19 May 2008

Employers "Find" Puerto Rico

Ha.

That's the most this headlined article from The Atlanta Constitution deserves. Here are the chucklers:

"Puerto Rico is part of the United States, so its residents are American citizens."  Yes, let's explain to them good ol' boys what Puerto Rico is, shan't We? And while We're at it, can We also explain why nobody gives a tinker's damn?

"...the latest trend includes a greater variety of industries, such as hotels and resorts, hospitals, and meat-processing operations."  Oh, yeah, definitely a brain drain issue We should all be worried about, considering that "hospitals" means "nurses" and everything else is "maintenance and factory floor."

"Cargill Meat Solutions, a pork processor in Beardstown Ill., began recruiting workers from Puerto Rico last year. They now have dozens of workers from the island, according to various news reports."  Yeah, don't ask what's in your sausage... or who's making them.

About the Aspen Skiing Company recruitment: "About 20 Puerto Rican men and women were recruited to work as maids, maintenance workers, and other hotel jobs."  I rest My "brain drain" case...

"The unemployment rate on the island is about 10 percent, twice as high as on the U.S. mainland, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics."  Oh, please. Lies, damn lies and statistics, people, and unemployment statistics take the cowcake. Real unemployment in Puerto Rico is not 10%, or even a hideous 20%: It's closer to 25% and if you chuck in welfare tapeworms and Fools it could be as high as 35%. 

Bureau of Labor Statistics: Kiss My black ass. The numbers you purport to sling around are bogus, and when it comes to Puerto Rico, they would need God's blessing to rise to bogus. And Atlanta Constitution, you're so far out to sea on this issue that you just hit land and called it "The New World." Employers didn't "find" Puerto Rico: We found them. Even your own article tells the redneck region how it happens: "The effort started through a Meadowbrook employee in the human resources department from Puerto Rico who helped the company make contacts through her family on the island."

So wise up, Atlanta (Morning) Constitution(al): Employers haven't "found" Puerto Rico since Jesse Fewkes wrote about Our people in the early 1900s. We go to where they--the employers--are and We make the connections. Stop acting like We're some secret stash of menial labor and that your article is some sort of "news" item. Just because you can't hack it anymore or have a history of "whitey-first" superciliousness doesn't mean you can come into My bailiwick and act all snooty and stupid.

Although I'm willing to bet gold chunks to Dixie grits that that's the best you can do. And I hate grits.


The Jenius Has Spoken.





 

1 comment:

Unknown said...

These recruitment drives have been going on for years and years. during the weeks my son spent in NICU, several nurses at the hospital left for US hospitals. The companies rent a hotel conference room, advertise and get to pick from the best. Some companies like Puerto Rico Forum (funny name) help teachers relocate and even coach teachers so they pass the certification exams of the state they are moving to.
I'm surprised they are actively recruiting manual skilled labor for agro industries. I thought the local attitude was "I deserve and A/C job". Heck, most local agro industries have difficulty getting workers, look at the coffee industry. How stupid, we go to the US to do jobs we could do locally.