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>>>"$50/hr x 40 hrs/week = $2000/week x 50 weeks = $100,000 a year. Yeah, I'll take that."

>>I wonder how many weeks a year you can pick lettice - what if picking season is only 10 weeks?

In part, that is why they are called migrant workers. They migrate from one growing area to another as crops come ripe. That is part of the reason Americans don't do this job much. Most aren't willing to leave a permanent home to do the picking. Illegals, who don't have a permanent home, are more willing to migrate.

"In part, that is why they are called migrant workers. They migrate from one growing area to another as crops come ripe. That is part of the reason Americans don't do this job much. Most aren't willing to leave a permanent home to do the picking."

Agreed. But I was looking for a catch in McCain's offer - if you only get paid a small part of the year but have to stay there for the whole year then its not much of an offer.

In part, that is why they are called migrant workers. They migrate from one growing area to another as crops come ripe. That is part of the reason Americans don't do this job much. Most aren't willing to leave a permanent home to do the picking. Illegals, who don't have a permanent home, are more willing to migrate.

I have no permanent home and I'd love to migrate to Yuma for four winter months from the mountains of northern CO and get paid $50 per hour. That would net me about $30,000 after taxes which is more than three times as much as I have ever made working year 'round here as a carpenter.

Of course that was about sixteen years ago before I left construction to do other things. But illegals started moving in about twelve years ago and now saturate the construction trades so wages aren't much higher.

I have to maintain a good set of tools worth about $5,000 (and a vehicle capable of carrying them) to be a carpenter/contractor. What do I need to bring to pick lettuce?