Immigration Crackdown Hurting Farm Industry

[BridgeTroll]

Again... Rofl... Here is the Senate vote...

https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=113&session=1&vote=00167

You dont suppose a bill to "do something" could be made so unpalatable that you know the other side cannot vote for it... then someone could point and say... "see we tried but they killed it".  R-O-F-L

How many dems would have voted for the Obamacare reforms recently proposed??  OMG... they killed reforming the system...

ROFL

[finehoe]

You dont suppose a bill to "do something" could be made so unpalatable that you know the other side cannot vote for it... then someone could point and say... "see we tried but they killed it".  R-O-F-L

So 'unpalatable' that 25% of the Republicans voted for it. 

I think all that floor-rolling has damaged something.

[Adam White]

I think all that floor-rolling has damaged something.

[vicupstate]

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average ag farm wage in California is $16.35.

I find this VERY, VERY hard to believe. Can you post a source? I would highly suspect it includes 'landscapers, landscape architects, forest management or other positions that don't deal with production of food for consumption.

BTW, paying less than minimum wage IS legal in Farming, or at least it has been in the past.   

[spuwho]

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average ag farm wage in California is $16.35.

I find this VERY, VERY hard to believe. Can you post a source? I would highly suspect it includes 'landscapers, landscape architects, forest management or other positions that don't deal with production of food for consumption.

BTW, paying less than minimum wage IS legal in Farming, or at least it has been in the past.   

www.bls.gov

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average ag farm wage in California is $16.35.

I find this VERY, VERY hard to believe. Can you post a source? I would highly suspect it includes 'landscapers, landscape architects, forest management or other positions that don't deal with production of food for consumption.

BTW, paying less than minimum wage IS legal in Farming, or at least it has been in the past.   

I don't assuming they include overtime wages.  My mom still manages a large sod farm in SC and they use a majority of H1B labor on the farm and for installations  The migrant season runs from February to September, and most of them are returning workers who's pay ranges from $10/hr for general labor up to $20/hr for operators.  Their normal workweek from May to August is between 60-70 hours per week, so do the math.  And this is SC pay v/s CA pay.

[BridgeTroll]

You dont suppose a bill to "do something" could be made so unpalatable that you know the other side cannot vote for it... then someone could point and say... "see we tried but they killed it".  R-O-F-L

So 'unpalatable' that 25% of the Republicans voted for it. 

I think all that floor-rolling has damaged something.

Pretty small number... but it is good to see you picking up where Stephen left off with your penchant for snarky put downs, stereotypes, and name calling.  Congrats!

[JHAT76]

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average ag farm wage in California is $16.35.

I find this VERY, VERY hard to believe. Can you post a source? I would highly suspect it includes 'landscapers, landscape architects, forest management or other positions that don't deal with production of food for consumption.

BTW, paying less than minimum wage IS legal in Farming, or at least it has been in the past.   

I don't assuming they include overtime wages.  My mom still manages a large sod farm in SC and they use a majority of H1B labor on the farm and for installations  The migrant season runs from February to September, and most of them are returning workers who's pay ranges from $10/hr for general labor up to $20/hr for operators.  Their normal workweek from May to August is between 60-70 hours per week, so do the math.  And this is SC pay v/s CA pay.

H1B for farm labor?  H1B is for "specialty" workers I thought?

[finehoe]

r... but it is good to see you picking up where Stephen left off with your penchant for snarky put downs, stereotypes, and name calling.  Congrats!

ROFL  ROFL  ROFL

Pot, meet kettle.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average ag farm wage in California is $16.35.

I find this VERY, VERY hard to believe. Can you post a source? I would highly suspect it includes 'landscapers, landscape architects, forest management or other positions that don't deal with production of food for consumption.

BTW, paying less than minimum wage IS legal in Farming, or at least it has been in the past.   

I don't assuming they include overtime wages.  My mom still manages a large sod farm in SC and they use a majority of H1B labor on the farm and for installations  The migrant season runs from February to September, and most of them are returning workers who's pay ranges from $10/hr for general labor up to $20/hr for operators.  Their normal workweek from May to August is between 60-70 hours per week, so do the math.  And this is SC pay v/s CA pay.

H1B for farm labor?  H1B is for "specialty" workers I thought?

I'll ask her for the correct terminology when I talk to her tomorrow.

In the mid-90s when I used to work there summers, there wasn't a huge Mexican workforce, it was mostly just locals.  I would say that the immigrant workforce didn't really arrive until 2004/2005 when my brother was working summers there.  And it's steadily grown since then.  I would say that they have close to 150 seasonal workers and keep a full time staff of 30-50 with a guesstimate of about 80% being Mexican or Latin American.  And a majority of the seasonal workers are the same ones year after year.

[DTJAXEYE]

We have a huge population in this country who possess an 19th. Century skill set sitting idle on porches and loitering on street corners and in front of convenience stores.  Cut off the transfer payments and bus them to agricultural areas.  Unemployment problem solved.  Manpower problem solved.  It's common sense, folks.

[Adam White]

We have a huge population in this country who possess an 19th. Century skill set sitting idle on porches and loitering on street corners and in front of convenience stores.  Cut off the transfer payments and bus them to agricultural areas.  Unemployment problem solved.  Manpower problem solved.  It's common sense, folks.

Have you ever considered running for Pyongyang City Council?

[BridgeTroll]

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average ag farm wage in California is $16.35.

I find this VERY, VERY hard to believe. Can you post a source? I would highly suspect it includes 'landscapers, landscape architects, forest management or other positions that don't deal with production of food for consumption.

BTW, paying less than minimum wage IS legal in Farming, or at least it has been in the past.   

I don't assuming they include overtime wages.  My mom still manages a large sod farm in SC and they use a majority of H1B labor on the farm and for installations  The migrant season runs from February to September, and most of them are returning workers who's pay ranges from $10/hr for general labor up to $20/hr for operators.  Their normal workweek from May to August is between 60-70 hours per week, so do the math.  And this is SC pay v/s CA pay.

H1B for farm labor?  H1B is for "specialty" workers I thought?

I'll ask her for the correct terminology when I talk to her tomorrow.

In the mid-90s when I used to work there summers, there wasn't a huge Mexican workforce, it was mostly just locals.  I would say that the immigrant workforce didn't really arrive until 2004/2005 when my brother was working summers there.  And it's steadily grown since then.  I would say that they have close to 150 seasonal workers and keep a full time staff of 30-50 with a guesstimate of about 80% being Mexican or Latin American.  And a majority of the seasonal workers are the same ones year after year.

It is likely the H-2A agricultural visa...

[JHAT76]

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average ag farm wage in California is $16.35.

I find this VERY, VERY hard to believe. Can you post a source? I would highly suspect it includes 'landscapers, landscape architects, forest management or other positions that don't deal with production of food for consumption.

BTW, paying less than minimum wage IS legal in Farming, or at least it has been in the past.   

I don't assuming they include overtime wages.  My mom still manages a large sod farm in SC and they use a majority of H1B labor on the farm and for installations  The migrant season runs from February to September, and most of them are returning workers who's pay ranges from $10/hr for general labor up to $20/hr for operators.  Their normal workweek from May to August is between 60-70 hours per week, so do the math.  And this is SC pay v/s CA pay.

H1B for farm labor?  H1B is for "specialty" workers I thought?

I'll ask her for the correct terminology when I talk to her tomorrow.

In the mid-90s when I used to work there summers, there wasn't a huge Mexican workforce, it was mostly just locals.  I would say that the immigrant workforce didn't really arrive until 2004/2005 when my brother was working summers there.  And it's steadily grown since then.  I would say that they have close to 150 seasonal workers and keep a full time staff of 30-50 with a guesstimate of about 80% being Mexican or Latin American.  And a majority of the seasonal workers are the same ones year after year.

Would be interesting to find out what % of those seasonal workers are truly documented.

With regard to the worker shortages there are some interesting articles out there regarding pay and who is willing to do the work.  In th 1930's many left the Dust Bowl regions for migrant work.  These days it seems like a lot of people sit in their Rust Belts towns and dream of a factory that will employ 50,000 people with limited education and complain rather than travel to where the work is. 

So what is the plan?  If the Gang of 8 immigration bill was so terrible what is the current plan in the works?  Build a wall?  That isn't much of a solution to a complicated issue.

http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-fi-farms-immigration/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2013/05/15/north-carolina-needed-6500-farm-workers-only-7-americans-stuck-it-out/?utm_term=.5bc22a0116a3

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

So I talked to mom today and here's what I've got:

BT is correct, they hire H2A workers for the season.
My #'s are way off, they only brought in 26 this year, which has been about normal.  The  most she could remember off the top of her head was approximately 50 workers.
The state mandates the minimum wage and hours for H2A workers and they are 10-99 employees so there's no withholdings.  $10.62/hr (minimum) & 40 hours/week.  Overtime gets paid at time and a half.  She said that 12 are paid the minimum, 6 are paid $12, 4 @ $14 & 4 @ $16.  She confirmed that these are repeat workers and they do increase their pay yearly at about $1 a year.
All of the immigrant workers are legal.  Her company pays about $30k/year combined to:  DoL, Consulate of Mexico & the required state licensing and to Amigo Services out of TX which is a staffing service.
On top of that her company is responsible to cover 100% of the costs of:  housing, transportation for basic needs, transportation to and from Mexico.
To hire H2A employees, they have to keep the job opening listed for a minimum of 3 months and are REQUIRED to hire any citizen who applies and meets the qualifications (not much considering the work).  These workers get the same minimum requirements that the immigrant labor force gets.   This farm is in SC and their ad is ran in 3 states - I forgot to ask which 3.  She did say that she has hired about a dozen local workers this year, and none has lasted for a month.
Their company has paid for 3 people over the years to become naturalized citizens at approx $50k each.  Those 3 are still with the company, work full time in a crew-leader role and are bring home well over $1k per week (in season) after taxes. 
They refuse to hire undocumented because of the inherent risks of losing their privileges with the immigrant labor.


So based on that, I wouldn't be shocked that the average of CA workers is $16/hr.  And this blows any job stealing rhetoric out of the water:  Immigrants DO NOT take any jobs away from Americans, because as I stated, these jobs are required to be given to Americans if they apply.