by Marshall Thompson
Despite the 13th Amendment and strong laws against human trafficking, slavery continues to be a part of the U.S. economy. Recently, the feds busted a human trafficking ring in Wyoming that was providing labor for the hospitality industry. So, the person who helped you with your bags at the Holiday Inn Express might seem perfectly willing, but was actually being forced to labor without compensation. Even the owners of the hotels were often unaware of the situation thanks to third-party staffing services.
In that light, a recent article in the Huffington Post raises some red flags. It details how hotel maids are having an increasingly hard time making ends meet. Hotels expect more work for less pay while the cost of living increases. How can the hotels get away with that? Apparently, many are outsourcing the jobs.