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"Hiring Fairs"
Hiring seasonal labor on
the Spontoon Atoll
in preparation for the tourist season (Questions and commentary from the Althing Labor sub-committee) Althing in session, 27 April 1938 The Honourable Althing Representative, Antonia Tiger, comments: "Something that might be familiar to Euro furs with an English rural background was the "hiring fair", often held in May. It was more tied to the agricultural year, and a Spontoon equivalent might be a little before the start of the tourist season. In England, they faded out in the late twenties, with changes in agricultural employment. A student (such as Amelia Bourne-Phipps) would be too young to recall much, but new household servants would also be hired at this time." The Assistant Secretary to the Althing Labor Information Sub-Committee, K. Fletcher, replies: "Miz' Citizen Representative Tiger (& Althing representatives)-- "I will begin with a preface: The number of service workers needed for the normal summer tourist season is not known at this time, not counting the boost in visitors during Speed Week in late August. I'm not sure how many service workers would actually be available from the Spontoon Island Atoll and how many might be needed from other islands in the larger Archipelago. "To also be specific about a "hiring fair" -- that does seem like a reasonable event that could happen both in the first months of the year, and later, in the April weeks before May Day. "Since I'm reporting that some of the construction and re-finishing in the tourist areas of the Spontoon Lagoon might start in February, then there may be a carpenters and craftsperson' s hiring fair early in February somewhere in the Spontoon Atoll. "I think for craft workers in the greater Spontoon Archipelago, travel times from all the various islands might encourage the Spontoon Atoll committees to have many small hiring stations (or miniature hiring fairs) located on the various small islands and archipelagos. Prospective workers would only have to travel 10 miles to see if they were hired, rather than take a 200 mile sea voyage to find out that there were too many carpenters already hired. "I've speculated about the exact relationship between the Spontoon Atoll and the populations and villages spread out through the other islands of the larger Archipelago. In theory, there is supposed to be a lot of political autonomy among all the smaller islands. The Spontoon Atoll political connection could be delicate. On each small island, there would likely be someone from the Atoll or locals responsible for keeping up political communication between the Atoll Althing and the Archipelago populations. One link might be sponsoring the "hiring fairs" at regional villages for the tourist-season workers. "Brokering inter-island labor would be an extension of the Althing's services of sponsoring and promoting communication among the various Archipelago islands, and supporting trade. This is Enlightened Self-Interest, since communications between the islands is vital for Spontoonie security, and the Spontoon Atoll is the regional distribution center for ship-based trade. (Having the only convenient deep-water sheltered bay.) "So, the Althing representatives on a small island might operate a labor pool as part of their regular political work, listing jobs on other Archipelago islands (including the Atoll tourist season), doing a rough check and screen on applicants' competency, and being 'talent scouts' for workers -- or entertainers. The representatives would host small scheduled 'hiring fairs' on their island, or maybe provide the location and support for an Althing hiring sub-committee making a tour around the Archipelago. If one were hired via the Althing network, there might be subsidized transportation to other Archipelago Islands, or to the Atoll. "Workers could certainly make their own way to the seasonal hiring fairs -- travel circumstances or local politics and personalities could keep them out of the Althing hiring network. It could be a long trip, but not unusual with the inter-island trade with sailboats. It might be even possible to hitch a ride on a seaplane. "All of this would also work for service workers, with the hiring fairs being in March and April -- I would expect that there might be two waves of hiring-- one early, for the labor that has to come in early (for 'big island' orientation and tourist training?), one later, for experienced (or out-of-sight? ) workers). "There might even be a final hiring fair in the last week of April, somewhere on the Spontoon Atoll, to fill-in workers for last minute hires, or for replacements. These hired at this time could include very-skilled workers with long experience. "That's for the general tourist season. Speed Week would likely require a mid-summer repeat to hire additional temporary workers for the month-long preparation and clean-up for this high-intensity event. "Housing for seasonal workers is another consideration: "With the seasonal workers, there are going to be a large number of seasonal tent (or hut) compounds, and some very basic hostel/ longhouses tucked away in part of the Atoll tourist islands. While many of the workers might be housed close to the tourist hotels and entertainment areas (Casino Island, South Island, Eastern Island), it is possible that some of the seasonal workers might be housed near the villages on Main Island or some of the other small islands in the Lagoon. They would commute by ferryboat. In the neighborhoods that had a large seasonal population, there might be permanent community bathhouses, saunas, & restrooms. This might be reasonable year-around infrastructure for a Spontoonie-culture neighborhood. With these facilities in place, this also allows for some seasonal hostel-style camping for low-income tourists in Rain Coast cruise ships. "I don't have information on how the communities of workers are organized during their time 'off the clock'. Some Archipelago island villagers are going to stick together at their temporary home on the Atoll. Other mixed longhouse groups will set up their own community council. Sometimes the local Atoll village will host a group of summer workers. The local Althing committees have learned from long experience to not leave a large pack of mixed 16-year-olds (or mature newcomers) totally on their own. Where 'concerned hospitality' ends and 'meddling busybodies' begin could be a matter of opinion. "On behalf of the Labor Information Sub-committee, I thank you for your comment & question." The Honourable Althing Representative, Dave Bell, comments: "I maybe should point out that the English Hiring Fair predates such things as Trades Unions, although some aspects would fit well. I'm thinking of the way everything is done in public. "It's a bit different from how the phrase is used today for an event which facilitates initial contact, with the actual hiring being done behind closed doors. The Assistant Secretary, K. Fletcher, replies: "Yes, that would make a clear distinction, and would certainly affect the local public interaction. Thanks." The Honourable Althing Representative, Dave Bell, comments: " I can see there being a system of "stoppages" for pay, much as the military did in WW2, so that a worker could have some of there weekly pay going direct to their family. Possibly an escrow system too, for the return fare. That fits in with averting trouble from guestworkers. They can be well-paid without being cash-rich. And the Althing wants to make sure it isn't a company town. It probably affects the structure of what banking system is around." The Assistant Secretary, K. Fletcher, replies: "Yes. Thank you, Citizen Representative Bell. Wage 'stoppages' and 'allotments'. That would be a very appropriate addition to the cultural & economic background. I expect that on the Althing-influenced areas of the Spontoons the banking would be on the model of the co-op "credit unions". "There are likely to be more conventional banks represented on Casino Island, especially among the Euro and Oriental communities, as it is a regional shipping and trade center. "One of our Honourable Representatives, Eric Costello, has made comments recently here in the Althing about the theoretical structure of the Spontoon Althing banking system, as he was talking about the structure and support of the Spontoon currency. "So let's say the about thirty people from Hindle Atoll are working on Spontoon for the Season. Evey week, a letter (or telegram) arrives at the local branch of the Spontoon Althing bank and their 'stoppage' money appears in their family accounts there at their home location. And at the same time, the people of Hindle Atoll are able to order supplies via Spontoon Atoll and money is going the other way. It's the classic model. "And then, end of season, there's one heck of a party as the young workers come home. "In the name of the Labor Information Sub-committee, I thank you for your comments, Representative Bell: They may help make the seasonal labor situation clearer." end of transcript Spontoon Island information by Ken Fletcher with the assistance of Dave Bell 28 April 2008 Ken Fletcher's text and information released to Public Domain. |