A group of Filipino fishermen are continuing to deal with the fallout of allegedly being abandoned by their employer in a port in the U.S. state of Washington.
The group of Filipino fishermen, dubbed the “United 6,” claim they were abandoned at Westport Marina, Washington, after signing on to work for California-based McAdam’s Fish. The fishermen claim they worked a tuna season for the company and were then left at the dock when the fishing boats docked at the marina in September 2023.
According to the United 6, the fishermen signed for employment with Manila, Philippines-based hiring agency Pescadores International and worked the tuna season for four months in the Pacific Ocean. At the end of the season, the boats docked at the marina to unload, after which all but one captain left the boats, leaving 24 Filipino fishermen on board unable to come ashore as they did not have U.S. visas.
From September to December, the fishermen said they were abandoned at the marina with no communications from either the hiring agency or McAdam’s Fish.
“At this point, the fishermen had gone for months without sufficient pay from their catch,” the Justice for United 6 Campaign said in a factsheet on the case. “For situations like these, the contract should have been upheld, but McAdam's and Pescadores maintained the percentage-based agreement which forced the fishermen into negative account balances especially with the gradual ongoing deductions from their supposed allowance.”
The workers said that their promised wages were withheld, and as costs for fuel, groceries, and other necessities continued to rise, the fishermen were thrown into debt.
Stuck at sea for months, six fishermen – later adopting the moniker United 6 – managed to get assistance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to disembark from the boats and be placed into assisted housing. However, they said that their labor was still uncompensated and their cash advance had yet to be given to their families.
The International Examiner reported in April 2024 that the fishermen are still fighting to receive compensation and that they were told they would get USD 500 (EUR 449) a month plus an advance – which was only partially paid.
McAdam’s Fish has defended the business in a public statement, saying that the allegations of mistreatment and abandonment by the United 6 aren’t true.
“Crewmembers are required by federal law to remain on board ship while in port because they do not have U.S. visas. It’s difficult to be stuck on board between fishing seasons, but the crewmembers know that there will be times like these when they sign their annual contracts,” McAdam's Fish said.
The company said that crewmembers are provided food and drink, and can speak freely with friends and family through a Starlink internet connection. It added that DHS visited the ship for what it called a health and safety check, which is when the crewmembers that make up the United 6 left the vessel.
“Six crewmembers left our ships with DHS agents at that time, apparently hopeful of obtaining S-1 visas that will allow them to live and work in the U.S.,” the company said. “It is worth noting that one of the crewman in the departing group had worked with us for six successive seasons.”
An Associated Press investigation covered the plight of workers abandoned on boats in an investigation, finding more than 2,000 different seafarers on roughly 150 ships were abandoned by their employers in 2023. That investigation also looked into the plight of the United 6.
Pescadores International told AP during its investigation that in previous years the fishermen had earned in excess of the minimum wage, and sent the publication affidavits it said were from other workers that claimed the complaints from the United 6 were a scheme to get U.S. work visas.
“Those six have not contacted our office since they jumped ship,” Pescadores’ owner Ricardo De Joya told AP in an email.
Soon after the Associated Press investigation, Pescadores paid each fisherman USD 4,000 (EUR 3,600), the publication said.
Despite the backpay, the workers are still in limbo, Cascade PBS reported. According to the publication, the six men have stayed in the Seattle area to pursue claims against McAdam's and Pescadores, and are still waiting on the results of the investigations into their case.
