With all the talk about minimum wage and alien workers lately, I would like to point out something I see as a "hidden" problem. Here in Asheville, NC we have two major employers who import workers from other countries. These people are NOT HERE TO PERFORM WORK THAT AMERICANS WILL NOT DO... it is for such work as housekeeping (hotel maids), laundry workers, bellhops, kitchen help, spa attendants, maintenence personel, food servers and other jobs associated with the hotel/resort industry.
Grove Park Inn & Spa and Biltmore Estates are the two employers that I am talking about. Understand that these two employers DO, in fact, pay these workers minimum wage or above. Most of these alien workers are provided with dormitory type living quarters for which a certain amount is deducted from their pay. Their pay rate is less than that paid to an American working the same position in most cases.
"What is the problem?" you may ask.
As you are probably aware, an American working is paid overtime at the rate of 1.5 times the regular hourly rate. These people are brought here as "contract workers" and, as such, are allowed to work several positions and not be paid overtime beyond 40 hours per week. Because of budgetary controls, anyone else is prohibited from any work that would facilitate being paid overtime.
I personally know of one worker who works in the laundry 40 hours per week at the rate of $6/hr and another 40 hours in the Spa also at $6/hr. This grosses his check at $480/week. I worked in the laundry 40 hours per week at the rate of $9/hr and was allowed no overtime making my weekly gross $360. When I asked to be considered for working a second position, I was told that budgetary concerns would not allow my request.
Sure sounds like a "sweetheart deal" for these employers to me... what's your opinion?
