New Hampshire's Exploited Foreign Student Workers

Gilford Resident

Last year I had the pleasure of talking with many of the foreign student workers imported into the Lakes Region for the Summer.  These students come from overseas, brought in by their employer/sponsors, to work during the Summer, helping local businesses meet the needs of the vacationers flocking to the region for this brief period upon which many of New Hampshire's small business's depend.  This year is no different and many of these students, each of whom has paid around one thousand dollars for transportation to our neck of the woods, are back again, hoping to earn enough money to get them through the school year back home.

In a part of New England where diversity is almost unknown, it is a breath of fresh air to see these students, many of whom are from Eastern Europe, add some character to our otherwise bland existence.  What most locals do not understand is who terribly exploited, underpaid and under-respected many of these student are.

They can be found working in the local fast food outlets, super markets, gas stations and hotels.  A few of these businesses treats these workers very well, but the vast majority exploit their eagerness to work and the difference in pay between their homelands and New Hampshire.  The result of this exploitation is overwork, underpay and frustration.

Many of these students are very well educated, yet while in New Hampshire, the English only population rolls their eyes at their limited English and mocks them as if they are subhuman.  On the contrary, I've found them to be brilliant.  I asked the owner of a local fast food shop about his experiences hiring these students and he beamed with pride over how well they were working out, "I've been bringing them back for years." he said.  "They are hard working, inventive and have introduced many improvements in our processes.  Unlike many in the local population, these workers want to work."

Last year, I told some of these workers that I sometimes publish on IndyMedia and they consented to interviews.  They wish to keep their identities secret because of fear of retaliation during future returns to New Hampshire.  The following is a summary of what I learned.

Among the worst of the employers in the Lakes Region Area (think Laconia) is the Margate resort.  The Margate pays its foreign workers less than it pays local workers.  Some of the managers at the resort are know to systematically steal the tips out of guest rooms before foreign house keeping workers are able to access the rooms.  Arbitrary firing of workers is common at the Margate.  At least one story I heard implied that a male worker was fired when he turned down a female manager's advances.

Burger King in Laconia is also known to pay foreign workers less.  They promise hours of work that they do not schedule.  Working more than full time is important to these students and some of them maintain two or three jobs while in New Hampshire.  When an employer promises work but does not deliver, these students are left without work.  It costs a great deal for them to come out to New Hampshire and work for the summer.  They depend upon their earnings not only for living while in New Hampshire, but for paying for their transportation to and from New Hampshire and survival at home during the school year.

Shaws Supermarket places foreign workers in lower positions than American workers.  During the summer, only the foreign workers are required to do such tasks as cleaning up the grounds outside of the supermarket and collecting carts (this is in addition to their other duties).

I asked the workers if there were any exceptions to this poor treatment of foreign workers.  Several pointed out that Gilford Mobil Mart treats its employees very well, pays the foreign workers the same rate of pay was the local workers and treats them with the same respect as it treats local workers.

My advice for those of you visiting the Lakes Region for Summer vacation is to give your tips directly to the persons cleaning your room at the hotels whenever possible.  At other locations, be quick to praise their work and let their bosses know that you value them.  You might wanted to ask their bosses, pointedly, if they pay them equally.  Letting the business owners of New Hampshire know that you care about and are aware of their exploitation of foreign workers may pressure them to treat these delightful people better.