by David Phinney
Thursday March 28th 2024

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From: dcphinney
Sent: Friday, July 29, 2005 9:40 AM
To:….'(Army Field Support Command)
Subject: LOGCAP subcontractors
(……),
I am working on a possible story for CorpWatch regarding LOGCAP subcontractors and the employment of third country nationals who are largely recruited from India, the Philippines, Pakistan, Turkey, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
My questions follow this background based on interviews this week:
A number of sources — former KBR employees and supervisors who recently worked in Iraq — have told me that several Kuwaiti firms subcontracting under LOGCAP rely on third country nationals for their laborers in Iraq.
These sources claim the subcontracting companies, notably First Kuwaiti Trading and Prime Projects International, have practiced poor labor standards that include false recruitment, enforced job retainment in Iraq, inadequate emergency medical care, poor work safety standards, crowded living quarters and bad food.
These companies are also believed by these sources to lack insurance for disability or heath of their third country nationals and offer no paid time off for illness or injury.
All of these allegations take place in partnership with the much better equipped and higher-paid KBR/Service Employees International, Inc. staff who are often supervising these workers — specifically First Kuwati at Camp Speicher and Prime Projects at Camp Victory, Camp Anaconda and Camp Diamondback.
Additionally, I am told of several instances where KBR employees and their supervisors intervened on behalf of these third country nationals (TCNs) working for subcontractors when TCNs needed medical attention and or were owed backpay. One former KBR employee claims to have fed TCN work crews with military MREs because the food that First Kuwaiti served was unacceptable.
I also am told that there have been numerous “sick outs” and other protests over these working conditions. Some have not been reported. One instance is said to have involved several protests sometime around
October 2004 and January 2005 by hundreds of TCNs at Camp Speicher who had not been paid by First Kuwaiti for three months or more. These protests are said to have been settled and averted only after KBR provided money for the money owed.
One media organization reporting on a labor dispute in May at Camp Cook claimed that 300 Filipinos under contract with Prime Projects International went on strike after complaining about working conditions, including work hours, working conditions and lack of protection from the heat and cold. The dispute reported was temporarily settled after intervention from the Filipino Department of Foreign Affairs.
I am interested in knowing the Army’s perspective of these allegations and events, including:
— How does the Army view the working and salary conditions of third country nationals working for subcontractors in support of LOGCAP?
— Is the Army aware of such allegations about working conditions for TCNs?
— Is the Army aware of TCN labor disputes, and if so, how frequent are they? Have they affected the performance of LOGCAP?
— What are the “flow down” contractual obligations of foreign subcontractors working under the LOGCAP regarding health and safety of third country nationals working for foreign subcontractors?
— What health, safety, housing, feeding, medical and insurance requirements does the Army require of foreign subcontractors under LOGCAP to provide to their employees working in Iraq?
— What measures has the Army taken if any above health, safety, housing, feeding, medical and insurance requirements are violated?
— Approximately how many employees does First Kuwaiti provide under LOGCAP in Iraq and Kuwait? How many does Prime Projects International provide? What camps are they subcontracted? What sort of services are provided by both companies to KBR and what is the contract value?
— Has there been or is there now a policy regarding the employment of Iraqi workers under LOGCAP and LOGCAP subcontractors? (My understanding is that the Army requested that Iraqi workers not be hired).
— What role has the Army taken in resolving labor disputes among its subcontractors including that at Camp Cook in May.
— Can you provide media contact info for Prime Projects International and First Kuwaiti?
Thanks,
DAVID PHINNEY
—————————————————————-
From: Browne, Margaret Ms AFSC
Sent: Friday, August 05, 2005 5:55 PM
To: ‘davidphinney@davidphinney.com’
Subject: LOGCAP subcontractors
David,
In response to your correspondence of 29 July 2005 addressing a number of issues involving the use of third country nationals (TCNs) in sub-contracts under our LOGCAP contract. These are serious issues and we are presently investigating the specific incidents you’ve addressed.
We are concerned about employment conditions for all employees. There are a number of contract clauses outlining health, security, and other life support requirements for sub-contracted entities. You can access the contract at: http://www.afsc.army.mil/gc/files/contract%20san.pdf.
The U.S. Government has privity of contract with the prime contractor, in this case KBRS. The specifics of sub-contractor oversight are usually within the purview of the parties involved; the prime and sub-contracted entities.
There is no general rule prohibiting the hiring of Iraqis; local conditions at individual activities may preclude the practice.
Hope this suffices. Have a good weekend!
Maggie
Margaret A. Browne
U.S. Army Field Support Command
Public Communications
AMSFS-PC

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