Latest news with #immigrantworkers
New York Times
5 days ago
- Health
- New York Times
They Cleaned the Subway During Covid. Now They Will Earn Back Pay.
At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Susana Baez would begin her shift at 1 a.m., scrubbing trash, vomit and human excrement from subway cars. She and her team, a largely immigrant work force contracted by private companies to clean New York City's subway stations and train cars, often had to work without enough safety equipment, like gloves, she said. Many contracted Covid-19 on the job. 'It was trauma,' Ms. Baez, 53, said in Spanish about the job, which she performed from 2020 to 2023, when her contract abruptly ended. Now, Ms. Baez and more than 450 other subway cleaners will split $3 million in back pay, after a multiyear investigation by the city comptroller found that they were grossly underpaid. The workers, who were employed by two private cleaning companies, earned around 25 percent less than they were owed, said Brad Lander, the city comptroller. His office sets the prevailing wage, or the typical rate, for certain types of public work. The cleaners made $16 to $18 an hour on average in the first years of the pandemic, without supplemental benefits, when $20 to $21 an hour was standard, Mr. Lander said. Minimum wage at the time was $15 an hour. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
07-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Germans worry their beloved kebab may get more pricy or even scarce because of factory strike
BERLIN (AP) — Germans are in kebab angst. They worry that their most beloved street food option, the spicy, juicy kebab in a pita that can be found on every street corner across Germany, may get more expensive — or even worse, that the country may be sliding into a national kebab shortage. Even if these fears may sound exaggerated at first, they aren't unfounded. Workers at one of Germany's biggest kebab factories are locked in a bitter and ongoing fight with their employer over wages and working conditions. For weeks, workers at the Birtat Meat World SE factory in southwestern Germany have repeatedly stopped the production line by walking off their jobs in "warning strikes,' demanding wage increases of 375 euros ($434) per month. Their current salaries vary widely, and haven't been disclosed. The Food, Beverages and Catering Union that represents them says that payment methods are nontransparent and workers are making vastly different salaries for the same kind of job, according to German news agency dpa. Workers are also trying to organize a collective contract agreement for all employees with the help of the union. Immigrant workers Many workers are immigrants from Turkey, Romania or Bulgaria, who spend long, tough workdays in the factory, which has near freezing temperatures to keep the raw meat fresh. On Wednesday, many workers walked off their jobs again, waving flags in front of the factory's main gate, playing drums, whistling and shouting for higher salaries and unionized contracts. German media have reported that Birtat hasn't yielded to any of the demands so far. The company didn't immediately respond to requests for an interview. Millions of consumers each month Birtat, which is located in Murr, 30 kilometers (nearly 20 miles) north of Stuttgart, has been making kebab skewers for more than 30 years. The company says on its website that it makes skewers of ground beef, veal, chicken or turkey kebab that can weigh up to 120 kilograms (260 pounds). The workers chop up the meat, marinate it and push chunks of the raw produce on long metal skewers. The meat is then shock-frozen and and delivered to restaurants all over the country. Birtat says it supplies thousands of kebab stands and fast food places and reaches more than 13 million consumers every month. Some restaurant owners worry that should the workers decide to go on a long-term strike, the Germans' favorite fast-food snack may indeed become more expensive or even scarce. Rising prices Germans already complain that the meaty snack, which used to be a cheap staple that sold for 2.50 euros about two decades ago, has become too expensive, with most places charging at least 7 euros ($8) or more. Halil Duman was pondering the state of the kebab business as he was busy slicing off thin pieces of ground beef at Pergamon Döner, a small eatery at Berlin's Friedrichstrasse train station where people were lining up for lunch. 'It's all getting more and more difficult," the 68-year-old Turkish immigrant said. "The produce is becoming more expensive and we barely make profit anymore.' 'But if we raise the prices any further, people won't buy here anymore,' said Duman, who has been working at kebab stores in the German capital for more than 30 years and was selling the classic kebab sandwich for 7.50 euros (around $8.70). History of the kebab in Germany Germans have long fancied the kebab sandwich, which is called a döner in Germany. The word comes from the Turkish verb 'donmek,' meaning to turn — the meat is grilled for hours on a spit and cut off in razor-thin slices when it's crisp and brown. First brought to Berlin by Turkish immigrants in the 1970s, the grilled meat snack, which comes wrapped in pita bread with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onions and different dressings, is now sold everywhere in Germany, from regions stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Bavarian Alps. According to legend, it was Mahmut Aygun, a Turkish guest worker, who invented the first döner sandwich in 1971, when he sold the meat in a piece of pita bread with yogurt dressing at a stand close to a main train station next to the zoo in West Berlin. About 2.9 million people with Turkish roots live in Germany — but the döner kebab sandwich has become so ubiquitous in the country that many foreign tourists consider it typically German and don't even know about the snack's immigrant past. Nele Langfeld, a 22-year-old university student, had come to Pergamon Döner because she was craving the yummy comfort food after having just finished an exam. Waiting in line for her turn, she said that while she hadn't heard about the labor dispute at Birtat, she sure didn't like the prospect of a possible döner shortage or higher prices. 'I live on a budget and that's the last thing I need,' she said. 'Döner is the one affordable meal that really fills your stomach — it should stay that way.' Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
07-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Germans worry their beloved kebab may get more pricy or even scarce because of factory strike
BERLIN (AP) — Germans are in kebab angst. They worry that their most beloved street food option, the spicy, juicy kebab in a pita that can be found on every street corner across Germany, may get more expensive — or even worse, that the country may be sliding into a national kebab shortage. Even if these fears may sound exaggerated at first, they aren't unfounded. Workers at one of the Germany's biggest kebab factories are locked in a bitter and ongoing fight with their employer over wages and working conditions. For weeks, workers at the Birtat Meat World SE factory in southwestern Germany have repeatedly stopped the production line by walking off their jobs in "warning strikes,' demanding wage increases of 375 euros ($434) per month. Their current salaries vary widely, and haven't been disclosed. The Food, Beverages and Catering Union that represents them says that payment methods are nontransparent and workers are making vastly different salaries for the same kind of job, according to German news agency dpa. Workers are also trying to organize a collective contract agreement for all employees with the help of the union. Immigrant workers Many workers are immigrants from Turkey, Romania or Bulgaria, who spend long, tough workdays in the factory, which has near freezing temperatures to keep the raw meat fresh. On Wednesday, many workers walked off their jobs again, waving flags in front of the factory's main gate, playing drums, whistling and shouting for higher salaries and unionized contracts. German media have reported that Birtat hasn't yielded to any of the demands so far. The company didn't immediately respond to requests for an interview. Millions of consumers each month Birtat, which is located in Murr, 30 kilometers (nearly 20 miles) north of Stuttgart, has been making kebab skewers for more than 30 years. The company says on its website that it makes skewers of ground beef, veal, chicken or turkey kebab that can weigh up to 120 kilograms (260 pounds). The workers chop up the meat, marinate it and push chunks of the raw produce on long metal skewers. The meat is then shock-frozen and and delivered to restaurants all over the country. Birtat says it supplies thousands of kebab stands and fast food places and reaches more than 13 million consumers every month. Some restaurant owners worry that should the workers decide to go on a long-term strike, the Germans' favorite fast-food snack may indeed become more expensive or even scarce. Rising prices Germans already complain that the meaty snack, which used to be a cheap staple that sold for 2.50 euros about two decades ago, has become too expensive, with most places charging at least 7 euros ($8) or more. Halil Duman was pondering the state of the kebab business as he was busy slicing off thin pieces of ground beef at Pergamon Döner, a small eatery at Berlin's Friedrichstrasse train station where people were lining up for lunch. 'It's all getting more and more difficult," the 68-year-old Turkish immigrant said. "The produce is becoming more expensive and we barely make profit anymore.' 'But if we raise the prices any further, people won't buy here anymore,' said Duman, who has been working at kebab stores in the German capital for more than 30 years and was selling the classic kebab sandwich for 7.50 euros (around $8.70). History of the kebab in Germany Germans have long fancied the kebab sandwich, which is called a döner in Germany. The word comes from the Turkish verb 'donmek,' meaning to turn — the meat is grilled for hours on a spit and cut off in razor-thin slices when it's crisp and brown. First brought to Berlin by Turkish immigrants in the 1970s, the grilled meat snack, which comes wrapped in pita bread with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onions and different dressings, is now sold everywhere in Germany, from regions stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Bavarian Alps. According to legend, it was Mahmut Aygun, a Turkish guest worker, who invented the first döner sandwich in 1971, when he sold the meat in a piece of pita bread with yogurt dressing at a stand close to a main train station next to the zoo in West Berlin. About 2.9 million people with Turkish roots live in Germany — but the döner kebab sandwich has become so ubiquitous in the country that many foreign tourists consider it typically German and don't even know about the snack's immigrant past. Nele Langfeld, a 22-year-old university student, had come to Pergamon Döner because she was craving the yummy comfort food after having just finished an exam. Waiting in line for her turn, she said that while she hadn't heard about the labor dispute at Birtat, she sure didn't like the prospect of a possible döner shortage or higher prices. 'I live on a budget and that's the last thing I need,' she said. 'Döner is the one affordable meal that really fills your stomach — it should stay that way.' Kirsten Grieshaber, The Associated Press Sign in to access your portfolio
Associated Press
07-08-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Germans worry their beloved kebab may get more pricy or even scarce because of factory strike
BERLIN (AP) — Germans are in kebab angst. They worry that their most beloved street food option, the spicy, juicy kebab in a pita that can be found on every street corner across Germany, may get more expensive — or even worse, that the country may be sliding into a national kebab shortage. Even if these fears may sound exaggerated at first, they aren't unfounded. Workers at one of the Germany's biggest kebab factories are locked in a bitter and ongoing fight with their employer over wages and working conditions. For weeks, workers at the Birtat Meat World SE factory in southwestern Germany have repeatedly stopped the production line by walking off their jobs in 'warning strikes,' demanding wage increases of 375 euros ($434). Their current salaries vary widely, and haven't been disclosed. The Food, Beverages and Catering Union that represents them says that payment methods are nontransparent and workers are making vastly different salaries for the same kind of job, according to German news agency dpa. Workers are also trying to organize a collective contract agreement for all employees with the help of the union. Immigrant workers Many workers are immigrants from Turkey, Romania or Bulgaria, who spend long, tough workdays in the factory, which has near freezing temperatures to keep the raw meat fresh. On Wednesday, many workers walked off their jobs again, waving flags in front of the factory's main gate, playing drums, whistling and shouting for higher salaries and unionized contracts. German media have reported that Birtat hasn't yielded to any of the demands so far. The company didn't immediately respond to requests for an interview. Millions of consumers each month Birtat, which is located in Murr, 30 kilometers (nearly 20 miles) north of Stuttgart, has been making kebab skewers for more than 30 years. The company says on its website that it makes skewers of ground beef, veal, chicken or turkey kebab that can weigh up to 120 kilograms (260 pounds). The workers chop up the meat, marinate it and push chunks of the raw produce on long metal skewers. The meat is then shock-frozen and and delivered to restaurants all over the country. Birtat says it supplies thousands of kebab stands and fast food places and reaches more than 13 million consumers every month. Some restaurant owners worry that should the workers decide to go on a long-term strike, the Germans' favorite fast-food snack may indeed become more expensive or even scarce. Rising prices Germans already complain that the meaty snack, which used to be a cheap staple that sold for 2.50 euros about two decades ago, has become too expensive, with most places charging at least 7 euros ($8) or more. Halil Duman was pondering the state of the kebab business as he was busy slicing off thin pieces of ground beef at Pergamon Döner, a small eatery at Berlin's Friedrichstrasse train station where people were lining up for lunch. 'It's all getting more and more difficult,' the 68-year-old Turkish immigrant said. 'The produce is becoming more expensive and we barely make profit anymore.' 'But if we raise the prices any further, people won't buy here anymore,' said Duman, who has been working at kebab stores in the German capital for more than 30 years and was selling the classic kebab sandwich for 7.50 euros (around $8.70). History of the kebab in Germany Germans have long fancied the kebab sandwich, which is called a döner in Germany. The word comes from the Turkish verb 'donmek,' meaning to turn — the meat is grilled for hours on a spit and cut off in razor-thin slices when it's crisp and brown. First brought to Berlin by Turkish immigrants in the 1970s, the grilled meat snack, which comes wrapped in pita bread with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onions and different dressings, is now sold everywhere in Germany, from regions stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Bavarian Alps. According to legend, it was Mahmut Aygun, a Turkish guest worker, who invented the first döner sandwich in 1971, when he sold the meat in a piece of pita bread with yogurt dressing at a stand close to a main train station next to the zoo in West Berlin. About 2.9 million people with Turkish roots live in Germany — but the döner kebab sandwich has become so ubiquitous in the country that most foreign tourists consider it typically German and don't even know about the snack's immigrant past. Nele Langfeld, a 22-year-old university student, had come to Pergamon Döner because she was craving the yummy comfort food after having just finished an exam. Waiting in line for her turn, she said that while she hadn't heard about the labor dispute at Birtat, she sure didn't like the prospect of a possible döner shortage or higher prices. 'I live on a budget and that's the last thing I need,' she said. 'Döner is the one affordable meal that really fills your stomach — it should stay that way.'
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump administration to streamline migrant work visa program for U.S. farmers
SANTA FE, N.M. — U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins previewed a Trump administration policy shift on Monday that would expand access to immigrant work visas used by American farmers. The upcoming announcement will include reforms to make it easier to apply for the H-2A visa program in line with President Donald Trump's dual objectives of enforcing immigration laws and supporting the food supply chain, according to Rollins. 'The president has remained very focused on the goal of a 100% legal workforce in our country, but, at the same time, ensure we have a safe and secure food supply,' Rollins said in response to a question from the Deseret News. Media reports identified Rollins as one of the key influences behind the Trump administration's decision earlier this month to redirect Immigration and Customs Enforcement efforts away from the agriculture sector. The Department of Agriculture has estimated that from 2020 to 2022 around 42% of crop farmworkers 'held no work authorization' to be in the U.S. Recent workplace raids of fields in California led growers to report that 30-60% of workers had stopped showing up for fear of deportation, the New York Times reported. Rollins reportedly called the President Donald Trump and relayed concerns that this disruption would impact the country's food supply. On June 12, ICE agents were told to pause 'all work site enforcement investigations/operations on agriculture (including aquaculture and meat packing plants), restaurants and operating hotels.' But deportations aren't the only concern for Utah farmers, according to Terry Camp, the vice president of public policy at the Utah Farm Bureau. 'We have had producers here in Utah struggling to get H-2A applications approved that have not had similar issues in the past,' Camp said. Many farmers rely partially or entirely on seasonal migrant labor to harvest their fields because it is difficult to find employees who are citizens, the Deseret News has reported. Now that border crossings have come to a halt, Camp said Rollins could use her influence to emphasize helping farmers get the laborers they need. Speaking at the annual conference of the Western Governors Association, Rollins said that she and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who will also be speaking at the event, were 'on calls all weekend' working on modifications to visa programs that will be announced 'in a day or two.' 'There is a lot we can do to make the process easier, more efficient, to ensure that, especially for our smaller to mid-size farms that don't have the armies of lawyers,' Rollins said. Rollins was on a phone call Monday morning 'with the White House' talking about how to expand the legal workforce, she said, because doing so will help Trump's priority of supporting American farmers. The Trump administration will 'streamline the current process, obviously within current law,' so that farmers can secure the labor force they need 'efficiently, effectively and not cost prohibitively.'
