Although an annual rite of passage, the quest for summer employees has grown more extreme and spread wider this year, driven by a perfect storm of factors including and a housing crisis at its peak.
On Monhegan island, a tiny summer artist colony off the coast of Maine, the U.S. Postal Service is looking to hire a postmaster as the season arrives.
About 100 miles south on Martha’s Vineyard — a larger but equally seasonal summer Island — the USPS isn’t looking for one employee. It is looking for 15.
“We’re aggressively hiring,” said regional USPS spokesman Stephen Doherty. “In most places actually, but in particular down on the Cape and the Islands.”
The postal service isn’t alone. As the Island gears up for a second summer in the wake of the pandemic, essential businesses ranging from grocery stores to health clinics have joined seasonal businesses in the mad dash for staff, affixing help wanted signs to windows, sidewalks and warehouses with unusual ubiquity.
Although an annual rite of passage, the quest for summer employees has grown more extreme and spread wider this year, driven by a perfect storm of factors including the ongoing pandemic, a slowed process for temporary work visas and a housing crisis at its peak.
In interviews this week, Island business owners including restaurateurs, health care providers, postal workers and others described a new challenge: the expectation of more customers than ever and no one to serve them. It isn’t Monhegan island, but it’s close. “The . . . pitfalls are similar,” said Mr. Doherty, who said Island post offices are looking to expand their seasonal workforce by about 50 per cent to manage increased demand. “We’re at the whim of the weather, and the ferry, and the available personnel on the Island,” he said.
At Cronig’s Market, owner Steve Bernier said hiring the usual cohort of J1 visa workers to staff his two grocery stores through the summer has been an uphill battle.
“Last summer was the first time when nobody showed up. This summer seems to be a carbon copy of last summer . . . We were hoping for better, but we just haven’t moved,” he said. Mr. Bernier, who plans to reopen his up-Island market next week after a yearlong hiatus, is bracing for a short-staffed season unlike any other.
“If it wasn’t for the commitment I’ve made to the community, the up-Island store should not be open. I need every one of those hands down here to handle the Vineyard Haven store,” he said. He plans to keep both stores closed on Sundays through the summer.
Mr. Doherty said staffing post offices has been a challenge nationally, as the country grows more reliant on mail deliveries during the pandemic. On the Island, the challenge has been especially pronounced.
“People have changed the way they use the mail,” he said. “The package volume has been astronomical. We’ve been retooling everything from our vehicles to our facilities to accommodate that switch.”
Businesses essential and otherwise have joined a fast-growing list of help wanted ads, including in the Gazette. Island Health Care is hiring for multiple nursing positions. The YMCA needs counselors for its summer camp. The Steamship Authority is looking for dock workers. On Tuesday, Martha’s Vineyard Community Services held a job fair for 21 vacant positions.
Meanwhile, record hotel and rental bookings portend a bustling summer.
“We’re really in new territory coming out of Covid,” said Nancy Gardella, executive director of the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce. “This is the opposite of one year ago when we were closing everything . . . the pendulum has swung in an opposite direction . . . but now we need the available workforce.”
Typically, the Island seasonal workforce is bolstered by foreign workers on temporary work visas, like H2B and J1 visas.
A Trump-era ban on temporary foreign work visas expired April 1, but by then it was too late for many businesses to hire from abroad, given a nearly month-long processing period.
Mr. Bernier, who has contacted nearly 20 foreign student workers for the summer said as of Wednesday, only one was still interested. “It’s an issue to do with timing . . . If they haven’t gotten the green light by now, they’re not coming,” he said.
The Island affordable housing crisis has added extra weight to the problem.
Michael Donaroma, owner of Donaroma’s Nursery, Landscaping and Floral Design in Edgartown, said he is down 25 per cent of his usual summer staff, which he attributed directly to a lack of affordable housing.
“There just aren’t any places for them to stay, I think is the biggest problem,” said Mr. Donaroma. “It’s getting to be an employee market there.”
And with the busy beaches and bustling Main streets of a Vineyard summer a few short months away, many businesses are still recovering from a rocky winter — and year.
Michael Brisson, owner and head chef at L’Etoile in Edgartown, said his usual summer staff of 38 shrank to 16 last summer. This year, he’ll need to hire at least three more just to reach that number. The problem is especially pronounced in the kitchen, where Mr. Brisson has only one other employee.
“My word for the year is like restraint,” the veteran chef said, describing his plan to open five or six days a week, depending on kitchen staff. “Don’t do more than you can do, you know, don’t tarnish your brand. Just do the best you can,” he said.
At Rosewater Market in Edgartown, manager Jared Salvatore said he has had fewer summer applicants. At Rainy Day in Vineyard Haven, owner Melissa Scammell said she has felt the impact for over a year. Ditto for Dusan Veselinovic of Salvatore’s Ristorante.
Many spoke passionately about the need for longer-term solutions.
“There’s not too many ways you can fake this — I don’t have any tricks up my sleeve or a magic wand,” said Mr. Bernier. “There’s nobody really to blame for it, it’s just the way it is, but we better not be in the same shoes next summer.”
Noah Asimow and Aaron Wilson contributed reporting.
Comments
Any industrious person
JT MVAny industrious person willing to stand firm on their worth can make a killing on the vineyard this Summer. As noted in the article, it is most definitely an employee's market this year.
Let's be clear - it's less a
MVonMV EdgartownLet's be clear - it's less a shortage of workers and more a shortage of housing.
Challenge that notion. The
Mark EdgartownChallenge that notion. The current elevated unemployment benefits are keeping the workforce from returning. Based on FRED data unemployment in Dukes county in February 2021 was 11.7%. Even if you seasonally adjust this number in line with historical trends the rate would still be well over 6%.
Challenge that notion right
Linda Jean Oak BluffsChallenge that notion right back. As a business owner on island, with friends that are business owners, we have an abundance of people that have accepted positions. They cannot find housing. If you are remotely familiar with the MV summer workforce you know that looking at the pool of Duke's country stats tells you nothing. That's not where the work force comes from. Thank GOD for unemployment for keeping our communities going during crisis (this global, personal crisis as it's designed to for the individual, etc). Economists widely agree that UI is one of the most effective ways of keeping an economy going, as folks on UI put that money right back into services and shops. Unlike those that sit in ivory towers and regurgitate political talking points about the lazy working class.
Mark, that has been debunked
Carol formerly ChilmarkMark, that has been debunked again and again by economists. The way to hire more labor is to pay more. Simple supply & demand mechanism.
How do you explain the the
Mark EdgartownHow do you explain the the fact that the island has workers choosing to stay unemployed when there is a labor shortage? The numbers speak for themselves.
Pay up and they will work
Bob ObPay up and they will work,high prices and cheap wages is not fair,
Everyone here is missing
Roddy Seasonal VisitorEveryone here is missing perhaps the biggest issue of all. No matter the pay, housing, visa issues, etc., until this government stops paying people more to stay home by virtue of extended additional unemployment benefits and stimulus checks that most recipients don’t even need you’re going to have an impossible time filling these positions.
they'll find a bed , a fair
rob the roofer new jerseythey'll find a bed , a fair wage will bring a the help you need.
Salary is everything. What do
MarieSalary is everything. What do these businesses pay?
What will the Post Office pay compared to Rosewater?
Are you not from around here?
Linda JeanAre you not from around here? Employees make huge money on island in the summer, significantly higher in any field than on the mainland. It's a lack of housing problem, not wages. Employers are throwing money at employees, but there's no rooms/couches/basement apartments to throw with that.
Linda Jean you are absolutely
Evan EdgartownLinda Jean you are absolutely right. Anyone saying housing shortage is not the problem clearly hasn't had to look for housing lately.
Exactly. Unemployment
Tom West TisburyExactly. Unemployment compensation doesn't even come close to what a summer employee can earn
Nothing short of radical
Tom EdgartownNothing short of radical change to our relationship with property can fix the issue. This is not going to get better without direct action at the highest (local) levels.
You have 6 towns, often
Steve Auerbach OBYou have 6 towns, often working at cross-purposes. It's obvious that housing for workers, for ordinary working people, for young families, for people wishing to downsize or retire, etc. would be a large part of the solution to the never-ending staffing shortages. But there is little or no cooperation and the for-profit market continues to dominate Island real estate.
The first sentence of Steve’s
Gary Smotrich ChilmarkThe first sentence of Steve’s comment gets to the heart of so many issues on this island.
It doesn't help that the
StephanieIt doesn't help that the government is paying people pretty well not to work; especially in Massachusetts.
This literally has nothing to
Linda Jean Oak BluffsThis literally has nothing to do with it. It is a housing issue, through and through. There is no lack of folks eager to work, move here, and begin work. FB housing boards are FULL of people that have accepted positions, and cannot find even a couch. This is a good example of the dangers of pasting political talking points anywhere and everywhere blindly, instead of listening and learning about a problem you are not familiar with.
I have to laugh a bit as the
John Aldeborgh EdgartownI have to laugh a bit as the customers have no issues getting to the island but somehow workers can’t find their way to the island. Free market economies are fundamentally efficient, so there are only 2 reasons why workers aren’t available, the wages are too low or the government is preventing workers from getting to the island. As for housing, the local government has contributed greatly to the high cost of housing on the island, by restricting development (therefore indirectly increasing property taxes on the existing home owners) and regulation that has driven building costs to truly insane levels. Given government has played a material role in creating the problem it’s ironic we look to them to solve it.
Sounds like some ax-grinding
Dana Nunes ChilmarkSounds like some ax-grinding going on here. You claim that there are only two reasons why workers aren’t available: Low wages, or interference from the government (?). But then you talk about the high cost of housing. Apparently also the fault of the government. While there is certainly some truth to this, when it comes down to it, lack of housing wins hands-down. While there are so many problems with our system of seasonal employment here, if you’re hanging around for 2, 3 or 4 months in the high season, are willing to work hard (which nowadays seems foreign to some), have some basic skills and a fair grasp of the English language, you can make some good money here. I did, for years. The workers, (at least US citizens) can find their way to the island. The problem is, where do they go they get here? For 20 years, until the plague hit last year, I provided inexpensive housing ($450 a month) in a clean, comfortable room in a friendly household, near town. People came, worked, and went home with enough money to make it very worthwhile. It’s still too soon to begin letting strangers into our homes, so, for another summer, I will have three empty rooms. But, this too, shall pass. What solutions do you have? Rather than chiding people for the solutions they’re seeking, try to provide one.
It's Time for the Steamship
James Oak BluffsIt's Time for the Steamship to Run or license a company to run a commuter ferry. Easier parking and faster passenger ferry service. I have housing lined up on the cape and employees ready to commute. And for bob, Ob we are paying for their parking, passage, and time and the wages are 30% higher than the mainland.
Given the shortage of workers
David Hidden CoveGiven the shortage of workers on Island might this be an opportunity to relook at the number of day visitors the SSA brings onto the island this summer ? Cutting back on the number of trips per day could serve as a way to regulate a surge of tourists at a time when restaurants may not be able to reasonably accommodate them. It would also mitigate another Covid variant surge.
OMG.
Roddy Season VisitorOMG.
Fewer boats will effect
AB OBFewer boats will effect Islanders, It's hard to get a reservation now.
We used to vote our kids off
skip OBWe used to vote our kids off the island when we were summer people because the luxury of life at a summer home devolved into a two month job vs. a year round career, few of which are available due to a seasonal resort economy. One would think an educational hospitality track would have been developed so Islanders could be at the forefront of best practices and breakthrough customer service. 120,000 summer visitors share (about) 1,000 hotel rooms and 3,000 restaurant seats and demand outstrips supply so much so that the gold standard devolves to less than average according to the new god Yelp. Covid helped increase the Island year round population by almost 30% - and yet, we plan for a two - not 12 month business cycle. Wonder how long it will take to accommodate for an evident paradigm shift? Tch, tch...
Let’s just teach hospitality,
Really?! TisburyLet’s just teach hospitality, construction and landscaping at the high school so we can raise generations of kids to serve tourists. But alas. They will have to live at home forever. I can’t believe what I read in these comments. Will people still come if they can’t have a fancy dinner or a spa treatment? Will they come if they have long waits for the things they can pay for? Maybe that is the correction that has to happen. Stop supplying that luxury. You won’t need all the housing if you don’t need the workers. Fix the zoning or stop whining. But then you have too many people year round! You really cannot have it both ways. Oh wait a minute. That’s how people make money so they don’t have to stay open year round and maybe lose money. I have read some version of this article for years and years.
Maybe these kids can start
Tamara R. Chin Vineyard HavenMaybe these kids can start their own business in hospitality, construction and landscaping if they learn the trade or any trade for that matter. This isn't the only place on earth to live. The bigger picture. Maybe if people weren't charging $3k a month for a two bedroom apartment (oh and the ad also says "no visitors allowed) for the summer season more people would want to work here. It's a double edged sword. It's a choice to own a business like it's a choice to work here.
I have owned a summer home
MarieI have owned a summer home for 27 years. Never did spa treatments. I don’t consider clothes/gift shopping in the downtown to be fun.
We used to go out to dinner a lot but it just got too expensive and we are now more interested in cooking. We bring a lot of what we need from home. - especially wine.
We go out less and enjoy ourselves more.
All the people blaming the
Evan EdgartownAll the people blaming the staffing shortage on unemployment... Are you kidding me?? I've lived on the island my whole life and I don't know a soul who intends to sit out a summer of work and collect. What an insult to this incredibly hard working industrious community. Meanwhile I know dozens of people (local, business owners, working class) who have nowhere to live and are seriously considering going elsewhere. Stop taking attention away from the real issue here with these ridiculous claims. Why don't you try finding an affordable rental yourself? Good luck! You can't even find a tent site on the island these days.
It wouldn't surprise me if a
i wouldn't want it in my backyard either,,,, butIt wouldn't surprise me if a developer that was unable to get a reasonable subdivision approved decided to 'help' with the problem by putting in a high density 'manufactured home' community. It would solve the problem by quickly providing high density housing in safe modern homes, and could be up and running in a few months after installing a connection to the sewer, or shared septic tanks, water, and electrical utilities along with an asphalt road. Many off island developers use these 'manufactured home' communities as a temporary revenue producer for their otherwise vacant land while the value increases. When you plant bushes around the tires, you can't tell it got wheeled in. In a few months time this could be up and running with 5-9 mobile homes per acre.
What the island needs to do
CJ EdgartownWhat the island needs to do is build an apartment complex at the airport - say 100 apartments. Year around and summer workers need 1-3 bedroom rental apartments- this idea that everyone has to own a home is absurd.
Remember the rental apartments we use to rent as college students- that is what you need. The island companies should band together to finance and build near the airport with easy access to the bus. The towns should cooperate to provide the land and a tax break.
I agree with CJ. Aspen Co
Denise VHI agree with CJ. Aspen Co has an employee village for winter seasonal workers, why can’t something like that be available? If the employers on the island banded together and created a dorm like housing village, it would solve a lot of problems year round. Communal kitchens and recreation areas, bedrooms with a bath to accommodate every 4 rooms is all it would take. Small apartments for bigger groups if needed. All this could translate to winter housing for locals. Just get creative, through some money at it, and get on with doing business! Create a Non profit, apply for grants, state, local funding and get some land donated. I. Like the airport idea.
I remember when I used to
Concerned MV EdgartownI remember when I used to work at the five and dime. Things are so different now...
Several of the comments in
Robert Skydell Granada, NicaraguaSeveral of the comments in this thread make use of groundless tropes concerning the employment situation. I suspect, as usual, that these posts are not written by people who actually employ anyone.
Housing is a serious constraint. In the past some of my employees were paying $200 a week to share a room in substandard conditions with an illegal number of others doing the same. The J-1 visa program filled over between 500-1,000 positions each summer but this program has become highly restricted. The foreign student workers in that program are not aided by the government unemployment checks that make staying home an desirable option. Employers on MV are highly dependent on the J-1 visa program for filling summer positions. They are not resorting to that worker pool to pay substandard wages as several people continue to claim.
I’ll be thrilled to get off
Sarah Greene VHI’ll be thrilled to get off my government benefits and get back to my job of 25 years the second the West Tisbury Board of Health (ie, the government) allows my job to restart post-Covid. And there’s 70 Islanders right behind me.
Here we go again.....pointing
Al Reis EdgartownHere we go again.....pointing fingers everywhere except at the real issues. Landlords don’t want to rent year round or even off season because of nightmare tenants who take advantage of lenient laws to create headaches. These louts spoil it for the good tenants; landlords who could rent year round decide to go for the seasonal rentals because the money is good and the people are going to leave on time. Meanwhile, business owners crying poor and claiming they can’t raise wages, yet these are the same people living in giant houses and spending winters in Florida. If they care so much about having workers they could raise wages a few bucks and sacrifice a jet ski.
you are 100% correct al. As a
fact checker edgyou are 100% correct al. As a former landlord I'd never again do it. sold the house. problem solved.
Yep. It’s the truth nobody
Al Reis EdgartownYep. It’s the truth nobody wants to talk about. Easier to blame “Greedy Landlords”.
If you can't make more money
John Cape CodIf you can't make more money than all your basic expense's then it's simply not feasible to work on MV. You need to look elsewhere to work / live if you expect to make more money beyond breaking even.
And do you think John that
Frank Murdoch EdgartownAnd do you think John that the rich on the island would become servers, landscapers, housecleaners, postal worker, painter etc? Because those positions are meeting your basic needs jobs. Someone has to do the job or are you saying the hundreds and thousands of these people need to commute on the ferry daily? Affordable housing is the problem solver here, a place where a housecleaner can call home!
The airport has more land
Charlie Callahan So Boston/EdgartownThe airport has more land than they know what to do with, but the bottom line is the snobs don't want anything to do with affordable housing. I've heard conversations at parties where the dopes didn't know I was a ghetto rat in my younger days in the southie housing projects. Should have seen the faces drop when I told them where I grew up and what I really thought of them. Wonder why I was never invited again. That is the truth that they don't want affordable housing because they think they are better than the good folks who earn their money
I dont see anything wrong
Ken Edg.I dont see anything wrong with commuting. When I was a kid I took a train to work. I wasnt aware there was an abundance of housing in Falmouth. Housing on the vineyard is snapped up by LLC s now. I dont know how it works but they are investments now. People cant compete against that.
The place is too crowded and
Seasonal Guy MVThe place is too crowded and I think this will weed out the crummy businesses. Nobody is entitled to cheap labor and fast money. I see a lot of unhappy air B and B people in our future. I hope we have less of them next year.
The failure to comprehend the
George Stein Oak BluffsThe failure to comprehend the actual inability of a place to stay is not on the radar of theorists extrapolating here. Even in the 70's and 80's service types were living in garages using out door showers during the season. You have the mainland crowd seeking to eliminate the 530 AM ferry to VH. Commuting is rough already if you witness the folks that sleep in multiple directions daily. BTW it does not always cross the Sunday on a windy day or evening. If I bought a three bedroom house with an unfinished basement and garage I would have my pick of bartending gigs at the best places. Can we make a deal to house your staff ? The folks who do not use their actual names are as pathetic as the actual issue.
I’m really tired of seeing
Tom Cole TisburyI’m really tired of seeing this same article rehashed year after year. What do you expect on an island that’s wants to have its cake and eat it, too? This island wants high wages, low population, preserved land, affordable housing, abundant housing, an unchanged quality of life, a booming construction industry, no overdevelopment....and people get upset when all of these don’t happen at once. Ridiculous.
Spot on Tom.. Meeting all of
gina Menemsha/NYCSpot on Tom.. Meeting all of those noble goals just isn't doable.. Some must drop out, be left out .. Not sure which order they will. but the Economic Card will be in control.. Not a perfect world..
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