jobs. I paid nearly 50% of my college tuition with this type of work. As a result of this I graduated with no debt.

I did the same. I never looked at any work as beneath me. If somebody wanted to pay me and I accepted then it was a done deal. They don't call it "wages" for nothing.

[napscoordinator]

lol. That is true. Gosh when you think about it, that definitely could happen. WIth how people coddle the aliens now a day, it would happen that Americans would be arrested for standing there. In Texas that does happen, Perry sends out the Cops to arrest Americans if they complain about illegal aliens. Calls them heartless and puts them in jail for life.....eventually he calls for their execution. /sarc.

[papertyger]

High schoolers and college students who used to do these jobs need to pick up the pace and get back to it.

No, jackasses like this guy have to stop trying to cheat the market with illegal labor and submarket wages.

[taxcontrol]

American’s are not taught nor do they understand the salary maximum:

You will never be paid more than it costs to replace you and you will never be paid less than what you will accept.

Hiring illegals lowers the amount of acceptance. Absent the labor force, the owner will need to increase compensation to attract workers.

[napscoordinator]

I did the same. I never looked at any work as beneath me.

Me either. I have a Master’s Degree and back in the late 90’s, I got a part time job at Subway for some extra money and I NEVER considered it beneath me. In fact, it was a fun job. I enjoyed myself very much. I worked 8 hours at my full time job with so much stress and then I would go and work 4 hours at Subway where it was enjoyable and stress free. I don’t understand this thing called “a job beneath me”. I have a friend who has a Bachelor’s Degree from American University and he won’t even mow his own lawn. Laziest guy I ever met in my life!!!!!

[netmilsmom]

Look at the source of this, MSNBC. *spit*

Americans do dirty jobs. Hellsbells, there’s a show about it. But as long as we let in people who, sitting on the gov’t dole for education, healthcare and food, are willing to take five bucks an hour under the table, why would ANY employer offer more money?

Close the border, enforce the laws, cut off the freebees and those jobs would be filled in a heartbeat.

[Hojczyk]

Get rid of welfare and Americans will do these jobs..

[Terry Mross]

I believe once the illegals started flowing in the wages started dropping for these jobs. When I was a kid we picked and chopped coton. I know of families who moved to California to pick tomatoes. But when the pay decreases because of illegal workers, you go find something better.

I saw the tomato farmer from Alabama on TV last night saying she couldn’t find workers will to work for 14 hours a day. The reporter never asked how much she paid them.

With that said, I also know of a new generation who will simply not do manual labor. That’s why I admire the hell out of any guy who will work his ass off on a garbage truck.