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kristin31
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Location: Caught in the crossfire of childhood and stardom
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 Posted: 04/29/06 - 13:14 Post subject: Immigration Protest Monday
There is apparently a nationwide immigration protest scheduled Monday. Many of the restaurant employees want to go up to Homestead and participate in the protest.
Keep in mind that the owner is French and while he is here legally, has sponsored more than a few people also who want to stay legally, which is good. But he picks and chooses. That is his right. But he is not an American citizen, but just loves the idea of stirring stuff up (at least that is what he has said). SO he's all about protest, just for the idea of protest, but with no logic
SO the owner gets the bright idea to close the restaurant to have a "cleaning" day so the employees can go up and protest.
Hello!!! Who does he think is going to be there to clean? Almost no one!!! All of the people (at least from when I worked there were legal, meaning their documentation passed) but they are going up to protest for their family/friends/acquaintances who may or may not be valid.
And, seeing as it is still season, guess whose numbers will be down by closing the entire restaurant? And guess whose bonuses are based on these numbers. So he is setting up people to fail.
People are idiots. Never understimate the power of the rich and utterly stupid.
BAHH. Done with my vent, thank you.
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Gogirlgo
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Location: No deal, stalker.
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Posted: 04/29/06 - 13:52 Post subject:
Is it possible he's calling it that so potential customers don't get pissed off the restaurant is closed due to lack of help, ie they don't realize how many people who work there are illegals?
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cherylpf
crazy cat lady
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Posted: 04/29/06 - 14:38 Post subject:
There have been several such protests here, all downtown. Its an important cause, no matter the side you take, but that said, I'm glad I no longer work downtown, the traffic they must be causing must be hell....
Anyway, its cool, no matter his motives, that the owner is allowing those who want to participate the opportunity to go without jeopardizing their jobs.
PS Does this mean that Larry can drive you to Miami?
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kristin31
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Location: Caught in the crossfire of childhood and stardom
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Posted: 04/29/06 - 14:41 Post subject:
| Gogirlgo wrote: | | Is it possible he's calling it that so potential customers don't get pissed off the restaurant is closed due to lack of help, ie they don't realize how many people who work there are illegals? |
Well, that would be a wise idea. But he is not advertising that it is closed. He is just closing it. And everyone who works there is technically legal (they have provided all of the necessary documentation). Once the SS #'s and the ID check out, they are hired. The payroll system kicks them out if they are not valid. So, they could have someone else's identity, which is valid, and no one would ever know. Or, they could have forged ID's/passports, what have you.
I think that he is wise to let them go if they want. However, to dump a bunch of sh$t on the rest of the staff, the majority of who are tipped employees, and will get paid minimum wage to clean is not fair.
I do however, think that incidents like this will make people realize just how big of an impact throwing everyone who is not "legal" out of this country will have.
Larry and I are both pissed because this supposed "bonus" is tied to bottom line. It's season. Even on a Monday, that equals lots of $$.
So I guess what I am trying to say is that kicking everyone out is not the solution. It's going to hurt a lot of other hard-working people in many ways. It will hurt a lot more than helping.
What's kind of ironic is that Miami is not even really doing as much as the rest of the country, because there is such a high % of Cuban population, which as you know, by default are legal once they get on land.
A lot of the Haitian community (which is BIG down here) is upset that they don't have the same rights as Cubans. IMO, they should. Haiti is in far worse shape than Cuba.
{Sigh} immigration law in this country sucks, and it will get worse before it gets better. I think a lot of people don't realize the impact that it has on the average person until something like this happens.
(I was supposed to go to my rheumatologist Monday to find out my test results. I can't drive that far by myself because my feet cramp up. Larry was supposed to take me, but because of this "cleaning day" he can't". )
Additionally, he was supposed to get a bonus, but that never happened, really. He got a token amount. Now, they are talking about giving out additional bonuses at end of season, based on bottom line. A Monday in season brings in at least $40,000. Really.
This impacts us more than a lot of people would like to think. The prposed law, the protests, everything. If we kick all of those without proper documentation out, it still guarantees nothing, because a lot of people still have faked ID's/SS #'s. And the protests will kill the business of your average restaurant/hotel. Within several days in season, it can make the difference between a profit and a loss for a quarter, or possibly a year.
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cherylpf
crazy cat lady
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Posted: 04/29/06 - 15:02 Post subject:
| kristin31 wrote: | | What's kind of ironic is that Miami is not even really doing as much as the rest of the country, because there is such a high % of Cuban population, which as you know, by default are legal once they get on land. |
Legal? What happens to them? Do they get green cards?
| kristin31 wrote: | | This impacts us more than a lot of people would like to think. The prposed law, the protests, everything. If we kick all of those without proper documentation out, it still guarantees nothing, because a lot of people still have faked ID's/SS #'s. And the protests will kill the business of your average restaurant/hotel. Within several days in season, it can make the difference between a profit and a loss for a quarter, or possibly a year. |
great points
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kristin31
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Location: Caught in the crossfire of childhood and stardom
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Posted: 04/29/06 - 15:26 Post subject:
| cherylpf wrote: | | kristin31 wrote: | | What's kind of ironic is that Miami is not even really doing as much as the rest of the country, because there is such a high % of Cuban population, which as you know, by default are legal once they get on land. |
Legal? What happens to them? Do they get green cards?
| kristin31 wrote: | | This impacts us more than a lot of people would like to think. The prposed law, the protests, everything. If we kick all of those without proper documentation out, it still guarantees nothing, because a lot of people still have faked ID's/SS #'s. And the protests will kill the business of your average restaurant/hotel. Within several days in season, it can make the difference between a profit and a loss for a quarter, or possibly a year. |
great points |
Yes, IF they are found on dry land. G3 knows the details much better than I, but I do know that if you are Cuban, and you are found on dry land in FL, you get either a green card first and then the opportunity to apply for citizebship or just the opp to apply. Plus free health insurance and a stipend of wither $7,000 for 8 years ot $8,000 for 7 years.
That goes according to the "wet foot, dry-foot law". Now, if you are Cuban and they catch you in the water, all bets are off. You most likely get deported.
However, the problem with this is that we get many Hatian immigrants as well who arrive by boat. If they get caught, regardless of land or water, they are automatically sent for deportation. They can attempt to claim political asylum, but many have been unlucky with this.
Considering the living conditions in Haiti, they (and I personally) feel that they deserve the same rights to wet-foot dry-foot law as the Cubans.
And to go back to the protests, that also strikes home because there is such a large percentage of legal Cuban immigrants (now citizens, legal aliens) in Miami who don't care about the illegal aliens. They are here, they are safe, and they just don't see it from the same perspective.
Which is a shame, because you would think that someone who came up here by boat/helicopter not so long ago and didn't always have the current rights guaranteed would want to help others fight for the same priveleges that they and their families received just a few years earlier.
I don't know. It is complicated.
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