Where have I heard this before?

FEMA call-center workers say paychecks fall way short

Saturday, October 8, 2005

By KIM HORNER and HOLLY YAN

A scuffle broke out Friday at a Dallas FEMA subcontractor after many temporary workers did not receive their paychecks.

ne man was arrested for disorderly conduct at Cendera Technologies at 8700 N. Stemmons Freeway, but no injuries were reported, Dallas police Senior Cpl. Max Geron said.

Cpl. Geron said Dallas police patrolled the office building the past few weeks because large crowds gathered on payday.

About 1,500 temporary employees of the company work seven days a week, often double shifts, answering calls for federal financial assistance from people displaced by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

After their shift ended at 2 p.m. Friday, many workers discovered they would not get paid.

Others received checks for only a fraction of the $10 an hour plus overtime they were promised.

"I'm a single mother. I want to get paid. My rent is due today," Luvena Moore said. "We're here helping someone else get a $2,000 check and we can't get a check at all."

The lack of answers worried employees.

LaQuesha Irvin said she has worked at the company since Sept. 13 with no paycheck.

But she said she has no choice but to keep coming back to work.

"If we don't work, we won't have any funds to pay our bills," Ms. Irvin said.

I wonder if anyone is going to ask the new Supreme Court nominee if the 13th Amendment (outlawing slavery) to the Constitution is still valid... and if so can we nail these B***rds on it?

Back in the good olde days, we called people like that Carpetbaggers and Robber Barons... so what do you call them if they are from your home state?

This really sounds like something from an episode of the Simpsons.

(cross posted at Just a Bump on the Beltway )