g5000
Diamond Member
- Nov 26, 2011
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Alabama Farmers Want Illegal Immigrant Workers Back
When HB 56 passed, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley promised that there were plenty of unemployed Alabamans to take the farm jobs the illegal workers left behind.
Now that crops must be harvested on Alabamas farms, the outcome of the law for agriculture is clear. It failed. Crops are rotting in the fields.
Take, for instance, the tomato crop.
Tomato grower Jerry Spencer hired 50 Americans and provided free transportation to work. After two weeks, only a single worker remained. Most of the workers left after two or three days.
People werent in good enough physical condition to work harder or longer hours and typically gave up when faced with acre after acre of tomato plants ready to be picked, Spencer said.
Potato farmer Keith Smith added the other problem with finding good workers.
Ive had people calling me wanting to work. I havent turned any of them down, but theyre not any good. Its hard work, they just dont work like the Hispanics with experience, Smith said.
It isnt easy going from a job behind a cash register or watching television at home to picking tomatoes and potatoes. Picking is a skill that must be learned.
Spencer said that a Hispanic crew of four could make $150 each by filling 250 to 300 25-pound boxes. Recently, he hired 25 Americans. They only filled 200 boxes for the day. Each of them was paid $24.
The idea that Americans will flock to agricultural jobs and perform well has been argued for years but finally refuted undeniably.