UFW Launches "Take Our Jobs" Initiative
For those who grouse that undocumented immigrants are taking jobs from U.S. citizens and legal residents, the United Farm Workers of America has a challenge: Apply to be a farm worker.
The union is launching a campaign called “Take Our Jobs,” promising to have experienced agriculture workers “ready to train citizens and legal residents who wish to replace immigrants in the fields.” On its website, it asks interested parties to supply their name and area code to streamline the hiring process. It cautions, however, that “duties may include tilling the soil, transplanting, weeding, thinning, picking, cutting, sorting & packing of ...
Comments (16)
Daniel Day via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Oh o, Reality hitting Right Wing political Correct heads. LOL
Cynthia Casper Robertson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
That's what I've been saying on numerous blogs. Every time someone eats an apple, a salad, processed meat, or dairy products you can bet your sweet bippy that somewhere in the foodchain there was an illegal. If Americans weren't so arrogant, they could do the work, but they won't. They'll just sit around an bitch about inequities. If it weren't for the illegals in TX, the agri-economy would implode.
James Neal via Texas Tribune on Facebook
this makes me wonder what's going to happen to the agriculture industry in Arizona after the immigration law comes into effect.
John T Castillo via Texas Tribune on Facebook
AZ's Agro Busness MOved out when they started rounding un the illegals in years past. Many Companys boycotted AZ Produce all together. Lots of processing plants shut down and moved to friendlier states. MAny farmers just let the land die BUT Still get paid by Goverment NOT TO GROW anyway. Go Figure.
Just another story from "THE COUNTY OF ARIZONA"
Ana Manciaz via Texas Tribune on Facebook
and if california's in trouble now, imagine if arizona's policies go national...
Chad Presley via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The illegals immigrants in this country are slaves. If you support the people that use them and the crap that out government is doing with them you are supporting slavery. They are under paid and over worked for a reason. They need the money and corporations in this country will use that against them. They do steal jobs. Most construction jobs would be taken by hard working Americans if they would be hired for a reasonable wage. Same goes for other jobs. I for one am willing to pay a few extra bucks for a head of lettuce if it meant the guy or gal picking it was being paid a fair wage for it, and they were a legal immigrant or documented worker. The free market will fix all our problems if we let it...
By the way, if you drive them out of our country, and there is a lack of workers, the companies that need them will find a way, a legal way, to fill those jobs and get the food to peoples dinner tables. Yea, we are a country of weak spineless lazy bums, but that will change if we have no choice. There is also the legal route of using documented workers on visas. The overflow of God knows who coming across our border has to stop or it will be our un-doing...
Linda Childs via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Chad - You seriously won't complain about the "few extra dollars" all over the place? If somebody only gets paid $12,000/year for picking food and you want them to be paid a fair wage, you have to be prepared to support their wages being doubled (at least). If you really are not going to complain about "how expensive all the food is nowadays", you are a very rare person indeed! (Or perhaps you just hate vegetables and don't eat them to begin with.)
Dave MacDonald via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Any one who employs an illegal immigrant should be fined heavily and on second offense mandatory jail time. Any employer who pays less than minimum wage should be likewise heavily fined, and jailed on second offense or his business closed forever.
Does this sound harsh? Of course, but that is what is needed to give America back to Americans.
I put out for bids a major home re-modelling job, and received 22 bids from contractors. When the contractors were presented with a document in which they were prohibited from employing illegals, all 22 contractors dropped out due to non-compliance.
The problem of illegals in this country is an insidious one, exacerbated by lack of enforcement, bribed politicians so that they will not move on reform, and of course the country of Mexico who wants the money these people send home.
Immigration reform is desperately needed, without amnesty for prior violators. All contracts for drones should be immediately cancelled and the funds used for "Boots on the ground." which would provide 4 to 5 officers for every mile of the U. S. southern border, from Texas to california. Additionally sanctions could be brought against the government of Mexico for facilitating, encouraging illegal border crossings. Revamp the application and visa process via the state department as well.
Rebecca Bernhardt via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I think we should expand Dave's idea - mandatory jail time for every American who benefits from illegal immigrant labor - strict liability - no requirement that you had actual knowledge that the brussel sprouts on your table were picked by undocumented manos. Of course this will create one heck of a prison building boom but our economy could sure use a kick in the pants. Unfortunately, with every native born US citizen rounded up for benefiting from illegal labor, it will be all illegal immigrants building those jails. We might even need to start importing more. Wow, this is one complicated problemo.
Christopher Keeble via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Dave, another consequence of all those boots on the ground would a serious dent in the supply of drugs coming across the border.
MaryMuna
Lack of communication. If the UAW would do its job and connect with the right people to hire legal immigrants to work on the farms, it would solve the problem. They are supposed to be paid to represent farmers who need legal labor. So why are farmers having to hire illegal labor if they have a labor union to represent them. Caesar Chavez did not agree with illegal immigration because he believed legal immigrants should get a fair wage and treated fairly working on farms. Many Americans do own and work on their own farms, so don't insult the intelligence of Americans by comparing it to illegal immigration which is against the law and wrong. The illegal immigrants shown in the photo could very well be carrying drugs in the backpacks or planning to use illegal SSN to get road construction jobs not farming jobs for all we know....so back off UAW and do your job and connect with immigration and get legal immigrants to work on the farms who have valid green cards and permission to work in this country. Deport the illegals as the hiring of illegal immigrants to work on farms is against Federal law. Go get em ICE and Pass the law TEXAS..enough is enough.
LaGringa
I can't WAIT to see how Americans show up for these "premium" jobs that pay as much as being on unemployment and sitting at home watching Judge Judy on the sofa. I'm a restaurant veteran and know that I couldn't have done the work that I've done in my career without the hard working no complaints backs of my amigos south of the border. And now I'm in farming and I'll say the same.
This is a wonderful initiative on behalf of UFW, bravo! Unfortunately the irony is often lost on the ignorant but maybe you'll get some converts. Reform isn't deportation folks, that would be a disaster. Are we not smart enough and progressive enough to come up with some sort of documentation arrangement? Like, say, a drivers license? They care for our children, cook all our meals, work in our factories, pave our roads, build our bridges, floor our office buildings and still we arrest them for driving an automobile?
Let's get it together. We cannot take and employ them and then not give them any rights. We cry that they're burdening our system but we don't sanction any way for them to pay into the system? Der, that's slavery. We just took the chains off the ankles. But living in a society where you are not accepted and where you're always looking over your shoulder for La Migra? Boo.
God forbid the doo doo comes down worse in the US and we're all crawling across the border to work in Quebec. Without and French under my belt and no legal Visa to work in Canada but broke and desperate I know I'd be toast. We need these people. Clearly. Let's stop acting like the elephante isn't la sala.
lothius
This is a prank on the Union's part. Illegal workers will work for far less, so this really is a disingenuous challenge. The Union can throw around this propaganda all they want, but they are simply helping the farmers maintain their profit margins. If the Union really cared about their workers, the Unions would get them benefit concessions and more ever, fight for the works to get high wages $15 to $25 an hour or more. I have a job working from home and I make $15+ an hour and I don't have to put in the physical stress that the farm workers do, and firmly believe they deserver more than. But the farmers want to cut rate the costs so they ca keep their profits high rather than pay a really good wage. If farmer Ted wants to pay me $25 an hour to pick spinach 8 hours a day with an hour lunch and two 20 minute breaks, then bring it on. Must supply full medical, dental and vision care. American business is spoiled to cheep labor. Americans have learned that we create the wealth for business and therefore American business owes us a good living for their wealth. The Illegal immigrant is undercutting the leverage we've earn and is therefore deserving our our ire. If the UFW wants to do something righteous, it needs to demand high pay and benefits and force the farmers to give up some of their profits and raise prices on their goods.
lothius
LaGringa and most businesses are La Carpetbaggers. Taking advantage for poor labor so he can put more money in their pocket for other's hard work. Business owners are truly some of the laziest people in the world. They work hard to start a business and then they expect others to do the work for them while they keep the spoils. You start a business and then you hire some poor schmucks you can take advantage of. That's the truth of this country. The only part of the Texas agri-indusrty that would suffer or implode without illegals is the profit levels for the farmers. LaGringa, we aren't ignorant, we see through your lies and how you try to justify your greed. Like you said, the illegals you hired did the work, not you. I used to run a couple of restaurants and I know full well that I hired illegal aliens and paid them crap wages for hard work so you can't pull the wool over everyone's eyes. Some of us have a conscious and listened to it, Seems to me you like tasking advantage of people.
LaGringa
Yea, sure. Lothius. $25/hr to pull beans and then y'all wanna pay .98 cents a pound? Americans are spoiled on CHEAP FOOD, and yea, that comes from cheap labor but look to China my friend. Not farmers. There IS no margin in farming. Are you nuts? There's hardly any in decent restaurants unless you pander to a largely alcoholic public. But I digress.
Now you say I'm LaCarpetbagger? On what grounds? I never said I don't pay. I gladly pay. They do BETTER WORK for the same price and to me that's a bargain. For every drunk, no show thieving meth addicted knuckle head American who's ever worked in my kitchen or my farm I say adios. I pay more than fair wages. Good solid working class Mexicans, Hondurans, Guatemalans---they aren't going to do for $5/hr anymore. If you want the skilled guys you have to cough up. But what most employers don't realize is that cheap labor costs more in the long run. I have nearly zero turnover in over a decade. And they're on the payroll and pay taxes and everything into a black hole of Social Security and FUTA they'll never claim. My grounds guys start at $10 and go up to $20 and kitchen guys are around $18 for fine dining. Benefits? Where are you Lothius? Living in the 80s? So keep sitting at home and licking envelopes for $15/hr and hope that the amigos don't go back home. Because no one 'round here has the stones for that kind of work. So while you sit at home with the rest of 'em waiting for your benny pkg to come in the mail who's picking the tomatoes???
henryj99
Tomato pickers earn 1.4 cents per pound and can earn about $60.00 per day.
If pickers received 10 cents a pound, a 'lazy' American could earn over $200.00 a day. The price of a tomato would go up by about 3 cents. I would gladly pay 3 cents more for a tomato to have opportunities where I could earn a decent living. This is a no-brainer