Reyner Dagalea and Norberto Cabrera wearily flopped down on their couch after a long Saturday shift of janitorial work. Behind them, fishing crewmate-turned-roommate Richard Zambales prepared a cup of instant coffee in the kitchen of their shared Seattle home. He adjusted his coveralls before hurrying out the door to his own weekend shift as a janitor.
Usually, Dagalea and Cabrera would attend service at the Filipino-American Community Church, but this Sunday marked their first day off in a while. They have picked up every hour they can to send money back to their families in the Philippines. They say working holds back the homesickness between the video calls and WhatsApp messages.
The men find themselves in limbo. Again.
It’s been nearly a year since Dagalea, Cabrera, Zambales and 21 of their crewmates docked in Washington after fishing a tuna season for California-based McAdam’s Fish. Cascade PBS previously detailed the crews’ three months in the Westport Marina in late 2023, leading at least six workers to accuse their employer of abandonment and wage theft.
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