Consumer complaints in Mesa East Valley Tribune RE: moon Valley Nursery imigration violations
In 1492, a discovery was made. Thereafter, a whole nation was born. There is just one problem. Wasn't there already a nation and a people? Every person that came to this country from a different country was an illegal immigrant. We had no right to this country, and yet we still came. Fast forward to our present time. Are we not still coming?
One of many, this is a Crew of Four hard working people making around $50 a day, digging ditches for about 8 to 10 hours a day. Doing the dirty work white Americans will not do. The owners of this company is treating these poor souls like dirt, no respect. Like anyone else coming to the US, they come here to make a better life for themselves.
I am a white American. I am 32 years old. I have been married for 14 years, and I have two children. I was born in Yuma, Arizona, United States of America. Why is it that I have so many rights and privileges just because I was born 20 miles north of the Mexican border?
I started working at Moon Valley Nursery in March. I drive a delivery truck and I have a planting crew of four men. I route the day's deliveries and my crew does the planting. I am paid $95 per day, regardless of the hours worked. My lead crew member is paid $80 per day, and the other members are paid between $50 to $65 per day. My lead planting crew member is bi-lingual, knows all of the plants by sight and name, and is in my opinion more important than the driver—me. We work six days a week.
These are some of the men needing help. They are too afraid to speak for themselves. I have tried to speak for them. No one seems to care.
For as long as I have worked here, which has not been long, we have worked at least eight hours per day. My first two to three weeks, we were working ten hours per day. Some planting crews at other nursery locations have been working seven days and 12 hours per day. Many of the other workers at the nurseries (watering, loading/unloading, and cleanup) are working 13 hours per day seven days per week. They receive $65 per day. There are some workers who have worked for several years but are still only making $85 per day.
I have spoken with my manager, his manager, and the owner asking for more money for the hard workers employed by this company. I was told that if there was a raise given to the crews, some drivers would have to be laid off. After seeing a profit report through the month of April, I learned that this company has already made a profit of about (redacted).
What a difference the bottom line would be if not for the strong backs of our friends down south. Why can't the company pay brown skin the same amount of money they would have to pay white skin for the same job? I have no leverage. I have spoken to Representative J.D. Hayworth's office, and I was told to call the police. So, I now turn to you.
If your skin was brown what would you do?
MillerMesa, Arizona
U.S.A.
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