California agriculture relies on illegal immigrants, silence
By Chris Collins
Fresno Bee
...
The truth is, though, Zamora doesn't hire Americans. Farm labor contractors and most other employers in the Valley's multibillion-dollar agriculture industry rely almost exclusively on immigrants — mostly illegal immigrants.
Employers hire them as long as they have a forged Social Security card and a green card, which can be bought for less than $100 through a vast underground industry of fake-document vendors in the Central Valley.
...
Agriculture employers often say they can't tell whether the cards are real — but hardly any use a voluntary government online program that helps detect fakes. They say that if they did, they would go out of business. Says Zamora: "I'd end up with no people."
The scheme keeps the Central Valley's economy running on a simple, unspoken rule: Don't ask, don't tell. Employees pretend they're legal residents; employers pretend they don't know any better.
Originally posted by zeeblebot California agriculture relies on illegal immigrants, silence
Is it ever possible to fix the problem or is it political suicide to try?
I'm not sure of the statistic or where to source it but apparently if every illegal worker in the States were to stop tommorrow much of America simply grinds to a halt.
If that is true and it is a well recognized fact, then surely America and Americans are just as guilty as China of enslaving their workforce. Its not like this happened overnight either, but its been simmering away as a too hard to do anything about it issue for at least the last 50 years.
Where's America's moral high-ground in all of this then?
Originally posted by kmax87 Is it ever possible to fix the problem or is it political suicide to try?
I'm not sure of the statistic or where to source it but apparently if every illegal worker in the States were to stop tommorrow much of America simply grinds to a halt.
If that is true and it is a well recognized fact, then surely America and Americans are just as guilty as China ...[text shortened]... e for at least the last 50 years.
Where's America's moral high-ground in all of this then?
you mean Uncle Sam? that mythical figure that embodies all Americans, that we can point to as representing the opinions of all Americans?
Originally posted by kmax87 Is it ever possible to fix the problem or is it political suicide to try?
I'm not sure of the statistic or where to source it but apparently if every illegal worker in the States were to stop tomorrow much of America simply grinds to a halt.
If that is true and it is a well recognized fact, then surely America and Americans are just as guilty as China ...[text shortened]... e for at least the last 50 years.
Where's America's moral high-ground in all of this then?
Why 50 years? What's new about (the US of) America enslaving its workforce? What's even new in their seeing Latin Americans as a pool of slave labour? Get your history books out boys and girls. A large part of the American economy - specifically its labour intensive agriculture in the more Southern states - was built on slavery from the outset. Emancipation of slave labour was an inconvenience but with the glorious benefit that slaves required some modicum of welfare while cash labour can be left to rot when it is not actively employed. All the better if it voluntarily migrates.
Maybe equating this with China - albeit arguable - confuses the issue. China is different. Here the more relevant comparator is with Laissez Faire industrial capitalism - more a Northern states thing than Southern states.
The high ground? With the civil rights movement. With the trades union movement. With the growth of Latin American socialism. Plenty of high ground, if you dig deep enough. 😀
We have to seal the boarders. The liberal faction continues to promote slavery by allowing undocumented people flow across the boarder and take jobs that otherwise would go to people who legally belong here.
Originally posted by highdraw We have to seal the boarders. The liberal faction continues to promote slavery by allowing undocumented people flow across the boarder and take jobs that otherwise would go to people who legally belong here.
http://www.takeourjobs.org/
EDIT
Those who have done the job have some words of advice for applicants: First, dress appropriately.
During summer, when the harvest of fruits and vegetables is in full swing in California's Central Valley, temperatures hover in the triple digits. Heat exhaustion is one of the reasons farm labor consistently makes the Bureau of Labor Statistics' top ten list of the nation's most dangerous jobs.
Second, expect long days. Growers have a small window to pick fruit before it is overripe.
And don't count on a big paycheck. Farm workers are excluded from federal overtime provisions, and small farms don't even have to pay the minimum wage. Fifteen states don't require farm labor to be covered by workers compensation laws.
Originally posted by AThousandYoung http://www.takeourjobs.org/
EDIT
Those who have done the job have some words of advice for applicants: First, dress appropriately.
During summer, when the harvest of fruits and vegetables is in full swing in California's Central Valley, temperatures hover in the triple digits. Heat exhaustion is one of the reasons farm labor consistently ...[text shortened]... laws.
Originally posted by zeeblebot http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/11/14/1926180/illegal-immigrants-form-backbone.html
California agriculture relies on illegal immigrants, silence
By Chris Collins
Fresno Bee
...
The truth is, though, Zamora doesn't hire Americans. Farm labor contractors and most other employers in the Valley's multibillion-dollar agriculture industry rely almo ...[text shortened]... pretend they're legal residents; employers pretend they don't know any better.
...
I agree with you on this one. I find it very hard to believe that with millions of American citizens desperate for a job, these Farm contractors can't find anyone to work there farms except illegal workers. I used to pick berrys for a summer job for 3 years, and so did many of my classmates.
the other Don't Ask Don't Tell
15 Nov '10 07:54
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