Only On 7: Foreign Workers' Living Conditions|ABC 7 News

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Only On 7: Foreign Workers' Living Conditions

posted 6:01 pm Thu September 13, 2007 - Prince Frederick, MD

tags: foreign • workers • living • conditions

ABC 7 News has uncovered an unbelievable story about the conditions faced by a group of foreign workers staying in Calvert County. And now criminal investigators are looking into the matter.

County health officials, for their part, say had they known of the conditions, they would have intervened.

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Twenty-one-year-old Toni Kardzulova, her boyfriend Marion, and her friend Mimi are Bulgarian college students who came to Prince Frederick, Maryland as part of a group of international students on temporary work visas.

They went to work for a local McDonald's franchise that also provided housing. But the conditions were cramped to say the least.

"Twenty-four people in a house," said Kardzulova. " Three bedrooms, eight per room; two bathrooms, one boys and one girls. We were 17 girls sharing only one bathroom,"

"Sometimes the girls were standing in line behind one another waiting, each one was waiting for a bathroom," said Mimi Todorova. "It was hours and hours."

Records show that each of the 24 residents had $150 deducted from their paychecks twice a month. That adds up to $7,200. The owner of the home, Raymond Fowler, rents it to restaurant's owners for $2,000 a month. He disputes there were 24 people living in the home. About 17, he said.

Kardzulova and her friends moved out after two months, but they took pictures before they left. They show four sets of bunk beds crammed into one room.

The students say a local man heard about their plight, found them new jobs, new places to live and even hired them their lawyer.

The restaurant owners refused to comment on the story.

Their public relations firm issued a statement:
"Any outstanding concerns raised by current or former employees will be investigated and corrective action taken as necessary... we continue to work to address their concerns and correct any mistakes."

The Calvert County criminal investigation team has opened an investigation into the housing situation and allegations of improper payments raised in a letter by a lawyer representing seven of the students.

Raymond Fowler says the lease is over at the end of the month. He says leasing to the restaurant's owner was a mistake.

The McDonald's franchise is locally owned. The corporate headquarters did not respond to a request for comment by 6 p.m. Thursday.

Latest Comment on Only On 7: Foreign Workers' Living Conditions

raven

2:45 pm on 09/15/07

To put people thru this is just criminal. The folks that owned the McDonalds, should do criminal time. All to make a buck. I say put the owners in crowded prisons and let them see how they like it.

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