Will Americans Do "Dirty Jobs?"

[*winter*]

I think, at higher wages, yes- as evidenced in the mines. Location has a lot to do with it, especially with the price of gas. Rural people will do these jobs because often there isn't much else out there. We had an opening at a sewage treatment plant and there were dozens (again, that's like A TON in a rural area) of applicants because it's a good wage and benefits and a good career path.

Now in the mushroom mine, they had a hard time finding people. They only paid minimum wage or maybe a dollar more. They had to stoop and crawl and be dirty for 8 hours underground. Eventually they got involved with this program that brings people over from overseas legally to work for 2 years. The first bunch was Taiwanese and the second group was Guatamalean. They stopped the program though- I guess it's expensive to maintain. The whole mine is on a skeleton crew these days.

It's sad, too, since the people who own the mushroom mine also own about 50% of the mines and gas wells (Marcellus too!) in the county. Like it would kill them to pay people $10 an hour! That kind of physical labor isn't for everyone- if people are older with some bone/joint problems it's not really an option. Plus who wants to do all that for the same wage they could get paid at a gas station or restaurant?