“In Halifax the ships come every day”

A man describes the exploitation the newcomer Greek immigrants endured by the “old” Greek immigrants.

D.Β.: We started work in some Greek restaurants, significant exploitation there by the old Greeks, because I was working, I was washing dishes, I had gone to the bar and I served, not alcoholic drinks, because I couldn’t. And I… “When are you paying here, after a month? When are you paid here?”. He tells me “After two weeks”. And I tell him “Why don’t you pay me?” I tell to… “Look, it’s for you to learn the bar”. “Which bar to learn? To serve Coca-Cola and Seven-Up?” I tell him “Are you playing with me?”. He says “Look”, he says… “If you don’t like it, because in Halifax the ships come every month”. Terrible exploitation then and I rose and left I tell him “I don’t work for free, you know”. I went further up and I saw they were asking for help. Another Greek restaurant. I went there and the man was better, more… you know… respectable and he exploited me on better terms. How to say it? The man was at least paying me, let’s say, got it? And I was able to assist my parents.'