I've never picked pears, but I bet I could pick at least five pears a minute which works out to 300 per hour. At $12 per hour this works out to $.04 per pear. Also, I've never bought a pear, but maybe they cost around $.20 each when picked by $6 per hour labor, or $.02 per pear. So, if the price went up to $.22 per pear because a fair wage was paid to the pickers, I'd still buy the pear. So would everyone else. So, what's the problem?
Pears are picked weeks before they are ripe enough to drop from the tree. Otherwise they get soft and mushy. Sounds like this guy didn't manage his orchard properly... all his "help" was out picking grapes instead.