Like Michael Myers, AgJobs is back

"Bill to support farmworkers reintroduced":

This year it could be different as support has grown for the Agricultural Job, Opportunity, Benefits and Security (AgJobs) Act.

The legislation has been reintroduced in Washington, by Sens. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, and Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and Reps. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, and How ard Berman, D-Calif. The bill would overhaul the H-2A guest worker program and give experienced undocumented farmworkers the chance to become legal residents in the United States... [...BS from Ted Kennedy and growers...]

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson [says] "We can't find people who will do (hand-picking) anymore in the United States..."

Bronson should take a look at "In Florida Groves, Cheap Labor Means Machines". Some Florida orange growers are getting smart and using machinery instead of serf labor. That article also describes how political forces have prevented some farm mechanization.

Regarding guest worker programs in general, see "The Mirage of Mexican Guest Workers"

Regarding AgJobs, see this. Rep. Cannon received thousands of dollars from AILA lawyers, and that organization also helped Cannon draft AgJobs.

The other Naples News article Farm union, religious leaders laud federal farmworker bill has the details on the bill. As you read it, you will probably get the feeling that its requirements sound an awful lot like indentured servitude. You aren't alone: see Miami Herald "endorses indentured servitude". That post also contains a list of the organizations that support AgJobs.

And, to those who complain that lettuce would go to $10 a head without serf labor, see "How Much Is that Tomato in the Window?"

Comments

Mechanical harvesting will have no effect upon labor for citrus harvesting for a long time to come unless the market declines further than it has in the past few years. The systems used today are not that efficient, they leave to much fruit on the trees. If the correct system were perfected it would go a long way to eliminate the "need" for this labor source in citrus, and also relieve the burden that the average tax payer in Florida must bear in lieu of the large growers in this state. As usual the NYT has no idea what it is talking about. It is ironic that this story is written while there is debate taking place here, in the industry, about the value of the tax to support this effort, as it has not born any "real" benefit to the majority of the growers who are forced to pay it.

The fact is that the growers do now enjoy cheap labor as a result of the known employment of illegal aliens. As stated above this "savings" is also being subsidized by the poor average Tax Payer. What they, the ag jobs bunch in Fla, Citrus Mutual etc., want is a continued flow of fresh illegals to replace the burnouts. Even illegals get burned out after 4-5 years of harvesting citrus. They move on to construction, contractor status ensures they can use a given ID for at least one year before needing to change their idenity.