Jamaicans Taking Jobs Away from Locals in Gulf Shores, AL

[sheeshnaw]

Meyer Real Estate in Gulf Shores, AL has brought in a group of +100 Jamaicans with J1 visas to work as housekeepers in their service department. It is normal for companies in this area to bring in J1s when there is a shortage of local workers, but that is not the case this year. The local housekeepers at Meyer Real Estate are now having their schedules cut drastically and the work is being given to the Jamaicans.
The Jamaicans are given higher paying and easier to clean properties, transportation to and from work, free cleaning supplies(the local housekeepers have to pay for their supplies), and are guaranteed at least five days of work per week. Their schedules can't be cut and they can't be fired. Most of the Jamaican J1s perform substandard cleans, and the local housekeepers are forced to clean up the messes they make.
Not very fair, huh?
Call Meyer Real Estate 1.800.213.9544 and ask them why they prefer Jamaicans over American employees.

[LouC]

The service industry, too, is one where “the labor force is critical,” said Sheila Hodges, CEO and president of Meyer Real Estate in Gulf Shores.

“I’m passionate about the immigration issue and making it easy to have workers when we need them,” she said.

In addition to selling property and homes, Meyer manages 1,900 rental units along the coast.

During summer, the peak season for resort rental, Meyer employs some 600 seasonal workers, she said, and about 10 to 15 percent of them are immigrant workers, most of whom perform housekeeping, custodial and maintenance tasks.

Meyer relies on employment brokers to find the workers.

This summer, the workers represent a mix of nationalities from Mexico, central Europe and Turkey.

Moreover, the workers are good employees, she said.

“I haven’t met any that are not very interested in the work and the wages. They’re hard workers.”

Meyer tries to avoid language problems by including Spanish speakers on their supervisory staff, and the employment broker makes sure workers understand at least some English.

Occasionally the language barrier is a problem when crews interact with guests, she said, but most of the workers have learned to give a simple response to any question they can’t handle.

Workers who come to the area with good English and good computer skills would be candidates for office jobs, she added.

Beyond her own business needs, Hodges said the workforce is important to the community as a whole.

She watched the foreign work crews help with hurricane clean-up and believes they were “critical for getting us back in business.”

Mobile Chamber of Commerce 2006 LINK (http://www.mobilechamber.com/view/2006/8-2006.pdf)

So do you have documentation to prove your claims?

Do you have any evidence to contradict what I found?

There were multiple employers at the link that claimed that they had to depend on Visa workers because the local citizen labor pool was inadequate.

Do you have anything to contradict those claims?

[sheeshnaw]

Yes, I do have documentation to prove my claims. As I said in my earlier post, there has been a shortage of local workers in the past but that is no longer the case. There are other large property management companies in the area who use J1 and H2B housekeepers, but they do not give preference to them- they only use them as needed. I can refute almost every claim Ms.Hodges makes in that article, but I would rather do so in a private message- I don't want to post some things on this board.

[LouC]

...I can refute almost every claim Ms.Hodges makes in that article, but I would rather do so in a private message- I don't want to post some things on this board.

Post them if you can refute them.

Otherwise I just really don't see that I can believe refutations really exist.

[sheeshnaw]

Post them if you can refute them.

Otherwise I just really don't see that I can believe refutations really exist.


1."During summer, the peak season for resort rental, Meyer employs some 600 seasonal workers, she said, and about 10 to 15 percent of them are immigrant workers, most of whom perform housekeeping, custodial and maintenance tasks."

I would say that there are maybe 200, not 600, seasonal workers and more than 50 percent of them are J1s.

2. "This summer, the workers represent a mix of nationalities from Mexico, central Europe and Turkey."

The past two years they have used all Jamaicans.

3."Moreover, the workers are good employees."

They are horrible employees and all they quality assurance inspectors and local housekeepers have to clean up the messes they make. If a local housekeeper doesn't complete the job and someone else has to clean up behind them, money is taken away from them. The J1s don't get money taken away. They are also slow and it takes them 4 times longer to clean a unit than it would anyone else.

This is an article from 2006, so its not relevant to the current situation anyway.

[The Bos'un]

Give me a break, the Jamacians are only doing jobs that most Americans don't want to do. We gave the Vietnamese a bad rap, illegal aliens a bad rap, legal immigrants a bad rap.

If you don't like it, boycott the businesses that hire the Jamacains or tell Americas to start working.....

social entitlements have made Americans lazy.

[sheeshnaw]

Give me a break, the Jamacians are only doing jobs that most Americans don't want to do. We gave the Vietnamese a bad rap, illegal aliens a bad rap, legal immigrants a bad rap.

If you don't like it, boycott the businesses that hire the Jamacains or tell Americas to start working.....


Did you not read the original post? They aren't doing jobs "Americans won't do", there are local American housekeepers(white,black,and hispanic) working there who want to work more and are having work taken away from them and given to the Jamaicans. Their schedules are being cut in half, and as a result so are their paychecks. Why don't you read the entire post before regurgitating liberal talking points on immigration.

[The Bos'un]

That is debatable. Why would a company import non US citizens to work? Are they harder workers, cost less, what exactly is the advantage?

I suggest that you boycott the businesses that are doing this. March some placards around and let the tourists know that the businesses are taking sodas out of the hands of local kids....

[Fitz]

Did you not read the original post? They aren't doing jobs "Americans won't do", there are local American housekeepers(white,black,and hispanic) working there who want to work more and are having work taken away from them and given to the Jamaicans. Their schedules are being cut in half, and as a result so are their paychecks. Why don't you read the entire post before regurgitating liberal talking points on immigration.

So the company is over-paying underperforming individuals? It would seem they're already punishing themselves, I see no need for me to do so as well.

[sheeshnaw]

The only reason I can think of is that they are getting some kind of tax break or have a contract with them. I think they might be regretting bringing them in. Apparently the agency they hired them through sent them a really bad bunch this year.
As far as boycotting, passing out flyers- I think that's a good idea, but I personally can't do it because I could get into trouble. I've been trying to post on local forums to get the word out. If you have any other suggestions, let me know.

[CID_0687]

Why they prefer Jamaicans over American employees

Superior supply of ganja.

[Groundhog]

That's a matter for the local community.

We have millions of illegals all over the place and legal temp workers is the least of our worries.

[LouC]

...This is an article from 2006, so its not relevant to the current situation anyway.

So you don't have anything to back up your allegations.

In particular you have nothing to back up your allegations of the current situation.

Thanks anyway.

[gdoane]

That's a matter for the local community.

We have millions of illegals all over the place and legal temp workers is the least of our worries.

Most of the 9-11 highjackers were temporary legals too. Our federal government is 100% completely incompetent at securing the borders and their failure renders a public perception that all immigrants are illegal because NOBODY is enforcing immigration law.

When a local community tries to do anything, "civil rights" groups claim it's all Federal jurisdiction because they know the Feds can't/won't effectively enforce the law.

The least of our worries is the key to resolving the worst of our worries. As Benjamin Franklin said, "Mind the Pennies, and the Dollars Will Take Care of Themselves."

Legal immigration, incompetently enforced and managed by our Federal Government, is exactly how the terrorists of Al-Qaeda found enough of a foothold inside the USA to carry out a murderous attack.

This is not a local problem. The breakdown of our immigration system to the point that all immigrants are considered illegal is a national problem. Our immigration system has lost all credibility and there's no good reason for immigrants to comply with the law when they'll never be seen as law-abiding immigrants anyway.

[curtis123]

We have a group of Kenyans here doing farm work. Very hard workers, and they're here legally, so I have no problem with them doing what they're doing. They're very welcome here.

Some are complaining about it, but they're the same ones who wouldn't touch the jobs before the Kenyans came along. Farmers are asking these people where they were when they were advertising these jobs last year, because no one would apply.

As an employer myself, I've gone to job fairs at colleges over the last couple of years, and no one applies, even for 10-12 bucks an hour. Most have gotten so affluent, they're above working. Scru 'em...I can program a computer to do the job.

[The Bos'un]

Most of the 9/11 hijackers were nitwits who misinterprted the religion of peace and brought dishonour upon their relatives and the muslim world.

[Apatriot]

The only reason I can think of is that they are getting some kind of tax break or have a contract with them. I think they might be regretting bringing them in. Apparently the agency they hired them through sent them a really bad bunch this year.
As far as boycotting, passing out flyers- I think that's a good idea, but I personally can't do it because I could get into trouble. I've been trying to post on local forums to get the word out. If you have any other suggestions, let me know.

I live almost next door to you. (I'm 2 miles from the bridge to Perdido Key). I've never heard of Jamaicans working over there. I've heard of (and seen/talked to) a lot of eastern Europeans (Bulgarians, Romanians, etc.) working over there, especially at the gift shops.

If the Jamaicans' quality of work, etc., are as you say, this shouldn't be a problem next year. They won't be rehired.

[jimjames418]

Meyer Real Estate in Gulf Shores, AL
I have a friend with a winter home in Gulf Shores. I'll contact him and see what he says. :)

[sheeshnaw]

So you don't have anything to back up your allegations.

In particular you have nothing to back up your allegations of the current situation.

Thanks anyway.

Exactly what kind of evidence do you want? I cannot post the paperwork I have for legal reasons. If you think I have nothing better to do than fabricate an elaborate tale just for kicks, then I guess there's no point in trying to convince you.

[Angra Mainyu]

They're legal, so what's the issue? Xenophobia much?

[sheeshnaw]

We have a group of Kenyans here doing farm work. Very hard workers, and they're here legally, so I have no problem with them doing what they're doing. They're very welcome here.

Some are complaining about it, but they're the same ones who wouldn't touch the jobs before the Kenyans came along. Farmers are asking these people where they were when they were advertising these jobs last year, because no one would apply.

As an employer myself, I've gone to job fairs at colleges over the last couple of years, and no one applies, even for 10-12 bucks an hour. Most have gotten so affluent, they're above working. Scru 'em...I can program a computer to do the job.


Once again, this is NOT a case of foreign workers doing jobs that Americans don't want. Meyer Real Estate has local employees, some who have worked there over 10 years, who desparately need and want the work, but the work is being taken away from them and given to the Jamaican J1 workers. I have no problem with companies hiring foreign workers if they cannot find local workers, but that's not what is going on here. I would also like to point out that the local housekeeping workforce includes people from a variety of different backgrounds- white, black, hispanic, Russian, German, Native American, Male, Female, Jew, and Gentile. This is not a matter of xenophobia or racism for all you bleeding-hearts out there.

[Angra Mainyu]

Once again, this is NOT a case of foreign workers doing jobs that Americans don't want. Meyer Real Estate has local employees, some who have worked there over 10 years, who desparately need and want the work, but the work is being taken away from them and given to the Jamaican J1 workers. I have no problem with companies hiring foreign workers if they cannot find local workers, but that's not what is going on here. I would also like to point out that the local housekeeping workforce includes people from a variety of different backgrounds- white, black, hispanic, Russian, German, Native American, Male, Female, Jew, and Gentile. This is not a matter of xenophobia or racism for all you bleeding-hearts out there.

Outrage at foreigners having jobs legally that you think you should be entitled too doesn't reek of xenophobia at all. Right.

[sheeshnaw]

Outrage at foreigners having jobs legally that you think you should be entitled too doesn't reek of xenophobia at all. Right.


First of all, my outrage is not at the Jamaicans- they are simply acting in their own best interest as we all do. My outrage is at the company that is paying them more money for doing less work than their locals employees. I am one of those employees whose paycheck has been cut in half. I have to do twice as much work to make the same amount of money. If it were happening to you, maybe you wouldn't be so magnanimous.

[Angra Mainyu]

First of all, my outrage is not at the Jamaicans- they are simply acting in their own best interest as we all do. My outrage is at the company that is paying them more money for doing less work than their locals employees. I am one of those employees whose paycheck has been cut in half. I have to do twice as much work to make the same amount of money. If it were happening to you, maybe you wouldn't be so magnanimous.

Yeah, you're so outraged at the company you put in the OP title "JAMAICANS Taking Jobs Away from Locals in Gulf Shores, AL" :))

[sheeshnaw]

I don't have the time or energy to split syntactical hairs after working 13 hrs. today for $85.

[gdoane]

They're legal, so what's the issue? Xenophobia much?

It would be Xenophobia if the Jamaicans were the bad guys here, but they're not. Are they?

I've been to Jamaica several times. There's a USO outpost in Kingston which is a great resource (I was active duty Navy at the time) and Jamaica is a lot of fun. I wouldn't mind going back again for a vacation.

The bad guys are the employers. NOT the Jamaicans. I see nothing wrong with paying Jamaicans at all, in fact I can honestly say I've done so myself several times.

Where the problem comes into play is that employers seek cheap labor and claim that Americans won't do the job but don't finish the sentence... FOR THEIR PRICE.

I've worked jobs at several levels of income. I've worked as a paperboy for $20 a week. I've slung ice cream at a soda fountain for $3 per hour. I know Americans will work for entry level pay because I've been there and done that.

My main problem with cheap labor immigrants is this: I worked my way up the income ladder. I was able to do so because nobody was dogpiling the bottom rung and blocking my way to the next step, but now the bottom rung of the career ladder is full of people with no ability to climb it.

Basic premise: If you're going to climb a career ladder and advance, then you've got to be willing to learn things. Otherwise, you're not climbing, you're camping.

The career ladder is becoming inaccessible because we've got 12 Million illegals sitting on the bottom rung and entry level jobs like the ones I enjoyed (well, got paid for) aren't available because of people unwilling/unable to climb the career ladder.

People willing to learn belong on the career ladder, because they're looking for the next rung. People on the career ladder who won't even speak English, where are they looking to go? The next rung? That's not climbing, that's vagrancy.

[The Bos'un]

Which goes back to what to do, the people affected should boycott the businesses that are doing it and let the tourists know of the unfair employment practices of the the greedy business owners. Like you, I do not blame legal workers from Jamaica.

We can trace much of our illegal alien problem (and the lack of congressional support to crack down on illegal aliens and their employers) to employer abuse of American workers.

When some nitwit legislator or public servant alleges that illegals are only doing jobs Americans don't want to do, he or she does not deserve to be a legislator. Good comments Gdoane.

[Groundhog]

This is not a local problem. The breakdown of our immigration system to the point that all immigrants are considered illegal is a national problem. Our immigration system has lost all credibility and there's no good reason for immigrants to comply with the law when they'll never be seen as law-abiding immigrants anyway.


Good point.

It is sad now that in enough cases where legal immigrants on H1 visas get nearly every orfice of themselves scanned by the Feds and jump through many hoops, yet there been illegals simply let go by law enforcement, even for driving without a license.

[LouC]

I don't have the time or energy to split syntactical hairs after working 13 hrs. today for $85.

Get a different job.

Have you reported the suspected illegal activity to the appropriate authorities?

Why on earth would providing anonymous proof here cause any legal problems?

[gdoane]

Which goes back to what to do, the people affected should boycott the businesses that are doing it and let the tourists know of the unfair employment practices of the the greedy business owners. Like you, I do not blame legal workers from Jamaica.

Two basic problems:

1: The locals affected are the ones on the bottom rungs of the career ladder and don't have a lot of resources to bear so a boycott means nothing or next to it. What's a business care if people with no money threaten to spend no money?

2: The tourists are snowbirds doing business by phone and internet throwing credit card numbers around. They're not researching anything but price. We live in a land where Wal*Mart's "Durabrand" crap sells like hotcakes because even though it's sweatshop labor craftsmanship, it's half the price of anything that will last longer than six months.

So the locals affected have no power to change anything and the tourists don't really care about anything but having a good time as cheap as they can get it.

It's a nasty combination which would solve itself if the taxman were smart enough to ask a few simple questions, like:

How does a 400+ room Hotel making $100 per room per night ($40,000 per night) manage to do housekeeping and maintenance with only a few workers on payroll?

How does a landscaping business make a million bucks and have no permanent employees below management level?

How did a construction company build a thousand houses with nothing but a foreman and two supervisors?

Of course, such questions won't be asked because they're RACIST. Well, actually they're not racist at all but they lead to immigration and then to racism which allows the liberal to play the race card like a trump card and then it's all over but the crying.

We can trace much of our illegal alien problem (and the lack of congressional support to crack down on illegal aliens and their employers) to employer abuse of American workers.

The Bracero program (implemented during WWII and ended in the 1960's) involved rampant employer abuse of Mexican workers. Employers abusing workers is a problem and it doesn't really matter where the workers come from, it's still American employers and they need to follow American labor law.

Day labor is BS. It's wink-wink nudge-nudge and comedians make jokes about illegals asking "Where's the nearest Home Depot?" because it's true and jokes are never funny unless there's an ingredient of truth in them.

When some nitwit legislator or public servant alleges that illegals are only doing jobs Americans don't want to do, he or she does not deserve to be a legislator. Good comments Gdoane.

Illegal immigration discredits legal immigration.

I am steadfastly *for* legal immigration. My mother's family was from Germany, and my father's family was from England. Were it not for legal immigration, I would not be an American.

Because I support legal immigration, as American as Apple Pie, I oppose illegal immigration because of the damage it does to legal immigration. The people who play by the rules get lumped in with the people who don't play by the rules and then they're all treated the same in the end, so what does that say about the rules?

This is a nation of laws, not men. Lawful immigration is good, even beneficial, but lawbreaking men are bad and illegal immigrants are outlaws. Illegal immigrants do no favors for legal immigrants. They complicate matters and contribute little or nothing themselves.

[sheeshnaw]

The Jamaicans working here aren't immigrants, they have J1(exchange student) visas. The J1 program, according to the State Dept., was designed to "increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchanges". They are here for 90 days, then they have to go home.

[gdoane]

The Jamaicans working here aren't immigrants, they have J1(exchange student) visas. The J1 program, according to the State Dept., was designed to "increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchanges". They are here for 90 days, then they have to go home.

So, cleaning hotel rooms is a means of educational and cultural exchange?

What the heck are the Jamaicans supposed to learn from that? The American in room 301 likes his soap on the left side of the bathroom sink?

The excuse doesn't fit the crime. There's no way that the mission stated is fulfilled by unskilled labor jobs.

[The Bos'un]

Come to think of it, the title of this thread certainly appears to be racist. It is not LEGAL Jamaicans fault that they were recruited to work in the United States LEGALLY.

I would say that the blame should be put on the right people and the corporate greed that has permeated our society.

Leave the Jamaicans alone, already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[The Bos'un]

SOmehow, i suspect that the Jamacians are victims of greedy employers.

[LouC]

Meyer Real Estate in Gulf Shores, AL has brought in a group of +100 Jamaicans with J1 visas to work as housekeepers in their service department.

johnnie11 :think:

[The Bos'un]

I would say the that heat should be brought on Meyer Real Estate in Gulf Shores, AL, IF THE STORY IS TRUE. Why slander a bunch of poor Jamaicans who were entering the country legally only to be exploited by corporate greed. Slandering and blaming Jamaicans as the title states is a disingenuous thing to do.

[gdoane]

SOmehow, i suspect that the Jamacians are victims of greedy employers.

It's a form of slavery. It's totally disgusting.

Look up the history of the Bracero program, Mexican nationals brought in to replace the farm workers drafted to service in WWII. The abuses were widespread and gross.

Workers in the Bracero Program weren't just threatened with being fired from the job. That would be okay, really, Boss says you don't have a job then you go home and look for another job. Except going home means MEXICO. Employers in the Bracero program had not only the power to fire workers, but to deport them with a pink slip. This, of course, was used as a serious threat to force workers into slavery class conditions of 20-hour workdays, horrific living conditions without sanitation of any sort, "company store" indebtedness and no complaints allowed.

I've said before, I don't blame the Jamaicans at all. What I'm seeing here is a rehash of the Bracero program started in the 1940's. This isn't anything new. It's your basic "those who don't remember history are doomed to repeat it" kind of thing.

Giving employers the right to hire and fire people is fine. No problem. When they can threaten people with deportation along with getting fired, that's BS and such power leads to abuses.

[The Bos'un]

Excellent observations and comments.

[fish finder]

Oh boy, here we go.....I have proof of even more issues with this company that I will not display on this site, they are depriving local children of food and housing by giving foreign workers the jobs that LOCALS ARE TRYING TO GET, true... the Jamaicans are not at fault in any way, they are very nice students, and they are just doing what they are asked to do, but the company is completely aware of what it is doing and has absolutely no compassion for any of its full time local employees other than a very small group of lifers.

They dont even care about the customers, ask the many families who had reservations during a hurricaine last year, they came to check in after paying thousands of dollars, and the houses were under 2 and 3 feet of water, they came back to be moved to another property and were told by the front office "Sorry" "We can move you to another property but you will have to pay for it" What??? But what if they dont have enough money to pay thousands more for another property? "well I guess they will have to go back home" They do not give refunds for hurricaines! Now that's great customer service!

Or ask about how they changed the contract to make it harder for guests to sue the company when they have ajor issues, rather than trying to reduce the number of major issues so the number of law suits will reduce.

The rediculous message earlier from Mrs. Hodges was obviously from several years ago, and has nothing to do with what is going on now in 2009, I have been with Meyer Housekeeping for several years, they have NEVER had 600 seasonal workers local or foreign, that is totally false. The entire company has about 250 full time employees and 100 foreign seasonal employees so the 15% statement was false as well, last year they had 180 from Jamaica. The reason for only using Jamaicans is that there is less of a language barrier with a country who uses english as the primary language. Meyer does not use any agency to get the J1's, they send our own team of recruiters to Jamaica every year and act as the agency themselves.

And yes, Brett Robinson and other local companies do use J1 and H2B foreign students as seasonal workers, but THEY DO NOT FIRE, CUT HOURS OR CUT PAY for the local full time employees just so they can guarantee certain pay to the J1's.

Meyer Real Estate TERMINATED over 60 local full time employees at the end of the year 2008, and cut pay of several other long term employees, some pay cuts were as much as 50%, and now they brought 100 workers from over seas and are paying them more than most of the local workers to do less work.

These foreign students are not going to put any of this money back in to our local economy because they are going ot take it all back to their own countries. That is why they are here, for the money.

Why else would anyone majoring in finance, accounting, or engineering, with only one year left to get a degree, be here in Gulf Shores cleaning condos like slaves? definately not for the beaches, I mean... they are from Jamaica.

The bottom line here is that the people managing this company do not care about the local economy, they do not care about the lives of their employees, they do not care about the customers, and they do not care about the owners of the rental properties, all they are worried about is how to keep a very small group of people wealthy, and they seriously should be investigated for several illegal acts.

[fish finder]

Oh, by the way, when talking about RACIST.

Ask how many African American employees are in the company as full time long term workers with Meyer Real Estate.

Out of the 250+ full time employees, I can think of " 5 " yes, FIVE full time African American employees in the entire company.

"Equal Opportunity Employer" Hmmmmm?

[ISYairio]

A conservative estimate of the welfare gain to a moderately skilled worker in the median country of our sample moving to the US is P$10,000 per worker, per year, roughly double income per capita of the developing world in aggregate. We give evidence that gaps like these can only arise from policy barriers to labor movement. This means that those barriers create one of the largest distortions in any global market, create the largest form of wage discrimination observed in today’s world, and create what is apparently the largest antipoverty intervention available for people from poor countries. (http://www.cgdev.org/files/16352_file_CMP_place_premium_148.pdf)[adobe reader pdf]

Wow!!

[Apatriot]

Oh boy, here we go.....I have proof of even more issues with this company that I will not display on this site, they are depriving local children of food and housing by giving foreign workers the jobs that LOCALS ARE TRYING TO GET, true... the Jamaicans are not at fault in any way, they are very nice students, and they are just doing what they are asked to do, but the company is completely aware of what it is doing and has absolutely no compassion for any of its full time local employees other than a very small group of lifers.

They dont even care about the customers, ask the many families who had reservations during a hurricaine last year, they came to check in after paying thousands of dollars, and the houses were under 2 and 3 feet of water, they came back to be moved to another property and were told by the front office "Sorry" "We can move you to another property but you will have to pay for it" What??? But what if they dont have enough money to pay thousands more for another property? "well I guess they will have to go back home" They do not give refunds for hurricaines! Now that's great customer service!

Which hurricane? I can't recall a hurricane last summer that caused flooding in Gulf Shores. I live almost next door just inshore of Perdido Key, and I don't remember one that effected our area.

Or ask about how they changed the contract to make it harder for guests to sue the company when they have ajor issues, rather than trying to reduce the number of major issues so the number of law suits will reduce.

The rediculous message earlier from Mrs. Hodges was obviously from several years ago, and has nothing to do with what is going on now in 2009, I have been with Meyer Housekeeping for several years, they have NEVER had 600 seasonal workers local or foreign, that is totally false. The entire company has about 250 full time employees and 100 foreign seasonal employees so the 15% statement was false as well, last year they had 180 from Jamaica. The reason for only using Jamaicans is that there is less of a language barrier with a country who uses english as the primary language. Meyer does not use any agency to get the J1's, they send our own team of recruiters to Jamaica every year and act as the agency themselves.

And yes, Brett Robinson and other local companies do use J1 and H2B foreign students as seasonal workers, but THEY DO NOT FIRE, CUT HOURS OR CUT PAY for the local full time employees just so they can guarantee certain pay to the J1's.

Meyer Real Estate TERMINATED over 60 local full time employees at the end of the year 2008, and cut pay of several other long term employees, some pay cuts were as much as 50%, and now they brought 100 workers from over seas and are paying them more than most of the local workers to do less work.

If that's true, that is totally wrong.

These foreign students are not going to put any of this money back in to our local economy because they are going ot take it all back to their own countries. That is why they are here, for the money.

Why else would anyone majoring in finance, accounting, or engineering, with only one year left to get a degree, be here in Gulf Shores cleaning condos like slaves? definately not for the beaches, I mean... they are from Jamaica.


What's wrong with that? The primary reason I work is for money, what's wrong with them doing that? I would only fault the owners for not hiring local folks, I wouldn't fault the foreign workers. They need money just like we do.

[Techgod]

:boohoo:

Get to work and stop asking for handouts. Took "your" job my ass.

[sheeshnaw]

Oh boy, here we go.....I have proof of even more issues with this company that I will not display on this site, they are depriving local children of food and housing by giving foreign workers the jobs that LOCALS ARE TRYING TO GET, true... the Jamaicans are not at fault in any way, they are very nice students, and they are just doing what they are asked to do, but the company is completely aware of what it is doing and has absolutely no compassion for any of its full time local employees other than a very small group of lifers...

Fish Finder,
Send me a private message...we need to talk. ;)