Rehoboth Beach Employers Looking For More Foreign Workers

[longnecker]

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - Beach season is just around the corner and businesses have been busy preparing for the big rush. But while many businesses usually see an increase in foreign student workers during the summer, this year they've seen a big change.
The Svolis family has owned Gus & Gus Place on the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk for 57 years. During the season, they've relied heavily on foreign students seeking out work." The foreign kids - you know a dollar here is like 4 or 5 dollars there. We tend to hire foreign kids over American kids. I had a group of Bulgarian kids - I had them for the past 3 or 4 years - great bunch of kids," said Bill Svolis, Manager.

Louis' Pizza agrees. "A few years ago, we had these 2 foreigners from Bulgaria, and they were probably what we've seen as the best foreign workers we've had. They try to show you they can tough up and work hard so they don't miss on the opportunity to make money," said Guillermo Montalvo, long-time employee.

This season, they've noticed a big drop off in the number of foreign students looking for work. "This year we really haven't had any foreign workers actually come in and try to fill application to sign up for work - usually we have lines out the door," said Montalvo.

It could be a direct result of new visa rules that limit the kinds of jobs they can take and require job security before they arrive. Businesses are worried that they'll have to rely on the hands of American students who they say, just don't measure up. "Compared to some of these American students - American kids, mostly they're - I would hate to say, but I have to, like they're spoiled somewhat - they're not reliable," said Montalvo. "Americans pretty much don't work as hard. It's going to hurt us a little bit because we're kind of used to the foreign kids. American kids usually leave in August because they have to go back to college. But the foreign kids will stay until the end of September - we rely on them to stay until the end of the season. Hopefully we can get some foreign kids back and we'll be happy," said Svolis.
​When spending your money at the beach remember these folks don't think much of your kids!!
http://www.wmdt.com/story/18577825/r...oreign-workers

[Chase]

i see what you are saying there longnecker, and it is unfortunate, but it seems to make more business sense to hire the foriegn kids if they work harder, for longer, for cheaper.

[childOfLacroix]

i see what you are saying there longnecker, and it is unfortunate, but it seems to make more business sense to hire the foriegn kids if they work harder, for longer, for cheaper.

I agree, Chase. Maybe the employers are...well...right when they say that American kids don't want to work as hard, and that their wage expectations are unreasonable. Let's be realistic: how much should someone scooping ice cream or selling tee-shirts and trinkets on the boardwalk be paid? These are entry-level, unskilled positions that require no previous experience.

Further, lots of Millennials are being pushed by their parents into taking unpaid internships in offices instead of doing paid grunt labor in retail and restaurant environments. The belief is that they need to get professional work experience when they're 16 years old, otherwise they won't be able to get into the college of their choice, plus nobody will hire them later because low-level experience isn't considered "good" enough:

http://www.philly.com/philly/columni...ummer_job.html

This is sad and pathetic. I agree with the columnist that kids lose out when they cannot work jobs like this. If nothing else, they're being taught that they shouldn't get their fingernails dirty...a dangerous proposition in an economy where 9-5 office jobs are declining and blue-collar service jobs are on the rise.

[Chase]

all good points COL, i work a fairly non-laborous clean job but when i started in this career i worked at a fire sprinkler place. i did design but a bulk of my time was spent in the shop picking fittings, unloading trucks, fabbing pipe, etc. Even now though I do go out on site, dirty nasty sites (like chambersworks for example), walk around in nomex suits on 90 degree days, climb ladders, scaffolding, etc.

[Kid Lester]

This is a damn shame.

My daughter will be looking for summer work in a few years. I'd like to be able to tell you that she would be every bit as hard working and reliable as any of these foreign kids. But I can't do that because I only have her half the time. And I know damn well that her mother will NOT work with me and make sure that she's prompt and dependable and instill a work ethic in her. The first time the ex wants to go away for the weekend and she wants to take our daughter, or the first time it's inconvenient for her to get up and take our daughter to work, then she'll blow it off. After all, it's just a "dumb summer job". I know this. And it's a damn shame.

It's not just the kids. It's the parents.

[childOfLacroix]

You're right, Kid. Notice that in the article I posted, it is adults who are telling kids that they shouldn't take "dumb summer jobs" and instead look for a nice 9-5 internship in an air-conditioned office. And not just their parents, mind you, but idiot school guidance counselors, sternly warning kids that a job selling tee-shirts on the boardwalk won't get them into Harvard. Or even Temple.