U.S. Wheat Farmers Face Grim Harvests as Immigration Bill Dies

Yahoo News ^ | Tue Jul 3, 12:11 AM ET | Alan Bjerga Tue Jul 3, 12:11 AM ET

[MrPiper]

I think this says it all. This is snipped from an article relating to the worker shortage in wheat fields. It should say: Americans refuse to be slave labor!

"Work starts once the morning dew has dried and continues for 16 hours until night moisture makes the wheat too wet. A harvester must be able to work continually while making quick repairs to keep a $300,000 combine in motion.

For that, a worker bunks with crewmates in a mobile trailer for free while seeing the U.S. heartland on net pay of about $1,800 per month. The high-quality, low-cost labor ``keeps costs down and keeps the producer profitable, which keeps the U.S. competitive in the world market.

[MrPiper]

I think this says it all. By the way, long time since I posted here, so be gentle.

[goldstategop]

How about hiring Americans to do the harvest at fair wages? Oh yeah, that's a more radical concept than hiring illegal cheap labor. Without the latter, we can't keep bread and cereal prices low. As if everything's about money.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

I hate break it you but American's know how to harvest wheat. We have been doing it for a long time without illegal immigrants.

Just another "poor immigrant" piece about how America will go down the tube without them.

[Monitor]

Unless and until mass deportations start to happen, which won’t as long as Bush is in office, this article is nothing but FUD.

[goldstategop]

If we didn't have illegals, America would stop running. No wonder our elites think Americans don't exist.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[Son House]

Just check for their Green Card, before hiring, easy,
no excuse for hiring illegal, when there already is a ‘guest worker’ Green Card.

[ran20]

I read that on a 1 dollar head of lettuce, 3 cents is the cost of picking. I estimated with the numbers we could pay about 40 dollars an hour to lettuce pickers if we were willing to pay 15 cents more a head of lettuce.

[Bernard]

Over 100 years ago, didn't somebody write a book about the meat packing business in Chicago? Seems to me that if working conditions are so bad, the government can legislate better working conditions, which would make the cost of low-skill labor so high that business would make capital investments to replace the workers with machinery. Or move their business to another country.

That is what happened with manufacturing in this country.

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

I agree with you. Wheat harvesting is a major service industry. The rigs they use are big and expensive. I wouldn’t turn that equipment over to a border hopper on a bet.

[kingu]

There are at least twelve million illegals in the United States right now, as well as an excess of 220,000 temporary guest workers. If farmers are having a hard time of it, it is not because these are jobs that Americans will not do, it is because not even an illegal will do it.

The farmers will have to raise salaries until the can find an acceptable level of pay for their workers. Tough luck Charlie, costs go up and because of years of neglect of the laws, the workers have moved up to jobs in construction and other work in high density areas knowing from example that such areas are far less risky and pay better wages.

If, however, there is a substantial rise in raids in urban areas, you’ll likely see them come back. Every grower, for their own economic self interest should be constantly pushing for more raids and deportations in urban regions.

[longtermmemmory]

how about robots or machines?

A harvester just replaced humans anyways.

[Caipirabob]

If I could just club liberal every time I read one of these immigrant SOB pieces we'd have resolved the entire issue by now AND there'd be no more liberals (except for what naturally occurs in colonies of fungi and bacteria.)

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Upton Sinclair's The Jungle. Teddy Roosevelt read the book and said that Sinclair aimed for the heart but hit the gut.

[MrPiper]

I guess my main point was these folks are working for about $4.00/hr. Yes, these are jobs Americans won’t do. Raise it to $10.00/hr and Americans would line up for $4800/month. I assume this is piece work and therefore minimum wage does not apply. Slave labor ONLY need apply! I’m surprised the author allowed the obvious low pay to go into the article.

[EBH]

Yes, these are jobs Americans won’t do.

And that is indeed what is wrong with Americans. Take away the lucrative welfare system, subsidize the farmers with that money and see how well Americans can work when properly inspired to feed their families. We need to re-instill work ethics and remove generational welfare systems.

[RoseyT]

I’d pay it!

[MrPiper]

Have to respectfully disagree. To subsidize is to get the government involved. Bad move. There is this little fact of life called Supply-N-Demand. Remove federal income tax on everything, remove welfare (which is a subsidy) and let the market decide what the pay should be. It will work out that there is plenty of hungry folk willing to do whatever it takes to eat.

Whichever state has the lowest tax will get the most workers therefore lowering wages and driving down prices. Ya think Florida with no tax on income or groceries has a high population just because of the weather?

[Caipirabob]

Sorry, I was trying to be cynical about your post. I thought it was good. I'm just in "grumpy middle-aged dude mode". Cheers! : )

[Caipirabob]

...was NOT trying to be cynical...

Yikes...sorry there...lol!

[Western Phil]

“The farmers will have to raise salaries”

This article is not about farmers. It says, “For that, a worker bunks with crewmates in a mobile trailer for free while seeing the U.S. heartland.” Many wheat farmers do not own a combine since they cost $300,000 or more and they would use it for about a week per year. Thus they contract to have their harvest done. The worker is discussed here is hired by that contractor. Some of these contractors work their way from Texas to Montana following the harvest, probably about 3 months at the maximum. Most of the “workers” are typically members of the contractor’s family. However, it used to be a good summer job for college kids with some mechanical smarts.