Posted on 06/25/2010 10:13:56 AM PDT by Chi-townChief
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — In a tongue-in-cheek call for immigration reform, farm workers are teaming up with comedian Stephen Colbert in a challenge to unemployed Americans: Come on, take our jobs.
Farm workers are tired of being blamed by politicians and anti-immigrant activists for taking work that should go to Americans and dragging down the economy, said Arturo Rodriguez, the president of the United Farm Workers of America.
So the group is encouraging the unemployed — and any Washington pundits who want to join them — to apply for the some of thousands of agricultural jobs being posted with state agencies as harvest season begins.
All applicants need to do is fill out an online form under the banner "I want to be a farm worker" at www.takeourjobs.org, and experienced field hands will train them and connect them to farms.
Three out of four farm workers in the U.S. were born abroad, and more than half are illegal immigrants, according to the Labor Department.
Proponents of tougher immigration laws have argued that farmers have become used to cheap labor. The problem with the UFW's proposition, they argue, is that growers don't want to raise wages and improve working conditions enough to attract Americans.
In either case, 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; work starts before dawn and goes on for 12 or more hours.
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.
Any takers?
"The reality is farmworkers who are here today aren't taking any American jobs away. They work in often unbearable situations," Rodriguez said. "I don't think there will be many takers, but the offer is being made. Let's see what happens."
To highlight just how unlikely the prospect of Americans lining up to pick strawberries or grapes is, Comedy Central's "Colbert Report" plans to feature the "Take Our Jobs" campaign on July 8. Requests to Comedy Central and Colbert for comment on the nature of the collaboration weren't immediately answered.
Another way of tackling the issue is to strengthen immigration enforcement, said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which supports strict immigration laws.
It's an idea that might not end up on Comedy Central, but reducing the pool of farm workers would force growers to improve working conditions and raise wages.
"They're daring the American people to get by without farm workers," he said. "What I'm saying is, 'Let's take them up on that and call their bluff.'"
The campaign is being played for jokes, but the need to secure the right to work for immigrants who are here is serious business, said Michael Rubio, supervisor in Kern County, one of the biggest ag producing counties in the nation.
"Our county, our economy, rely heavily on the work of immigrant and unauthorized workers," he said. "I would encourage all our national leaders to come visit Kern County and to spend one day, or even half a day, in the shoes of these farm workers."
Hopefully, the message will go down easier with some laughs, said Manuel Cunha, president of the California grower association Nisei Farmers League, who was not a part of the campaign.
"If you don't add some humor to this, it's enough to get you drinking, and I don't mean Pepsi," Cunha said, dismissing the idea that Americans would take up the farm workers' offer.
California's agriculture industry launched a similar campaign in 1998, hoping to recruit welfare recipients and unemployed workers to work on farms, he said. Three people showed up.
"Give us a legal, qualified work force. Right now, farmers don't know from day to day if they're going to get hammered by ICE," he said, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "What happens to my labor pool?"
His organization supports AgJobs, a bill currently in the Senate which would allow those who have worked in U.S. agriculture for at least 150 days in the previous two years to get legal status.
The bill has been proposed in various forms since the late 1990s, with backing from the United Farm Workers of America and other farming groups, but has never passed.
Politicians' and advocates' perspectives on the matter might change if they were to take up the farm workers' offer, said Rubio from Bakersfield.
"The view and the temperature is much different from a row in a field than from inside an air conditioned office," he said. "Is it a challenge? Most certainly, yes. Come on down."
We can dream...but it won’t backfire. Know many American teenagers? Just look at Obamacare, humans in America are kids now until 26? Those little spoiled bastards, with few exceptions will not take a job that makes them sweat.
This is good- I have nothing against peoppe who come here and work hard and take care of their families- I actually supported Bush’s ‘guest worker’ program
For this very reason. I doubt those on unemployment would take those jobs.
So... in order to get them here LEGALLY and know who we have in our country, have a guest worker program. That way they can come and go without fear and we have less of that problem and we would know who is here!
anyone else must be criminals and drug runners
I regularly drive by these fields and every single car parked at the side of the pick is better than mine.
Anyone taking them up on the offer will get the worst job in the field —count on that.
I know many here will want to know the name of the company. I'll try to get that as I know that's an important component for my argument.
This is a good idea. But I don’t think this should be targeted at the unemployed. I think it should be targeted to those on welfare.
Why would the unemployed take this work? They get a check form the government.
I mentioned before: I saw a number of contractor trucks in the neighborhood. THey were there to trim trees around the power lines. Near as I could tell, the workers, numbering about 10, were all Spanish speaking with broken English. Tell me that these are jobs that Americans won’t do? Tell me that most if not all were here legally?
SAVAGE PING !!!! (I think you have the list)
Why was the Cotton Gin invented? Because a war was fought over whether slavery was legal or not —the answer was no.
The altered cost structure made it rational to automatize cotton picking.
Hmmm...I wonder why we don’t have more innovation in farming labor? I WONDER...
A slaughterhouse was raided about a year ago. The worst job in the world if you ask me. At least 100 illegals were out. Thousands of Americans lined up for those jobs. Colbert is a POS.
Every year we recruit thousands of kids in the midwest to detassel. It is hard/hot work. I did the calculations, and, it appeared, once you got past the promises, to amount to about $4-5/hr for my daughter who is now old enough to work.
That said, I often laugh when I am being told that we need to build a skateboard park or some such because there is just nothing for the kids in our California town to do. Growing up on the farm, I never once complained that I had nothing to do, because my mother could always find something to occupy my time.
What about diseases? Do we also require vaccinations as a condition for entering the country? Something else to think about.
Folks are missing the point.
First you close the borders. Then you deport all of the illegals.
Now farmers are offering their jobs only to people who are legally entitled to take them. The employers and applicants negotiate a wage they can both accept and work commences.
Econ 101, people. Learn it, believe it, use it.
So illegals are ONLY doing farm work??
How big a lie is that?
Oh I think it does a lot more than simply “make you sweat”. I grew up on a farm. Fed animals, baled hay, horses, built fences, from sunup to sundown, 6am to 6pm. It can be
backbreaking work. I would *not* recommend it to anyone over 30 if you are not in decent shape.
And I don’t appreciate being called a “bastard” by you or anyone else on this forum. Don’t criticize unless you have actually done the work yourself.
Millions more guaranteed socialist voters to boot.
Farm work is an excellent outlet for voluntary prison labor. Let the petty thieves, drunks and bar toughs pick and sort. It will do them well.
proofreading is not my specialty... I swear I try!!!
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