Monday, May 01, 2006

I'm Confused Are They Boycotting America Or Americans Boycotting?

Allergies have been kicking my butt. So, yesterday I visited some friends and just rested alot (with one eye on the draft.) I have to work on the newsletter tomorrow morning and normally I'd run off to work right after. Normally... but tomorrow is being called A Day Without An Immigrant and The Great American Boycott 2006 (yes, we are united but we can't agree on one name.) No, I'm not staying home to show my support.

I actually work in a "building" that has a mostly Hispanic cleaning staff (more than half of the employees on property.) The "building" is full of people renting rooms that need to be cleaned between guests and during their stay. A lot of the time, I meet these guests whether I'm bringing them things, listening to a complaint or assisting them with their keys. If the cleaning staff doesn't show up, all hell will break loose. This means that people in non-organized job classes will be told to clean rooms. I don't have to worry about that but I do know that these guests will not be happy waiting longer for their rooms, will find problems with their rooms and will want to vent these problems with someone who just so happens to be standing near them. I decided that I wasn't going to be there for that several weeks ago and put in for a vacation day. I've since seen many handouts at the "building" asking people to sign a petition as a show of support but still show up for work with the idea that they can go join the rallies after their shift. I don't think that is going to work too well. The cleaning classification is hard to fill where we are and many can use a nifty provision called F.M.L.A. (if you haven't heard about it, I'll probably talk about it soon) to get the day off and often get paid for it.

Anyhow, I look at the timing as perfect as I'm all stuffed up (I guess, I talk in my sleep when I'm really stuffy) at what feels like the peak of my allergy symptoms and I'll be able to take some nifty drugs and sleep (ok, I have to do a lot of typing but I don't have to rush it out by 4 pm like normal.) In some ways, I hope those protesting don't show up to work. Nothing shows how much you have sacrificed for honest work than to walk off of the job, have your children walk out of a taxpayer-funded school, spend no money (which means buy more before or after) and voice your "right" to reside in a foreign country illegally. I just wonder if it will take this one event, one event every year or a monthly walkout that will put businesses on the hotseat to maybe re-evaluate their hiring practices.

8 comments:

Ken said...

I was thinking about this today. What exactly are people trying to prove? Are these folks that are here legally protesting today, and there are folks here illegally protesting today. Either way, for the organizers, it is a public relations coup, and that's all they wanted.

This being said - other than protesting proposed immigration reform, what exactly are these protesters requesting?

Bar L. said...

I am interested to see what happens near where I live. My sister works with a lot of Hispanics in her office and most of them are planning on calling in sick today. This will cause a huge back-up for customers calling in (it's a health insurance co. call center). I feel bad for my sis because its causing her major stress that she does not deserve in addition to all the other major stress of managing a group of people that seem to have a unique of issues in addition to the normal employee challenges.

Unknown said...

I beleive the bulk of the illegal immigrants will go to work..thats a given..the fear factor and all.

But I can represent them by attending a rally which I will do this evening. Our city is having an all day rally and another in the early evening. Of course I live in the San Joaquin valley, the heart of agri-business.

Busting the companies because of their hiring practices is the best way to go..legal workers can file complaints and are not treated as second class citizen, we all are better off.

Martin said...

Well, Roberto's Taco Shop stayed open so I had that for lunch. Overall, union workers at Las Vegas' hotels heeded their union's call to show up at work. Our local newscasters were a little stunned that there were maybe 20 people that showed up in a park they were meeting at by 9am. Especially when Denver, Los Angeles and several other cities were immense turn outs. Might me some gathering tonight so I'll watch the news to see but otherwise, Las Vegas was a bust.

Beth said...

I'm with you on this one. Rush did a thing on the Mexican laws regarding the very same issue in their country, and I couldn't help thinking, "Then why is this such an issue here?"

Zen Wizard said...

This "building" wouldn't happen to be a "hotel" would it?

Just going out on a limb, here...

Martin said...

I tried to stay vague but the description kind of gives it away. hahaha

LoraLoo said...

I'm still not sure I understand what the boycott was about. I'm also stunned about the fact that so many of these protestors don't even know what the whole fuss is about.

I agree immigration reform is necessary. But I do believe immigrants should be here responsibly and legally.