Farm labor union demands support for legalizing workers

San Diego Union-Tribune ^ | February 20, 2002 | Leonel Sanchez

[sarcasm]

The president of the nation's largest farm labor union issued a warning to growers yesterday demanding that they support legalization of undocumented workers.

"If you're not in agreement with that, then we'll make sure that you never, never pass a law that's going to allow the expansion of any kind of guest-worker program," said United Farm Workers Union President Arturo Rodriguez, speaking at a national farm worker conference in San Diego.

The warning came as the debate about whether to expand the nation's guest-worker program is heating up again. Growers have been pushing for such a program, with support from the Bush administration.

Nearly 9 million undocumented immigrants are believed to live in the United States, mainly in the Southwest. About half of the nation's 1.7 million farm workers are undocumented.

Rodriguez spoke at the National Farm Worker Conference, where several farm worker organizations announced the formation of a national alliance. The alliance plans to lobby Congress for legalization and against a proposal by President Bush to eliminate federal funding for job training for farm workers.

Rodriguez warned that a larger agricultural guest-worker program without amnesty for undocumented immigrants would create a disposable work force and reduce job prospects for those already working in the United States.

"The rationale would be we should do the same thing for service workers. We should do the same with workers who work in poultry and meatpacking," he said. Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said there is no evidence to support the need to expand the guest-worker program or legalize undocumented immigrants.

"We don't see any evidence of a labor shortage that would warrant a guest-worker program," he said.

Mehlman said legalizing immigrants would encourage more illegal immigration.

[concerned about politics]

"If you're not in agreement with that, then we'll make sure that you never, never pass a law that's going to allow the expansion of any kind of guest-worker program,"

He sounds like a mafia boss. Another Jimmy Hoffa?

Mehlman said legalizing immigrants would encourage more illegal immigration.

Of course it would. They can sneek over, join the union, get so much money from the farmers they drive them out of business, and live on welfare for the rest of their lives. Why wouldn't it encourage more Democrat voters? They how it's done.:-P

[Publius6961]

Farm labor union demands support for legalizing workers

Demands?
My kids tried this with me.
Once or twice, max.

[thatsnotnice]

I've never understood this. We have many physically fit, non-violent offenders in jails and prisons around the country and we still allow the illegals to hold farmers hostage?

I've picked tons of strawberries, peaches and pears during the summer and breaks in high school and college. The work was monotonous, but not terribly hard. This isn't like digging latrines or heaving sandbags for 12 hours.

What they need to do is start a program in which the farmer pays the state 90% of what it would currently cost to have the illegals do the work, then that money can go toward offsetting the cost of having the prisoners incarcerated. In return, the state supplies the labor.

I'm not suggesting the prisoners get nothing - they will get a nice breakfast, some exercise in the clean air, a bologna sandwitch and carrot sticks for lunch, all the water they can drink, a nice dinner and a bed with a roof over their heads while they reflect upon their past activities.

Meanwhile, the illegals can be identified and locked up for a year during which they can pick crops for "free" before they are deported.

[Saundra Duffy]

Extortion.

[Sabertooth]

The president of the nation's largest farm labor union issued a warning to growers yesterday demanding that they support legalization of undocumented workers.

No.

Unless they PROMISE to vote GOP

[Dawgsquat]

Thanks for the flag.

Arturo Rodriguez?

Ask him for his green card. Maybe he's looking to become legal himself.

[Brownie74]

.... while they reflect upon their past activities.

Good post - I agree with you.

[Brownie74]

Demanding?

I would like for this character to demand something of me. I have a bad habit of sitting on my butt and doing nothing when people place demands on me. The farmers should do the same.

[4Freedom]

This is nothing new. The Unions will charge workers making $4.00 an hour or $10.00 an hour the same $20.00 a month in dues. The more illegals that join their unions, the more money and power they have.

Wisconsin Senator, Herb Kohl, helped the Retail Clerks Union of Illinois lower the wages of all grocery store employees, when he owned Kohl's Food Stores.

The stores were able to hire more employees, for less money, and the Union was able to charge them all $20.00 a month, just the same.

The Union and store owners made out like bandits and the employees got the shaft.

[RnMomof7]

My daughter in law lives in Imperial Valley she says the farmer lobby is very strong there and they love the illegals...guess what ..they got um :>)

[AzJohn]

Rodriguez warned that a larger agricultural guest-worker program without amnesty for undocumented immigrants would create a disposable work force and reduce job prospects for those already working in the United States.

"The rationale would be we should do the same thing for service workers. We should do the same with workers who work in poultry and meatpacking," he said.

So his concern about job prospects for U.S. workers motivates his opposition to guest worker programs. But his alternative is an amnesty for illegals. Not the most persuasive argument he could make.