Low
income guest workers from India continue to be horribly abused by unscrupulous
Indian recruiters and American corporations. The victims allege that Indian
recruiters demand exorbitant up-front fees up to $20,000 for US jobs falsely
promising lucrative US wages and green cards. Once these unsuspecting ‘bonded’
laborers arrive on US soil they become virtual corporate slaves. For example,
Signal International, a marine fabrication company, hired 500 welders and pipe
fitters from India, predominantly from Kerala. The workers complained of
systematic harassment and mistreatment. Their living quarters - tightly packed
decrepit trailers - resembled a transplanted ‘black hole of Calcutta.’
These
workers often find themselves between a proverbial rock and a hard place,
stirring up anger from Union workers who resent their presence and their
employers who wish to exploit them for their low wages. They are completely at
the mercy of their employers, strictly forbidden to seek employment with any
other US employers. Ironically, many US corporations are being hard-hit by the
absurdly low H-2B visas allotted. Only a paltry 66,000 a year are allowed – an
exceedingly small number given the pent up demand from US corporations. Until
recently, the workers remained silent out fear of having their wages garnished
or summarily deported. Low wage worker from other nations have suffered similar
abuse. Fortunately, there appears to be a glimmer of hope creeping through the
dark cloud of corporate abuse. A class action suit has recently been filed to
redress workers grievances.
The
Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit
civil rights law firm, deserves credit for its work representing H-2B
plaintiffs.
The
Indian community should vigorously support new legislation being crafted by
Senator Bernie Sanders which would provide guest workers access to lawyers and
tighten regulation of predatory recruiters.
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