I was in Baja Sur when you posted this most reasonable question—Mexican Wages—someone recently suggested that I review it and I found that there was a
bunch of worthwhile information based on personal experiences involving various areas of Baja.
The problem with trying to answer this question is that it is a very rapidly moving target with so many variables—one very simple one would be pay by
the hour-vs-the day-vs-the job.
I have built three houses in Baja and at one point I helped my Mexican friends come up with quotes that newby’s just had to have. And, yes! I did
occasionally factor in the newby's ability to pay in the bottom line quote--but not often.
Bottom line each and every situation is different and that is what makes determining wages so difficult.
I will suggest that attempting to overlay any situation in Mexico with basic practices of the United States seldom works so delve into the system
that is natural to Baja.
Anyway, I remembered this little story from one of my books and thought that it would be interesting to recall it here—
I will never forget the time he was laying bricks at Sam’s new home. Sam had been watching him and began counting the number of bricks Marco laid in
a given day. When Sam asked him why he only laid 50 bricks a day Marco stopped, straightened up, pushed his shirttail back into his pants, looked at
Sam, smiled and replied very quietly in his broken English.
“You only pay me to lay 50 bricks. Señor, I can lay many more bricks. But, then you will have to pay me more money sooner. In the end the house
will cost the same.”—Sam quit counting. Marco smiled and went back to work.
“Life is as good as you will allow it to be.” Bernie SwaimLindalou - 4-18-2008 at 10:46 AM
Thank you Bernie. I understand what you are saying. We had a worker here that was charging around $50 $60 a day. He was a good worker, just not that
good and as the jobs got close to being done he had begun to get slower and slower. We simpley could not afford him anymore. We are now having our
house painted (again) by someone much more reasonable. We'll see how this works out. Thank you for your answer.......LindaDENNIS - 4-18-2008 at 01:53 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by Baja Bernie
“Life is as good as you will allow it to be.” Bernie Swaim
It's good to have you back, Bernie. Thanks.Mexitron - 4-18-2008 at 07:24 PM
The story is great Bernie!Iflyfish - 4-19-2008 at 05:14 AM
I followed that thread with great interest.
It is hard to see as an outsider how the system works and I can see how easy it is to give offense. It is most difficult to see the bone in our own
nose.
I appreciate your perspective. Relationships are so important in Mexico, much more than in the North. I really like and appreciate clarity in economic
transactions, nothing personal, just the facts mam....hours, times, task and amount. But I can see how this approach could be perceived as cold,
distant, mercinary etc. by Mexicans, who simply do not operate this way.
A Nomad recommended "There is a word for it in Mexico" that helped me to "groke" some of the issues attendant to labor transactions. I once nearly
mistook a gas station attendants attempt to give me my change back in a very idiosyncratic way and having read "Word for It" the idea dawned on my
that his elaborate machinations were an attempt on his part to save his honor as I was writing down the transaction in my mileage log and doing so in
a very laborious way. I see through this glass very darkly indeed and appreciate your clarity and perspective.
