AGJOBS Act Reintroduced in U.S. Congress

Today California Senator Dianne Feinstein reintroduced the Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits, and Security Act. Sixteen senators have signed on as co-sponsors.

According to a release from Senator Feinstein's office, "The Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits and Security Act (AgJOBS) would reform the broken H-2A seasonal worker program, provide farmers with the stable, legal workforce they deserve, and offer a pathway to citizenship for hard-working, law-abiding immigrants already employed on American farms."

The passage of AGJOBS is necessary to alleviate the nation’s ongoing crisis shortage in agriculture labor. Across the nation, Farmers report not having enough labor to do the jobs necessary to keep food on American tables. There is simply not enough labor to plant, tend and harvest crops or milk cows. This blows apart the false notion that American citizens are lining up to do the jobs.

For the full release, visit this link

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Bush Administration to Slash Farm Worker Wages

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 10, 2008

Contact:
Ramon Ramirez, President, PCUN (503) 989-0073
Erik Sorensen, Communications, CAUSA (503) 789-8213

Bush Administration to Slash Farm Worker Wages and Enable Growers Replace Domestic Workers with Foreign Laborers

PCUN and CAUSA Echo the Call for Congress to Reverse New H2A Agricultural Guest Worker Program Regulations

Salem, Ore--The Bush Administration has announced that it will change the H2A agricultural guest worker program to make it easier for growers to cut the pay of domestic farm workers, reduce housing benefits and to hire imported foreign laborers instead of U.S. field workers.

According to a United Farm Workers (UFW) release, the new regulations would mean that farm employers will no longer be responsible for certifying that labor shortages exists and therefore engage in meaningful recruitment of U.S. farm workers before requesting imported H2A foreign field workers. In addition, for the first time domestic workers could be paid less and receive fewer benefits than their H-2A guestworker counterparts. The changes come even as the administration has failed to enforce existing rules.

"This is not the solution we need", said Ramon Ramirez, President of Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (Northwest Treeplanters and Farmworkers United)."Cutting wages and reducing benefits of farm workers will not solve our nation's economic problem. In addition, they ignore the needs of providing a safe and reliable agricultural work force for the future."

PCUN and CAUSA echo the call of United Farm Workers (UFW) and others in urging Congress to reverse the Bush Administration's regulatory changes as hiring for the upcoming growing season commences.

Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (Northwest Treeplanters and Farmworkers United), is Oregon's union of farmworkers, nursery, and reforestation workers, and Oregon's largest Latino organization. CAUSA is Oregon's statewide, grassroots immigrant rights coalition. We work to defend and advance immigrant rights through coordination with local, state, and national coalitions and allies.

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