Farmers 'panic-stricken' by shortage of migrant workers

[OldLady]

Well maybe if we removed the safety net from the ones who don't want to work it would motivate them a bit.

It just prove the whole "subsidizing doing nothing" argument non-progressives have been making for decades.

MartyBegan, I suppose it's too late to offer higher wages and save this year's crop. Even when you'll offer it, there's no USA labor market with sufficient experienced pickers to recruit from. That's due to years of legally importing and/or illegally directly hiring low wage foreign crop pickers.

We can't have secure borders and satisfy farmland owners by using cheaper labor. We don't have manufacturing jobs due to cheaper labor produced imports, and we won't have USA crop pickers due to cheaper labor produced food imports. Or due to unsecured borders, or due to permitting farmland owners to import temporary labor that will be a back-door entry for many of those laborers to settle within the USA.

Respectfully, Supposn

I have a feeling if the supply of cheap labor from illegals was cut off the growers would find a way. We keep forgetting that stress is the creator of innovation.

Farmers took advantage of ILLEGAL labor for years and reaped a profit. If those days are over, good. The sad thing is that these farmers and other employers are all openly whining that they've lost their slave labor; it's obvious if those illegals came back, they'd hire them in a minute and apparently the government is too busy separating parents from children at the border to do anything about these ILLEGAL EMPLOYERS.

I wouldn't heap too much angst on the farmers, considering that even if the migrants lives sucked on those farms, it is probably better than then shitty life they left.

if it wasn't, they wouldn't be coming here over and over and over again.

Plus the countries that are shitholes to begin with LOVE when their people leave and work in the US. It removes the burden from them, and a lot of the people send money back home.

There are plenty of bad actors here, but no one really evil.

I'm not a hater, but it beats me how so many people can screech about the nasty illegals that are here without giving a thought to the fact that they are here working. That means they are being hired illegally by employers. If anyone really wanted to fix the illegal immigration problem, take away their opportunity to work. That would solve the problem pretty much overnight.
I never said anyone was evil. But employers, including farmers, who hire illegal immigrants, are fueling the problem. We could save $$ on the wall.

 

[MaryL]

Well maybe if we removed the safety net from the ones who don't want to work it would motivate them a bit.

It just prove the whole "subsidizing doing nothing" argument non-progressives have been making for decades.

MartyBegan, I suppose it's too late to offer higher wages and save this year's crop. Even when you'll offer it, there's no USA labor market with sufficient experienced pickers to recruit from. That's due to years of legally importing and/or illegally directly hiring low wage foreign crop pickers.

We can't have secure borders and satisfy farmland owners by using cheaper labor. We don't have manufacturing jobs due to cheaper labor produced imports, and we won't have USA crop pickers due to cheaper labor produced food imports. Or due to unsecured borders, or due to permitting farmland owners to import temporary labor that will be a back-door entry for many of those laborers to settle within the USA.

Respectfully, Supposn

I have a feeling if the supply of cheap labor from illegals was cut off the growers would find a way. We keep forgetting that stress is the creator of innovation.

Farmers took advantage of ILLEGAL labor for years and reaped a profit. If those days are over, good. The sad thing is that these farmers and other employers are all openly whining that they've lost their slave labor; it's obvious if those illegals came back, they'd hire them in a minute and apparently the government is too busy separating parents from children at the border to do anything about these ILLEGAL EMPLOYERS.

I wouldn't heap too much angst on the farmers, considering that even if the migrants lives sucked on those farms, it is probably better than then shitty life they left.

if it wasn't, they wouldn't be coming here over and over and over again.

Plus the countries that are shitholes to begin with LOVE when their people leave and work in the US. It removes the burden from them, and a lot of the people send money back home.

There are plenty of bad actors here, but no one really evil.

Oh we know who the bad actors are. And all those Americans living a shitty country that are homeless and jobless, indirectly because we somehow want to enable those that exploit illegal aliens. let's End end that. We want immigration control in the same way we want gun control...And so, in our neurotic self destructive way, we don't do ANYTHING.

 

[Correll]

Farmers used to hire illegals on the sly years ago , 50- 60 years ago. Now illegal aliens have become this massive blockbuster in just about ANY semi or unskilled labor related industry. What used to be a minor issue has metastasized into this HUGE issue...Somebody has got to bite the bullet and suffer the consequences, hiring illegals is a black mark on all of us and it's got to end. It's like industry is addicted to illegals instead of heroin and they need an intervention. Cold turkey, hire Americans. We don't need to build walls, either.

Sorry, the time for discussion is over.

BUILD THE WALL, DEPORT THE ILLEGAL, FUCK THE EMPLOYERS.

Do it all, do it yesterday.

 

[MaryL]

Farmers used to hire illegals on the sly years ago , 50- 60 years ago. Now illegal aliens have become this massive blockbuster in just about ANY semi or unskilled labor related industry. What used to be a minor issue has metastasized into this HUGE issue...Somebody has got to bite the bullet and suffer the consequences, hiring illegals is a black mark on all of us and it's got to end. It's like industry is addicted to illegals instead of heroin and they need an intervention. Cold turkey, hire Americans. We don't need to build walls, either.

Sorry, the time for discussion is over.

BUILD THE WALL, DEPORT THE ILLEGAL, FUCK THE EMPLOYERS.

Do it all, do it yesterday.

Well, whoa, hoss. It's a little late to close the darn doors. But we can still insist, call our legislators and let them know we don't abide with sanctuary for illegals. Finally, I don't have a solution other than requiring both employers and employees be able to prove their immigration status. And it shouldn't be hidden or obscured or blocked under constitutional obfuscations or clouds. And we don't need border walls anymore. Just simple law enforcement and question anyone that questions THAT.

 

[martybegan]

Well maybe if we removed the safety net from the ones who don't want to work it would motivate them a bit.

It just prove the whole "subsidizing doing nothing" argument non-progressives have been making for decades.

MartyBegan, I suppose it's too late to offer higher wages and save this year's crop. Even when you'll offer it, there's no USA labor market with sufficient experienced pickers to recruit from. That's due to years of legally importing and/or illegally directly hiring low wage foreign crop pickers.

We can't have secure borders and satisfy farmland owners by using cheaper labor. We don't have manufacturing jobs due to cheaper labor produced imports, and we won't have USA crop pickers due to cheaper labor produced food imports. Or due to unsecured borders, or due to permitting farmland owners to import temporary labor that will be a back-door entry for many of those laborers to settle within the USA.

Respectfully, Supposn

I have a feeling if the supply of cheap labor from illegals was cut off the growers would find a way. We keep forgetting that stress is the creator of innovation.

Farmers took advantage of ILLEGAL labor for years and reaped a profit. If those days are over, good. The sad thing is that these farmers and other employers are all openly whining that they've lost their slave labor; it's obvious if those illegals came back, they'd hire them in a minute and apparently the government is too busy separating parents from children at the border to do anything about these ILLEGAL EMPLOYERS.

I wouldn't heap too much angst on the farmers, considering that even if the migrants lives sucked on those farms, it is probably better than then shitty life they left.

if it wasn't, they wouldn't be coming here over and over and over again.

Plus the countries that are shitholes to begin with LOVE when their people leave and work in the US. It removes the burden from them, and a lot of the people send money back home.

There are plenty of bad actors here, but no one really evil.

I'm not a hater, but it beats me how so many people can screech about the nasty illegals that are here without giving a thought to the fact that they are here working. That means they are being hired illegally by employers. If anyone really wanted to fix the illegal immigration problem, take away their opportunity to work. That would solve the problem pretty much overnight.
I never said anyone was evil. But employers, including farmers, who hire illegal immigrants, are fueling the problem. We could save $$ on the wall.

The second you do that you will hear the pro-immigration people screeching about taking away these people's dreams and hopes. It's why you never really hear the pro-illegal immigrant people bitch about the businesses (even though a majority of them lean socialist, or even commie).

 

[Correll]

Farmers used to hire illegals on the sly years ago , 50- 60 years ago. Now illegal aliens have become this massive blockbuster in just about ANY semi or unskilled labor related industry. What used to be a minor issue has metastasized into this HUGE issue...Somebody has got to bite the bullet and suffer the consequences, hiring illegals is a black mark on all of us and it's got to end. It's like industry is addicted to illegals instead of heroin and they need an intervention. Cold turkey, hire Americans. We don't need to build walls, either.

Sorry, the time for discussion is over.

BUILD THE WALL, DEPORT THE ILLEGAL, FUCK THE EMPLOYERS.

Do it all, do it yesterday.

Well, whoa, hoss. It's a little late to close the darn doors. But we can still insist, call our legislators and let them know we don't abide with sanctuary for illegals. Finally, I don't have a solution other than requiring both employers and employees be able to prove their immigration status. And it shouldn't be hidden or obscured or blocked under constitutional obfuscations or clouds. And we don't need border walls anymore. Just simple law enforcement and question anyone that questions THAT.

Yeah, if I've learned one thing, discussing the best way to address the problem of illegal immigration,


is that "Discuss" is just code for "do nothing".


NO DISCUSSION. BUILD AND DEPORT AND PUNISH.


Yes, it is almost certainly too late to save this nation, in any recognizable from, but what else are we going to do?


Actively pour gasoline on the fire?

 

[martybegan]

Well maybe if we removed the safety net from the ones who don't want to work it would motivate them a bit.

It just prove the whole "subsidizing doing nothing" argument non-progressives have been making for decades.

MartyBegan, I suppose it's too late to offer higher wages and save this year's crop. Even when you'll offer it, there's no USA labor market with sufficient experienced pickers to recruit from. That's due to years of legally importing and/or illegally directly hiring low wage foreign crop pickers.

We can't have secure borders and satisfy farmland owners by using cheaper labor. We don't have manufacturing jobs due to cheaper labor produced imports, and we won't have USA crop pickers due to cheaper labor produced food imports. Or due to unsecured borders, or due to permitting farmland owners to import temporary labor that will be a back-door entry for many of those laborers to settle within the USA.

Respectfully, Supposn

I have a feeling if the supply of cheap labor from illegals was cut off the growers would find a way. We keep forgetting that stress is the creator of innovation.

Farmers took advantage of ILLEGAL labor for years and reaped a profit. If those days are over, good. The sad thing is that these farmers and other employers are all openly whining that they've lost their slave labor; it's obvious if those illegals came back, they'd hire them in a minute and apparently the government is too busy separating parents from children at the border to do anything about these ILLEGAL EMPLOYERS.

I wouldn't heap too much angst on the farmers, considering that even if the migrants lives sucked on those farms, it is probably better than then shitty life they left.

if it wasn't, they wouldn't be coming here over and over and over again.

Plus the countries that are shitholes to begin with LOVE when their people leave and work in the US. It removes the burden from them, and a lot of the people send money back home.

There are plenty of bad actors here, but no one really evil.

Oh we know who the bad actors are. And all those Americans living a shitty country that are homeless and jobless, indirectly because we somehow want to enable those that exploit illegal aliens. let's End end that. We want immigration control in the same way we want gun control...And so, in our neurotic self destructive way, we don't do ANYTHING.

well isn't that a quaint load of self-loathing,.

 

[MaryL]

When say, Denver ( a HUGE sanctuary city) has to rewrite local ordinances governing homeless camping, and various outlaying areas are moving to tear down homeless encampments, it leaves me speechless..."WE" (using that loosely) give Illegal immigrant all these special protections, when we can't offer them to American underclass and poor...No sanctuary city for American poor, we are trash, it's our fault. we deserve to suffer... Why the double standards?

 

[saveliberty]

Excuse me, can someone explain why farm hands live in the city?

 

[MaryL]

Excuse me, can someone explain why farm hands live in the city?[

Farmers used to hire illegals on the sly years ago , 50- 60 years ago. Now illegal aliens have become this massive blockbuster in just about ANY semi or unskilled labor related industry. What used to be a minor issue has metastasized into this HUGE issue...Somebody has got to bite the bullet and suffer the consequences, hiring illegals is a black mark on all of us and it's got to end. It's like industry is addicted to illegals instead of heroin and they need an intervention. Cold turkey, hire Americans. We don't need to build walls, either.

Sorry, the time for discussion is over.

BUILD THE WALL, DEPORT THE ILLEGAL, FUCK THE EMPLOYERS.

Do it all, do it yesterday.

Well, whoa, hoss. It's a little late to close the darn doors. But we can still insist, call our legislators and let them know we don't abide with sanctuary for illegals. Finally, I don't have a solution other than requiring both employers and employees be able to prove their immigration status. And it shouldn't be hidden or obscured or blocked under constitutional obfuscations or clouds. And we don't need border walls anymore. Just simple law enforcement and question anyone that questions THAT.

Yeah, if I've learned one thing, discussing the best way to address the problem of illegal immigration,


is that "Discuss" is just code for "do nothing".


NO DISCUSSION. BUILD AND DEPORT AND PUNISH.


Yes, it is almost certainly too late to save this nation, in any recognizable from, but what else are we going to do?


Actively pour gasoline on the fire?

Wow, I despise illegals and the worse angels of our mercies, those greedy or just needy businesses that employ them. They do so at the expense of our own poor unemployed and created this mess to begin with, I don't have any sympathy with them. And what little I had vanished when they somehow conjured up enogh power to create sanctuary cities out of whole cloth. And it was never put up to a vote, how did they pull that off?

 

[Geaux4it]

Farmers 'panic-stricken' by shortage of migrant workers United Press International

'We're too late -- it's done for us,' Jerry Adrian, 63, a cherry grower in Benton City, Wash., said Wednesday. Forty tons of his crop will rot on the trees for a loss of $40,000, he said.

Ed Kane, a cherry and apple grower in Wenatchee, Wash., said, 'I'm really damn well scared.'

Farm officials in the Northwest said a shortage of more than 16,000 workers will threaten strawberry and cherry crops in the next two weeks, and may damage the fall apple harvest.

California Farmers Backed Trump, but Now Fear Losing Field Workers

As for his promises about cracking down on illegal immigrants, many assumed Mr. Trump’s pledges were mostly just talk. But two weeks into his administration, Mr. Trump has signed executive orders that have upended the country’s immigration laws.

With 6.5 million people living in the valley, the fields in this state bring in $35 billion a year and provide more of the nation’s food than any other state.

https://www.usnews.com/news/busines...ker-shortage-farmers-push-back-on-immigration

As 18 Guatemalans in hoodies and rubber boots toiled in such conditions recently in Oregon's Willamette Valley, their boss expressed admiration for their willingness to do the back-breaking work he said native-born Americans won't do.

"Homeless people are camped in the fir forest over there," the farmer said, pointing to a stand of trees. "And they're not looking for work."

"I don't trust that temps off the street, or jailhouse labor, or whatever alternative they come up with would work," she said.
----------
Republicans are dreaming if they think guys like this:



Will replace guys like that.

The problem with Republicans is they believe "If we do this, that will happen". Only it NEVER happens the way they plan. Never. Why? Because they don't believe in study and data and understanding.

Look at Iraq and the "freedom agenda".
Look at the deficit creating Bush Tax cuts.
Look at their nonsensical approach to coal.

 

[eagle1462010]

That's awful!
After we boot the illegal aliens, maybe we can start a temporary farm worker program?
Work, earn, return home.

Farm Workers - Wage and Hour Division (WHD) - U.S. Department of Labor

It's already there. But the Department of Labor screws up the paperwork and the LEGAL pickers are delayed getting there.

Which is the main problem for those farms doing it LEGALLY.

 

[bodecea]

Excuse me, can someone explain why farm hands live in the city?

Service industry. There's estimates that 1 in 9 people in LA are there illegally...pretty much all in the service industry.

 

[Sun Devil 92]

That's awful!
After we boot the illegal aliens, maybe we can start a temporary farm worker program?
Work, earn, return home.

Maybe? What happens until then? How will it be different than now? The number of Mexicans coming here have been declining every year. The same question can be asked of every Republican on every GOP policy: Are you sure you've thought this through?

That's what happens when you build your business on an undependable labor supply.

 

[Geaux4it]

Farmers made their bed, now they can lie in it. Anyone who hires beaners should lose their business license

-Geaux

 

[eagle1462010]

U.S. Department of Labor Files Lawsuit After Investigation Finds Washington State Farm Discriminated Against American Workers

SEATTLE, WA – The U.S. Department of Labor has filed suit against a northern Washington berry farm for violating the labor provisions of the H-2A visa program. Sakuma Brothers Farms Inc. and the Washington State Farm Labor Association have been assessed $124,575 in civil money penalties and an additional $9,599 for failing to pay back wages to an eligible U.S. worker who was not hired and to workers who drove the buses that transported workers to the farm.

Investigators with the Department’s Wage and Hour Division found that Sakuma Brothers Farms committed violations of the H-2A visa program. The Department’s Office of the Solicitor (SOL) subsequently filed the lawsuit with the Office of Administrative Law Judges, an administrative trial court for the Department.

The Department alleges Sakuma Brothers Farms gave unlawful preferential treatment to temporary foreign agricultural workers who were brought to the U.S. as part of the H-2A visa program. Sakuma Brothers Farms charged U.S. workers for housing deposits for which it did not charge the H-2A workers, did not provide U.S. workers with household goods that were free for foreign workers, and did not provide U.S. workers with the same transportation to the fields that it provided to the foreign workers. The investigation also found the farm illegally rejected qualified U.S. applicants for the jobs they gave to the H-2A workers. Further, the housing provided to the workers was not maintained to meet the standards required by the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

 

[Sun Devil 92]

Farmers 'panic-stricken' by shortage of migrant workers United Press International

'We're too late -- it's done for us,' Jerry Adrian, 63, a cherry grower in Benton City, Wash., said Wednesday. Forty tons of his crop will rot on the trees for a loss of $40,000, he said.

Ed Kane, a cherry and apple grower in Wenatchee, Wash., said, 'I'm really damn well scared.'

Farm officials in the Northwest said a shortage of more than 16,000 workers will threaten strawberry and cherry crops in the next two weeks, and may damage the fall apple harvest.

California Farmers Backed Trump, but Now Fear Losing Field Workers

As for his promises about cracking down on illegal immigrants, many assumed Mr. Trump’s pledges were mostly just talk. But two weeks into his administration, Mr. Trump has signed executive orders that have upended the country’s immigration laws.

With 6.5 million people living in the valley, the fields in this state bring in $35 billion a year and provide more of the nation’s food than any other state.

https://www.usnews.com/news/busines...ker-shortage-farmers-push-back-on-immigration

As 18 Guatemalans in hoodies and rubber boots toiled in such conditions recently in Oregon's Willamette Valley, their boss expressed admiration for their willingness to do the back-breaking work he said native-born Americans won't do.

"Homeless people are camped in the fir forest over there," the farmer said, pointing to a stand of trees. "And they're not looking for work."

"I don't trust that temps off the street, or jailhouse labor, or whatever alternative they come up with would work," she said.
----------
Republicans are dreaming if they think guys like this:



Will replace guys like that.

The problem with Republicans is they believe "If we do this, that will happen". Only it NEVER happens the way they plan. Never. Why? Because they don't believe in study and data and understanding.

Look at Iraq and the "freedom agenda".
Look at the deficit creating Bush Tax cuts.
Look at their nonsensical approach to coal.

Use some of that $40,000 that the farmer stands to loose to pay a better wage, how many years has he been getting cheap labor, those days are over.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So are the days of cheap food.

Tough.....

You pay what it cost.

Now, maybe well run small farms can be allowed to compete in what used to be a corporate dominated industry.

 

[Sun Devil 92]

U.S. Department of Labor Files Lawsuit After Investigation Finds Washington State Farm Discriminated Against American Workers

SEATTLE, WA – The U.S. Department of Labor has filed suit against a northern Washington berry farm for violating the labor provisions of the H-2A visa program. Sakuma Brothers Farms Inc. and the Washington State Farm Labor Association have been assessed $124,575 in civil money penalties and an additional $9,599 for failing to pay back wages to an eligible U.S. worker who was not hired and to workers who drove the buses that transported workers to the farm.

Investigators with the Department’s Wage and Hour Division found that Sakuma Brothers Farms committed violations of the H-2A visa program. The Department’s Office of the Solicitor (SOL) subsequently filed the lawsuit with the Office of Administrative Law Judges, an administrative trial court for the Department.

The Department alleges Sakuma Brothers Farms gave unlawful preferential treatment to temporary foreign agricultural workers who were brought to the U.S. as part of the H-2A visa program. Sakuma Brothers Farms charged U.S. workers for housing deposits for which it did not charge the H-2A workers, did not provide U.S. workers with household goods that were free for foreign workers, and did not provide U.S. workers with the same transportation to the fields that it provided to the foreign workers. The investigation also found the farm illegally rejected qualified U.S. applicants for the jobs they gave to the H-2A workers. Further, the housing provided to the workers was not maintained to meet the standards required by the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Must be a greedy red state....oh wait.

 

[MaryL]

Anyone here have theories about how certain areas became sanctuary for illegal aliens without the will of the people? No votes, no referendums, nothing. And POOF, suddenly a bunch dictates about how to cater illegals and how NOT enforcing federal immigration laws suddenly appears, again without the vote of the local populace. Funny how that works. Nobody asked for any of this.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

That's awful!
After we boot the illegal aliens, maybe we can start a temporary farm worker program?
Work, earn, return home.

Farm Workers - Wage and Hour Division (WHD) - U.S. Department of Labor

It's already there. But the Department of Labor screws up the paperwork and the LEGAL pickers are delayed getting there.

Which is the main problem for those farms doing it LEGALLY.

It's already there.

Excellent. After we boot the illegals we can work on making it work better.