Second half in Spanish for Spanish Speaking People.

Working in Acapulco and Mexico: An introduction and story, I have found it almost impossible to work as a musician.  I have never experienced this kind of discrimination and abuse.  It is a wonder because I am the only educated musician in Acapulco with a Master's Degree in Music.  I know of only one other musician with a degree in music yet I am not allowcd because of the music union in the hotels.

The laws are so complicated and very abusive.  I have been in Acapulco a year and three different people have tried to get me deported from this country.   It almost seems like a national past time.   They cannot do it because I am here legally and have Mexican Children.   I have a house which to me is an American House because it was built with American Money.  I have spent months dealing with the department of immigration.  I have tried to get newspaper coverage about my problems here but the whole society is corrupt on this point.  It is hard to explain, but someone in power must give you the right to do something not the laws of the land.  It is really a country of who you know and how they manipulate the law for their own benefit not for the benefit of the country as a whole.  It reminds me of the civil rights movement in the south in the states when states took it upon themselves to make the laws. You are guilty here until proven innocent.   I have spent hours in the immigration office just to prove my innocents over these people.  I can live here but I cannot work really.

As far as I know I am the only American in Acapulco looking for work and I cannot seem to find any that is worth while and professional.  I do not recommend anybody to come and if you do come be very careful because they lie to such an extent it is hard to believe.  My girl friend, who is from Acapulco, says that the people are just mean and without feeling.  Their minds are all full of the ideal of corruption.  It is hard to believe unless you experience it.  They have no sense of standards in Acapulco, they say this too the people from Mexico City, it is just about making money for the most part and the way they make money is complete exploitation of the workers and the clients.  Only buy things in a store with a price tag because if you buy something in the street the price will be double or the product not very good.   It is a way of life in this tourist environment.  I know this may sound awful, but only if you live here for along time does one begin to understand what is going on.   Seeing things on the surface everything looks OK.  But we have local Mexican people every month leaving for the states to earn more money because of the corruption. And if you are a single man they think you are a homosexual, a lot of bi-sexual men too.  All the men have had homosexual experiences from what I have seen.  Acapulco is famous for Gay people something I did not know too.

I have Mexican Children and am one of a few real professionals in music in Acapulco, but am not allowed to work here in the hotels when I have permission to work here from the union and the immigration department, but I found out it is just all a bunch of lies.  They just are trying to bleed me to death until I leave it is a very strange situation.  The favorite question for a Mexican is when are you going back to the states and 'do not forget to leave all your money here.'  Thank God they have some professional people here or I would be out of here.  My problem is I have all my money invested in my house here and I do not have a nice house in the states.

I am very tired and confused over all this.  I guess I am learning what a third world country really means.

Any suggestions let me know?  Greg  gwatersusa@yahoo.com

Information on my the hiring practice of the Princess Hotel.   It is a most abusive system and it seems to be in all the hotel management from my latest experiences.  They just do not understand what the word simple respect for your rights mean.  It they can save a dime they will fire you in a minute.

I see this situation impossible for the hotels too.  They have tremendous problems working here and providing a good product with their labor force as I see it.  Who has the real rights is the question.  I believe the union should have rights, but the hotel should be able to hire whom they want.  The present situation does not allow this for the union makes all the decisions about who works in the hotel.  I never heard of such a way of doing business before.  How can the hotel provide a quality product when they have no control.  Such is life in a third world country.  A Mexican Man said anybody with real talent leaves here.  What a thing to say I guess I must leave than.  But there is a lot of good here too.  Mexico just needs to grow up economically and learn to be fair with all its people than it can grow.

November 1, 2000 I did not place the names of the people because they were victims too of this system. This problem

is not only with musicians it is with the other labor forces in Acapulco too.

Princess Hotel Labor Problem with Greg Waters

Why have I been used as some kind of tool in their war with the union? Princess Hotel Employee asked me to do jobs for them. I did four jobs in all. He asked me to get a factura from the Hacienda (IRS) which I did and had recibos (bills) printed up. It took about a month and one half to do all this. Plus I had to get my FM3 (Mexican Green Card) in which took another 3 weeks waiting for immigration to get their papers in order.

He then asked me to play with a trio starting in Oct. or November. He kept giving me different starting dates, Oct. 21, Nov. 25 and said that they had not enough clients to have me begin yet. He kept changing his mind all the time. Then all of a sudden he said something about his boss was going to give final approval.

I said what?, I work for three months, since July, getting ready for this job and you do not have approval when you gave me approval 5 or more times. Meanwhile I bought a used car and a piano so I could do the job. Plus all the time and money running around getting my papers in order. Hotel Employee never told me about the 20% union tax!

I have Mexican children. Do I not have some rights against this kind of abuse, plus I am one of the best hotel musicians in Acapulco and am not allowed to work. Princess Hotel Employee said the union would not give me permission to work so I should go there. I was asking myself why do I have to go to the union when I have a permission letter to work in any hotel in Acapulco from them.

I went there one day and they said I could not become a member and the permission letter they gave me to work in Acapulco did not work for the Princess Hotel or any hotel they have a contract with. So I was completely blocked by the union at this point. Then I went to immigration and ask them what this letter meant that I had from the musicians union saying I could work anywhere in Acapulco. One of the lawyers from the immigration called the union and asked what was going on. They said that I had to come to the union and get a new paper saying that I would pay a 20% fee that their letter really did not apply to any of the hotels. So, for me: just more lies, lies and more lies. They never gave me the letter that they told the immigration officer that they were going to give me.

The lady from immigration told them that I was a legal person here and that they had to respect my rights. Now they say I could not work with the union until I lived here for five years. How can I live here for five years without money? To me, ignoring these rights is a very clear form of corruption; to not allow professional people to come into Acapulco. You will note that the symphony is not a member of the union here in Acapulco which was a very smart move by the conductor’s part , as I see it.

I went to the union after I called Princess Hotel Employee and told my contact that the union had to give me permission to work here before I could work in the hotel. I did not understand this all because I had permission to work here. He told me, my contact at the Princess, to go ahead and fill out the paper work. I went to the union and got them to talk to me. This day, yesterday, they said that they could arrange for me to work there with a 20% fee if the hotel would send a petition for me. Note this is something Princess Hotel Employee knew all the time because he has been at the hotel many years. So for some reason he was playing some game with me and the union was involved. But I did work for the hotel four times and was told four times I did a great job even though I could not find the right musicians to play with me.

Princess Hotel Employee knew how to get the permission for me from the union and the union knew how to give me permission to work at the hotel, but both were withholding information from me. This mental distress and misinformation has been a very distressful for me and am wondering what have I done to these people to play this awful game with me. I did not find this out until the immigration office called the union, petition letter to request that I work for the hotel.

Princess Hotel Employee had told me that Human Resources was already preparing the petition letter. I called the hotel and left a message for Princess Hotel Employee stating for him to send this letter. Canceling my request to perform at the hotel; after stating three months ago that they wanted me to work at the hotel this high season. This all does not make any sense to me and I feel that I was "tortured" for three months. When I got upset, they said I had no right to be upset. Call the President of the Princess Hotel (my best friend is his neighbor) and explain this situation to him. I am sure he would be interested. To me this kind of behavior and my treatment is not in the best interest of the hotel. The musicians’ union is completely out of control and is taking away a man’s basic right to work.

A musician friend told me that the President of the Union called Princess Hotel Employee the last day we met at the union and told him not to hire me afterall. I am sure this behavior is not a reflection of the Fairmont Hotels. I am confident the Fairmont Hotels respect basic human rights and business ethics.

Sincerely,

Greg Waters

Hotel de la princesa Problema Obrero con Greg Henry Waters Porqué tengame se usa como algunos tipo de herramienta en su guerra con la sindicato. Empleado del Hotel de la princesa me preguntó hacer trabajos por ellos. Hacía cuatro trabajos en total. Me preguntó hacer un [factura] de la Hacienda que hacía y tenía [recibos] impreso arriba. Tomó sobre un mes y una mitad hacer todo éste. Más mí tenía que hacer mi fm3 en el que tomó otro 3 semanas espera inmigración hacer sus papeles en orden. Entonces me preguntó jugar a con un arranque del trío en Oct. o Noviembre.. Guardó da me diferente fechas del arranque, Oct. 21, Nov. 25 y dijo que tienen no bastante clientes me tienen empieza todavía. Guardó cambiante su mente todo el tiempo. Entonces de repente él dijo algo sobre su jefe iba a dar aprobación conclusiva. Dije lo que?, trabajo por tres meses, desde julio, hace listo por este trabajo y no tiene aprobación cuando usted me dio aprobación 5 o más vez.

Entretanto compré un carro usado y un piano para que podría hacer el trabajo. Más todo el tiempo y funcionamiento del dinero alrededor de hacer mis papeles en orden. o del Hotel de la princesa no nunca me dijo sobre la 20% sindicato impone contribuciones!

Tengo a niños mexicanos. Hacame no tiene unos derechos contra este tipo de abuso, más mí está uno del hotel más bueno músicos en Acapulco y no se permite trabajar. Princess Hotel Employee dijo que la sindicato no me daría permiso me a trabajo para que debo ir allí. Me preguntaba porqué me hace tiene que ir a la sindicato cuando tengo una carta del permiso trabajar en cualquier hotel en Acapulco de ellos.

Fui allí un día y dijeron No podía volverme un miembro y la carta del permiso ellos me dio trabajar en Acapulco no trabajó por la Princesa Hotel o cualquier hotel que tienen un contrato con. Para que estaba completamente bloqueó por la sindicato a estas alturas.

Entonces fui a inmigración y los pregunta lo que esta carta significó que tenía del dicho de la sindicato de los músicos que podía trabajo en cualquier parte en Acapulco. Uno de los abogados de el inmigración llamó la sindicato y preguntó lo que seguía. Dijeron que tengo que venir a la sindicato y hace un nuevo dicho del papel que pagaría un 20% honorarios que su carta verdaderamente no aplicó a cualquier de los hoteles, pero dijo la palabra` [hotel’] en la carta. Así, por mí: sólo más mentiras, mentiras y más mentiras. ¡No nunca me dieron la carta! La dama de inmigración los dijo que era un legal persona aquí y que tenían que respetar mis derechos. Ahora dicen que no puedo trabajar con la sindicato hasta que viví aquí por cinco años. ¿Cómo puedo vivir aquí por cinco años sin dinero? A mí ignora estos derechos es una forma muy clara de corrupción; a no deja

personas del profesional venir en Acapulco. Notará que la sinfonía no es un miembro de la sindicato aquí en Acapulco que era un movimiento muy inteligente por la parte de la conductor, cuando lo veo. Fui a la sindicato después de que llamé Empleado del Hotel de la princesa y lo dije que la sindicato tenía que darme permiso para trabajar aquí debido a mis derechos legales de inmigración. Me dijo a vaya y hartura fuera el papel trabaja. Fui a la sindicato y los hació hablar a mí. Este día, ayer, dijeron que podrían acordarme trabajar allí con un 20% honorarios si el hotel enviaría una petición por mí.

Nota éste está algo que Empleado del Hotel de la princesa conoció todo el tiempo porque ha estado al hotel muchos años. Así por unos razón que jugaba a unos juego conmigo y el se envolvió sindicato. Pero trabajé por el hotel cuatro tiempos y se le dijo un gran trabajo a cuatro vez que hacía aunque No podía encontrar a los músicos correctos jugar a conmigo. Empleado del Hotel de la princesa supo hacerme el permiso de el sindicato y la sindicato supieron darme permiso para trabajar al hotel pero ambos detenía información de yo. Este reserva mental apena y [misinformation] ha sido un muy doloroso por mí y desea saber lo que me tiene hace a éstos puebla jugar a este juego atroz conmigo.

No encontré este exterior hasta que la oficina de la inmigración llamó la sindicato. Cuando completé mi cita con la sindicato, no dieron yo el permiso los empapela me había prometido ese día. Dijeron que debo preguntar Empleado del Hotel de la princesa por el hotel a envíe que una carta de la petición ruega que trabajo por el hotel. Empleado del Hotel de la princesa me había dicho ese Recursos Humanos ya preparaba la carta de la petición.

Llamé el hotel e izquierdo un mensaje por Princess Hotel Employee declara por él enviar esta carta. Cuando le volví a hogar, había un mensaje en mi contesta máquina declara que no tenía derecho a ir a la sindicato y pida esta carta, pero sin esta carta que no podía trabajo tiempo lleno al hotel, y por consiguiente estaban cancelar mi demanda ejecutar al hotel; después de declarar hace tres meses que querían que trabajara al hotel esta estación alta.

Este todo no hace ningún sentido a mí y toco que estaba "torturó" por tres meses. Cuando me puse disgustado, dijeron que no tengo derecho a se voltear. Llame al presidente del Hotel de la Princesa (mi amigo mejor es su vecino) y explica éste situación a él. Estoy seguro se interesaría. A mí este tipo de conducta y mi tratamiento no son en el más bueno interés del hotel. La sindicato de la músicos es completamente fuera de mando y saca un hombre básico derecho a trabajar.

Un amigo del músico me dijo que el presidente de la sindicato llamó Princess Hotel Employee el día último que encontramos y lo dijo no contratarme. Estoy seguro esta conducta no es una reflexión del Fairmont Hoteles. Estoy seguro el Fairmont Hoteles respetan derechos del humano básicos y ética del negocio.

Sinceramente,

Greg Waters