Workers Protest Human Trafficking

Mississippi Pascagoula A Gulf Coast shipyard is at the cetner of what a civil rights group is calling an "international human trafficking racket."

by Jessica Taloney

Published: Thu, March 06, 2008 - 5:57 pm CST

Carrying signs demanding dignity and shouting about unfulfilled promises, nearly 100 Indian workers marched to the Signal International shipyard in Pascagoula.
"I don't want it. The Signal visa, I just don't want it," said Saket Soni, translating for the workers who shouted in Hindi.
At a cost of $20,000 each, the workers say a Signal International recruiter in India, promised them the American Dream, but what they found when they arrived in Mississippi was an American nightmare.
"They were promised permanent residency. They were promised Green Cards. That's why they took the deal," said Soni.
Sabulal Vijayan, a former Signal International worker, says instead of receiving Green Cards, the men are here on H2B Visas, as guest workers. The workers say once they reported for work, they were told they were only allowed to stay in America for ten months, which was barely enough time to recoup the money to cover the recruiter fee.
Workers also say more than $1,000 a month was deducted from their paycheck to sleep in bunk beds in the company's "man camp."
"They put 24 people in a small room," said Vijayan. "We were fighting to get into the bathrooms and the mess hall. When we started making complaints with the company, they told us this is not India. This is America. If you want to stay in this country, you must keep quiet, shut-up and sit down," said Vijayan.
News Five's Jessica Taloney asked to speak to Signal International officials, but security guards at the front gate turned her away. The company released a statement a few hours later.
In the statement, Signal International says the allegations are simply untrue.
"The vast majority of the workers whom Signal recruited has been satisfied with the employment and living conditions at Signal and hope the that Signal continues the program," said the statement. The statement goes on to say the company pays it's guest workers "above the prevailing wages for their skills and significantly greater wages than they could earn in their home country."
The workers who protested Thursday, say they want the Department of Justice to investigate the company and it's guest worker program.
The New Orlean's Worker's Center for Racial Justice is supporting the workers.

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