Revolt in Mississippi: Indian Workers Claim 'Slave Treatment'

"The workers claim they were defrauded by a Signal International recruiter in India who promised them green cards and permanent residency in the U.S. in exchange for a $20,000 fee. The workers allege that they instead received 10-month work visas, which was only enough time for them to pay off their recruitment fees. The workers also claim that Signal forced them to live in substandard housing, with 24 men crammed into a small room. The men say Signal charged them more than $1,000 a month to live in company housing."For more than one year, hundreds of Indian workers at Signal International have been living like slaves," Is there a deliberate design flaw in the Economic & Judicial systems of rule and law, lopsidedly benefiting corporate greedy guts? Where science and facts play second fiddle to the power of the Mouth backed by money?

There is not an intelligent being alive that could not understand Natural Capitalism with justice based on natural laws, facts and unfettered science; where human life comes first and foremost, the primary factor upon which justice and profit is gaged: the greater the health and prosperity of all, the greater the justice and profits for all (simple numbers game). So who CHOKED THE SYSTEM, on top of scientific suppression of advanced energy systems from the late 1940's (Evolving Advanced Energy Systems without which Human Life Cannot Survive) ?

Mild shock and disbelief barely registered in the nation of the most productive, overworked, underpaid, underinsured, vacation deprived, low paid slave/workers in the world, as they watched their bridges fall down, while their taxes, gas and energy costs continued skyrocketing to uncharted realms, as the masses stagnated in unmovable traffic, and government departments threatened to close due to lack of funds - On the bright side, the worldwide corporate 2% greedy guts, individually, had aplenty, more wealth than 30 nations combined, apiece.... irrelevant to who is paying for their errors (as in subprime loans).

As common sense in science is lost with the continued stagnation of our energy base and deep troubling theoretical foundational issues in physics, so too, Civilization's Survival Parameters fly out of sight, out of mind, along with the values and morals inherent within new scientific understanding which new energy systems would reveal. Scientific Stagnation bodes an ill wind to evolution, sustainability, and survival as "cycles of humiliation, dumbing us down, violence, and Unrestrained Corporate Greed prompting resource wars with nuclear finality" join hands with global warming and ecological imbalance to precipitate the historical "rise and fall of civilization" - a Tsunami accelerating toward us with a far more spectacular event than the legends and myths of 'Atlantis and Lemuria"........ had more people known that Energy from Corn (or going backwards to a dimwitted concept of radioactive nuclear power application ) sounded a wee bit kindergartenish and senile for the twenty first century......the Future may have had a chance.

Revolt in Mississippi: Indian Workers Claim 'Slave Treatment'
Workers Call for Signal International to Be Prosecuted on Alleged Human Trafficking Charges
By JOSEPH RHEE
March 7, 2008—
Rebelling against alleged "slave treatment," some 100 workers recruited from India staged a dramatic protest at a Mississippi shipyard Thursday, claiming they had been tricked into coming to the United States.
The workers, brought from India to work as welders and pipe-fitters at Signal International shipyard in Pascagoula, hurled their hard hats at company gates and demanded a federal investigation.
The workers claim they were defrauded by a Signal International recruiter in India who promised them green cards and permanent residency in the U.S. in exchange for a $20,000 fee. The workers allege that they instead received 10-month work visas, which was only enough time for them to pay off their recruitment fees.
The workers also claim that Signal forced them to live in substandard housing, with 24 men crammed into a small room. The men say Signal charged them more than $1,000 a month to live in company housing.
"For more than one year, hundreds of Indian workers at Signal International have been living like slaves," said former Signal worker Sabulal Vijayan. "Today the workers are coming out to declare their freedom. This trafficking needs to end."
The workers have reported their situation to the U.S. Department of Justice and are calling for Signal International to be prosecuted on human trafficking charges.
Signal International strongly denied the workers' allegations. The company released a statement saying, "Unfortunately, a few of the workers whom Signal had sponsored for H2B visas and recruited have made baseless and unfounded allegations against Signal concerning their employment and living conditions." According to the statement, "The vast majority of the workers whom Signal recruited has been satisfied with the employment and living conditions at Signal."
Signal called its housing complex "state of the art" and said government inspections have "found that Signal's practices and facilities are fully compliant with the law."
The Mississippi Gulf Coast has faced a severe labor shortage in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and many companies have replenished their workforce with overseas labor brought in under a guest worker plan. Human rights groups, however, charge that many foreign workers have been exploited by their employers.
"The U.S. State Department calls it 'a repulsive crime' when recruiters and employers in other parts of the world bind guest workers with crushing debts and threats of deportation," said Saket Soni of the New Orleans Workers' Center for Racial Justice. "This is precisely what is happening on the Gulf Coast."

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Yep, the Temporary H2B Program has been abused by quite a few tech companies recruiting people from Southeast Asia. Many come to the U.S. and "play" the system.
Posted by:electronicname Mar-8
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I bet almost everything I own that there are Americans who would gladly fill those positions. Come up here to Michigan and do some recruiting!
Posted by:kg719 Mar-8
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Well now! "Mississippi Gulf Coast" has a labor shortage at a time when unemployment is skyrocketing. Sounds like good ol' American "further my agenda" slight of hand with smoke and mirrors to me. Dunno who's really behind it. Could be the usual "catch all" villan, the Government. Could be big business, could be even bigger labor, or it could be the typical U.S. laborer who is always willing to give his best $10 worth of work for $20. Who will then take his $20 and spend it on something made in China 'cause it's cheaper, all the while screaming" buy American."
Posted by:Alchydave Mar-8
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these workers should be granted their wish to return to India. Then AMERICAN workers can be hired to fill the vacancies. How dare these companies (who are given tax breaks) bring people in from outside the United States when AMERICAN workers are willing and available to work!
Posted by:bzb42 Mar-8
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What people tend to forget is that American companies treated American citizens like this from the very beginning even well into the 20th century. This country was built by both literal slave labor and psuedo-"free" slave labor (think PA steel mills and WV coal mines, Asians and Irish building railways, etc. and the list goes on....) My own immigrant ancestors were indentured servants to British settlers. I hope that this company follows through on its promises to these workers, or it reimburses their $20k "fee" and makes their situations more dignifying. I agree with others here thinking that it is strange that so many Americans are unemployed, especially in the manufacturing industry, and this company is bringing in people from India and not people from Detroit, for example, to work there. I suppose the union issue is probably why, I don't know, but still: these Indian workers are doing what all of us are trying to do, which is to feed their families. I don't blame them for wanting to come here, and I certainly don't blame them if they were promised green cards and residency, even if they fell for the now-obvious scam this company set up. This is the 21st C and the USA is "supposed" to be setting an example of human rights and freedoms, and this company proves that we've got a long way to go to become the example we strive to be.
Posted by:va_adf Mar-8
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"Recruited" from India?!!....Sound familiar? Not so long ago, "we" recruited Mexicans....And tell me, how are we going to build-a-wall between the US and India? hum?
Posted by:sugnuFtooF Mar-8
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These workers were promised much and lied to - I believe that we may even have verbal agreement laws here in Mississippi. One of the right wing radio stations down here has been reporting on this story strictly from the company side and interrupted/tried to shut me up, when I called trying to call in on the side of these workers, eventually saying "Well, I just don't care about whatever problems some foreigners are having here." (not word for word, but almost). The atmosphere is really hostile sometimes, but I think it's vital that the folk here and around the country and world know what all goes on with these guest worker programs. We must create a society that values human dignity.
Posted by:EnkuIde Mar-8
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The company seems to be profiting from exploiting it's workforce, not exactly patriotic.
Posted by:HegeI321 Mar-8
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If you don't like the play, get up and leave. Send those unhappy with their situation back to India. Both sides sound like they were lookign for something the easy way. There are too many people here in the US that want and need jobs. If Signal is willing to pay for training, train US citizens. Don't bring foreigners over here to fill jobs.
Posted by:shakespearetobe Mar-8
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They are probably making more money and live in better --and safer -- conditions than our troops in Iraq. I smell a union.
Posted by:cahill_08 Mar-8
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No Myak they aren't because these same companies fund political campaigns. That gives them a walk. As far as the Indian workers go................. if you don't like the job then quit, walk away and go home. I think it's safe to say most of us would be more than happy to pave the way for you. See YA!!!!!!
Posted by:DKeller33 Mar-8
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There are many Americans out of work who want a fair wage. If Signal bypassed US workers to save money by bringing Indian workers here, then forced those workers to live like "slaves, the company's owners and management should be jailed for a long, long time.
Posted by:BJinChicago Mar-8
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It's really hard to believe that the whole and true story is being told, sounds like some kind of scam.
Posted by:BTL Musings Mar-7
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same old game, more money. They caught onto the union game, who cares if it destroys the Company. Unions kill more Companies but they do not care.
Posted by:migtex1234 Mar-8
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If Signal would have been paying decent wages and accomodation, there was no need for these workers to protest. In such case they would have been earning much more than back in India. $1000/month for accomodation from the workers earning $17/hr!!! SHAME on Signal International...
Posted by:guptavarun Mar-7
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My God, this is outrageous! Already good paying jobs in America are scare, and instead of giving American citizens these jobs, we import cheap labor. No wonder we don't have a middle class in America any more. Our own leaders do everything they can hurt their own people. What has happened to valuing the American worker. Surely they and companies like them are being investigated by OSHA and the state department of labor.
Posted by:myak23 Mar-7
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"Mississippi Gulf Coast has faced a severe labor shortage in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and many companies have replenished their workforce with overseas labor brought in under a guest worker plan"......Some plan. They work and essentially don't get paid and the government finds nothing wrong with this? No wonder the rich get richer off of the backs of others! They probably have a no-bid government contract!
Posted by:PHVT Mar-7
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Why is Signal international recruiting workers from India when there are so many Americans out of work? They should be recruiting from all States!
Posted by:sanjor26 Mar-7
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Why are we bringing in workers from India when there are people here in the usa looking for jobs? This company should be recruiting Americans from all over the country to work!
Posted by:sanjor26 Mar-7
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"U.S. employers slashed jobs by 63,000 in February," Why in the world would be be recuiting from other countries???
Posted by:805blonde Mar-7
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Why don't I believe the Signal response? This country really isn't so great once you learn how we do what we do. So many things are wrong here and getting worse.
Posted by:Anonbene Mar-7
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It has begunOh wait, it will get worse..............Give you three guess's why
Posted by:luckygal__ Mar-7
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Shame on Signal International!!!Importing CHEAP labor into this country when there are so many out of work welders/fabricators in the US!!!There is NOT a shortage of labor!!Signal International just didn't want to pay prevailing wages....where are the Unions protesting/striking/putting pressure on this comapny to hire domestic?!?!?
Posted by:Brdatwork2 Mar-7
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The "Fence Along the Border" crowd won't be pleased with this Corporate GOP America story. It is so easy to blame those who will walk hours or days through a desert to work in hot fields or chicken slaughter plants or other jobs U.S. citizens refuse to do, but Corporate Amerca will outsource high tech and professional jobs and bring in welders and pipe fitters for which U.S. laborers are seeking jobs. The Immigration and Naturalization Service under George Bush which was placed under the do less Homeland Security Czar is totally, 100% dysfunctional. The abuse of H2 visas is so commonly know and Silicon Valley which benefited the most has not spread that workforce across the nation. But we will still focus on the de facto slave labor necessary to keep our tables covered in fresh vegetables, fruit and have more to help with our elderly. It is not correct, repeat not correct for someone to cross the border illegally - but place a young man or woman trying to feed their family up against the corruption at the very highest level of Immigration and I'll defend the illegal crossing the Mexican border any day in the week.
Posted by:chapinwest Mar-7
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guest worker plan? i live in a state with a severe job shortage, and can not remember a recruiting ad for jobs on the mississippi gulf coast, nor were there any postings on the state's unemployment web site. sounds like signal was looking for some cheap labor, and the guest workers were looking for a way to stay in the states without becoming citizens. i guess i don't really feel sorry for anybody here.