Growers say fruit's ready, but workers are scarce

Seattle Times ^ | 8-30-06 | Joe Mullin

[SJackson]

WAPATO, Yakima County — Heinz Humann was late this year. Later than he's ever been.

His workers finished thinning out apple and pear trees to prepare for the harvest in mid-August. But they should have been finished a month earlier. The past few months, it's been tough for Humann to find enough workers for what he can afford to pay. He's had plenty of work, he says. But it seems there's no one willing to do it.

Add to that the other issues that hurt his bottom line, such as taxes and environmental regulations, and "I can see the writing on the wall," he says.

"We're doomed."

Like Humann, apple growers all over Washington this summer are complaining that a heated immigration debate in the U.S. has combined with a late cherry harvest to create a shortage of agricultural workers, perhaps the worst they've seen.

Evidence in the fields of Eastern Washington is so far anecdotal. But some guess that migrant workers may be attracted away by higher-paying jobs. Others surmise that high gas prices have discouraged some workers from driving north after finishing harvests in California.

[Mr. Lucky]

Alright, if, as you assert, it's inefficient for American growers to dedicate capital resources to growing fruit, those resources should properly be withdrawn from the fruit business and applied to a more efficient use.

That's why we aren't all living in log cabins and plowing with mules.

[Fury]

The real issue is that the growers' margins are so thin that they really can't afford to pay more. They'll go out of business instead. Big corporate farms might pick up some of the slack, but mostly it'll just result in more imports from places like Chile.

I understand and appreciate your argument, but I don't believe that it's sufficiently valid, to excuse (not saying you believe this) producers who knowingly hire illegals to work for them.

The immigration system as currently constituted appears to me to be broke. If farmers and other producers are already operating on thin margins, it's probably time to re-engineer their business.

[spectre]

Poor Dane..you alone are the only one who suffered doing a "dirty job". Boo..friggin..whoo..

As a teenager, I shoveled horse manure and cleaned filthy stalls 5 days a week. Doesn't get dirtier than that.

sw

[RipSawyer]

There's just too many options available for today's wage slaves.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Maybe where you live but not here!

[pollyannaish]

Well, I live in Washington State and I can tell you that we actually have exceptionally strict child employment regulations.

Thanks to our exceptionally helpful "it's for the children" very blue state government...the youngster need to be left alone to get into trouble.

[pollyannaish]

Amen and Amen. To both of your posts.

I think many people who have pat answers to these problems have never been in a position to actually have to deal with it first hand.

[tiki]

I remember the first time I saw trucks coming from Mexico with "Washington Apples" boxes full of beautiful apples.

I can attest, workers are short, we are having a hard time getting our chile out. I understand that they are having trouble finding employees for the maquiladoras in Mexico too.

[pollyannaish]

It's funny isn't it? These guys are making really good money, and a lot of it is spent in our community.

There are a lots and lots of people these days who would rather get paid the Washington State minimum wage of $7.63 working in a fast food restaurant than go outside in the heat and get paid a LOT more for working hard. Part of the problem is Washington State minimum wage laws, imo. They're nuts.

And for what its worth, most growers, even those who might end up hiring illegals...as long as you show the required documentation are not going to risk the being hit by lawsuits trying to guess if you are illegal or not. You will also be paid at least minimum wage to keep Olympia off your back.

So...come on out and make some decent money. Just remember, however, that once the harvest is in...you have to go elsewhere to find work...because it generally is not going to be in town.

[pollyannaish]

Harvest schedules are pretty consitent. Migrants learn by word of mouth who is good to work for and who is not.

It hasn't changed for years...although like others have said, the people willing/able to do it have.

[pollyannaish]

Unless you think it's a good plan to rely increasingly on imported food...

And people think having to rely on foreign oil is bad. We could survive without that one.

[pollyannaish]

I could sign on to that. I'm afraid however, there are a lot of folks around here that would say you are still an open borders proponent.

In any case...I vote yes.

[tiki]

We have a shortage of laborers though.

[SJackson]

You forgot the worst of all - you can't get a new job with a new employer on an H2. Add it all up and they're as useless as t . . . well, I don't want attract the mod's attention.

That's not true either. An H2A holder can change jobs as long as he has a valid job offer. I'm not sure about H2B, but since they apply to skilled workers filling an employer's specific shortage, I wouldn't be surprised if they were restricted.

There are plenty of sites with info on work visas, you might try http://faq.visapro.com/Default.asp#WorkVisas because you're posting a lot of misinformation. http://faq.visapro.com/Default.asp#WorkVisas

[SJackson]

You might check the link in post 173. The INS has a pretty good Q&A on their site as well. H2A are temporary agricultural workers, H2B came from the same program, it may say "agricultural", but they're limited and used for skilled workers. As another poster noted, minor leage baseball uses them, as I believe does the entertainment industry.

[SJackson]

Rule of law is the issue. When laws are followed and enforced selectively, as they are with immigration, then there is no rule of law--just anarchy. Of course that is what you prefer, right?

Yes, anarchy. Lawlessness spreads, from agriculture to fast food and lodging, now to the building trades. Truck drivers have only strict regulation of their drivers licenses to thank for their jobs.

[pollyannaish]

Dane, you sure get a lot of grief.

Hang in there.

[brytlea]

OK, here is what I don't understand. If the work was previously being done by folks who are legal to work here, and then they quit doing it, how did illegal aliens hear about it? Whose word of mouth? I am not getting how they even knew that suddenly no American would do those jobs and they were free for the picking. Who told them??
susie

[pollyannaish]

you can't get a new job with a new employer on an H2

Oops. Deal breaker. You can't ask people to come up here for a two week harvest and not move on to another job.

[SJackson]

I will go as far to say is I hope businessmen/fermaners/managers who hire illegals, and have basically causd the situation we have today experience very painful and expensive lessons in the next few years. It will be entertaining to see "people" such as these howl in pain and go bankrupt.

I agree.

[SJackson]

That's why we aren't all living in log cabins and plowing with mules.

To the mule comment :>)

Log cabins, they cost a pretty penny these days.