Why, oh why is this happening?
Oh, that's right. It's a crime to be a hard working immigrant, even if you didn't cross into the USA legally.
Unfortunately, these people aren't taking jobs away from hardworking Americans (read: prisoners), because apparently hardworking Americans don't want those jobs. They're just too hard.
Stephen Colbert, as usual ... nailed it!
I hope that the GOP in these states and in Congress is willing to deal with the economic and political consequences/fallout of food that's priced too high for so many Americans to pay for it. And then, as a result, many farmers that will have to go out of business in their states, potentially placing more and more folks on the public assistance rolls. And we all know that public assistance is taboo. Because needing help in times of strife is a huge sign of weakness. Vicious little cycle, isn't it?
I saw a story on Dateline or 20/20, one of those magazine shows, about agricultural labor. It's not just individuals working in the fields, it's whole families. According to the Dept of Labor youth website, kids starting as young as 14 can legally work up to 40 hours a week in the fields. At 16 there's no limitation at all.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course, as with any industry, what's legal and what they manage to get away with are two very different things.
According to the TV report, it's also very much a company store environment. You are stuck living in shacks, and paying rent back to the farm for the privilege. You only get paid for what you work. If it's raining and you can't be out in the fields, you don't get paid. If you get sick, you work sick or you don't get paid.
Also, if I read the information about sub-minimum wage and youth minimum wave correctly, teen agricultural workers only have to be paid $4.25/hour for the first 90 days of employment. The 14 and 15 year olds are only able to work full time hours from June 1st to Labor Day. There go those 90 days. Back breaking work, in the heat of summer, for $4.25/hour. It's insane. And for most of these families that $4.25/hour covers the extras, like food on the table this winter, and shoes for the younger kids. Mom and Dad with their whopping full minimum wage are working for the basics, like a roof over their heads, electricity, a car.
No wonder few American citizens are willing to do the work for the money offered.