They have signed contracts to work on Guam but in some cases they are paid far less than they should have. If a person is hired as a carpenter but performs the work of an electrician, then he should get the higher level between the two salary rates for corresponding positions.
There are several reasons why these employees have been unhappy. Because they have questioned the money taken from them, the employer has decided it is time to send them home. They were supposed to have left three hours and 20 minutes ago. Three of the 12 have left but nine of them have stayed on island to see this through.
I hope that I have the fortitude to do something good for all of them. I believe that if you feel that you are getting ripped off you probably are.
They were warned that by Monday they would be reported as “runaway illegal aliens.” As I write this letter they are employees still seeking help to stave off the wrath of their employer. They were evicted from their place of residence, which they paid for and are cleared for at least a few more days. They have sought shelter with a friend. I feel that justice needs to be served for these men who are here for themselves while their families are in the Philippines.
In the next few years, thousands more men from the Philippines will come to Guam as workers. It is hard to believe that abuse of aliens is still allowed to continue without any help from responsible people.
The workers were trying to recover wages lost as a result of under compensation during their time on Guam and the $200 per month deduction they were forced to give back to their employer each payday.
Their passports are also being held by the employer and their former employer will refer to them as illegal aliens first thing in the morning. Without their passports and the fear they show when discussing their former employer is a testimony that most H-2 workers are at the mercy of their bosses.
FELIX AGUON
Dededo, Guam
