Troubled Waters: Low Wages on the High Seas

Most cruise lines and cargo ships fly foreign flags. That means that even if they are headquartered in California, they follow foreign labor laws. For many workers, this translates to little pay and little recourse if they get hurt on the job. 

Filipino seafarers, who make up a quarter of all seafarers, are subject to government-mandated arbitration clauses. If they are hurt on the job or not paid what they are due, they can't sue their employers. Instead they are forced to plead their case in their homeland. The US justice system is out of reach. This arrangement allows the cruise ship industry to save millions in litigation costs and keep complaints out of the public eye.

In this audio and digital series. KCRW journalist Karen Foshay reports on how hundreds of years of protections are unraveling thanks to a private system of justice that some say is anything but just.

Click below to listen to the audio series and watch the social media video that supports the project.