At one time Guantanamo Bay had about 3000 Cubans who worked on base. They provided all the service labor needed to keep a base functioning. After the Cuban revolution in 1958 the Cuban government made it increasingly difficult for Cubans to work on base. They did not forbid it; they allowed anyone working at the base to continue, but the base could not hire anyone new. The numbers dwindled over the years until the final two workers retired in 2012. Today, at the monthly meetings held at the NE Gate, the US soldiers deliver the pension checks for retired Cuban workers.
The labor force for the base has shifted to foreign nationals who mainly come from Jamaica, the Philippines and Thailand. These workers are hired by American based companies who contract their services. Andie and Boyd pictured below are from the Philippines. They have each worked on base for about 10 years.
The foreign nationals do most of the hard labor on the island. They do all the maintenance and grounds work. They work in the Galleys and at the Navy Exchange. They are without a doubt the hardest working people on this base.
The crews who cut the weeds on the road wear t-shirts around their faces to keep the dust out.. even when the temperature is 100 degrees or more. They are called the road ninjas by locals. Andie and Boyd work for housing. They proudly told me that before I moved into my house they had replaced the carpet upstairs and the linoleum on the main floor. They also replaced the tile grout in the kitchen and bathrooms. They painted the entire interior. Their crew of five men do this to 16 houses a month. The house was spotless when I moved in.
To make extra money, many of the foreign nationals provide gardening services, house cleaning services and car detailing services to base residents. They do this on their one day off each week, Sunday, or in the evenings.
The way the contracted employment works is workers are flown from the Philippines. They are given a room in the Gold Hill Barracks (for men) or the trailers (for women). There are common area kitchens and bathrooms and generally three individuals to one room. They are given $8.00 a day for a food and they make a whopping 1.46 per hour. They spend two years at GTMO before they are eligible for a return flight to see their families. They usually return home for about 65 days every two years.
On pay days, we will see a long line at the Western Union Office for the workers who are sending the money home to support their families. Why would anyone agree to such wages? At home in the Philippines, Andie told me, the average wage is 1.00 per hour if you can find a job.
For Jamaican workers, life is a little easier. It is only a little over 100.00 to fly round trip to Jamaica from GTMO with a flight every Wednesday. Most Jamaican workers can go home every six months.
Andie worked a few extra months on his last contract so he could be home for Christmas. This was the first time in several years he was able to be with his family for Christmas. He has a wife and two children: a son, twelve, and a daughter, seven. Boyd’s children are grown. He has one son living here at GTMO and working with him. He has three other children and three grandchildren in the Philippines.
These amazing people do not complain. They work hard and are extremely pleasant and polite. They also know if they cause any trouble, they can be sent home and lose their job, so they tolerate a lot from base residents. However, most residents are very appreciative of the foreign nationals and realize they have a difficult lot in life. Most people have gardeners and housecleaners. It is a way to help these hard working base residents help their families.
Annie was quite indignant about the way the foreign nationals are treated. She felt it was almost like slavery. While I won’t go that far, indentured servitude might not be too far off. It is difficult to accept, but at the same time the base supplies thousands of jobs to people who would not have an opportunity to work otherwise.
So when you are having a difficult day at work and cranky because you haven’t had a vacation recently… remember these folks from the Philippines.
shawberget 