Workers can experience this as a cultural disconnection between themselves as workers and their Pacific bosses. In some of the stories we heard, this involved exploitation and poor management. In others, it involved invoking the Pacific way of doing things. One key informant in the healthcare sector urged us not to forget to include Pacific employers in our Inquiry: If you look at [name of company] or [name of company] or some of those Pacific providers that are now hiring staff. Even in there, you mustn’t miss them out. They need to be also brought in, because there lies a lot of … it’s all the systemic thinking and culture of treating people has somewhat found itself in those spaces as well. So you have our own people not treating our people properly. (T002) Several participants commented on seeing Pacific peoples in positions of power who they felt did not do anything to help other Pacific peoples. One construction worker told us: I see our PI managers who are in a position of power or position to make change for our people and their staff but don’t – for their own reasons don’t want to escalate or step on anyone’s toes maybe because they’re trying to climb the ladder so don’t want to jeopardise their future. That’s what we see all the time in our corporate world. (S213) felt used ‘the Pacific way’ to undermine their rights in the workplace, for example, when striking. During a talanoa with participants in the manufacturing industry, we heard how, during a strike, the manager had: … been calling on workers to come have a private sit down with him to sort things out the Samoan way. Workers were angry, did not believe that he spoke for them and for the Samoan way. (T021) The manager told them they should be satisfied with the wages they were on because it was higher than what they might receive back in Samoa: [Samoan manager] also came and told us to just be happy, back in Samoa you don’t get paid $20 per hour. It’s totally different. In Samoa, we live in our own land, don’t pay rent, food is cheaper, we have gardens too. Here, we don’t have that. (T021) This experience was similar in other industries. One of our key informants in the healthcare industry felt leaders invoked the Pacific way when it suited them: I keep challenging them and I say, “OK, we talk about the Pasifika way. What is the Pasifika way? Isn’t the Pasifika way to look after our people and think about our people and think about the collective?” I always say this. I say, “Don’t bullshit and tell me that’s not the Pasifika way. When it suits you say it’s the Pasifika way.” (T003) A manufacturing participant had a similar experience: A worker in the construction industry had a slightly different story. In his case, he felt that working with family members meant putting up with exploitation: I’ve worked here 11 years now. I’ve seen how Palagi bosses help Palagi workers, but this Samoan bosses don’t help Samoans. Palagis don’t help Samoans, nobody helping Samoans. (T021) When working for family members, I was paid $100 for 12 hours a day. I knew I was being used. But needed to do the necessary reps to prove my worth. (T017) Some participants talked about the actions of a particular supervisor in their workplace who they Voices of Pacific peoples 75