Illegal alien farmworker dies from heat; cheap labor liberals, conservatives partly responsible (UFW, Susan Ferriss/SacBee)

Susan Ferriss of the Sacramento Bee offers "Teen farmworker's death, probed as heat-related, stirs outcry" (link) about an illegal alien who died after working in a vineyard near Stockton:

California occupational safety authorities are investigating the girl's death in Lodi as a heat-related fatality. The United Farm Workers Union is calling her treatment an "egregious" violation of safety regulations put into effect three years ago after three farmworkers and a construction worker died of the heat.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was apparently a supporter of legislation related to working in the heat, and he attended the funeral and said in a statement that the incident "should have been prevented" and then said "we have to make sure this doesn't happen again".

Unfortunately, both the UFW's and Arnold's support for illegal immigration played a role; if they opposed illegal activity she wouldn't have been in the situation in the first place or she would have been here legally and thus would be much less susceptible to alleged abuses. Despite that, none of the usual suspects will take this opportunity to support only legal labor. Note also that some business groups have even highlighted non-American labor being able to work in the heat.

For more, in the comments on the SacBee article, mmike2885 says:

Glad the Governator showed up at her funeral. Great Press and Photo Ops for him. Kinda reminds me of how Dr. Phil shows up at hospitals and jails to capitalize on peoples misery.

And, from this:

The creation of a serf class in this country is an abomination and a return to the age of the Robber Barons. Democrats and Republicans are equally guilty of this for different and equally short sighted reasons. I oppose it. Maria is one of the reasons I oppose it. You enablers killed this girl, face it, this is what you advocate tolerance of. I keep trying to tell you that there are real serious problems with your tolerance of illegal labor and you keep pooh-poohing. I keep trying to tell you that you harm everyone involved in labor for the benefit of plutocracy and you call me names. That's fine, you go there and tell Maria's family all the benefits of a disenfranchised serf class.

Immigration2008a · Fri, 05/30/2008 - 08:44 · · Importance: 1