Thread: AG JOBS ALERT! Pa. Senate looks into illegal farm workers

AG JOBS ALERT!
Pa. Senate looks into illegal farm workers
By RICHARD FELLINGER Harrisburg Bureau

Farmers warned senators Tuesday about a shortage of agricultural workers in Pennsylvania and said immigrant workers are crucial for their operations.

With illegal immigration drawing more attention, a pair of Senate committees heard two hours of testimony on the farm work force. The hearing was before the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and Labor and Industry Committee.

Farmers urged senators to leave immigration issues to the federal government and to push for guest worker programs that would help ensure documented immigrants are available to work.

"I am concerned that any attempt to do anything legislatively at the state level may be opening a Pandora's Box that puts at risk the work force we can ill afford to lose," said Chris Baugher, vice president of operations at Adams County Nursery in Aspers.

Dairy farmer Rod Hissong, owner of Mercer-Vu Farms in Mercersburg, said dairy farms of all sizes rely on Latino labor because it is becoming increasingly difficult to find local workers. His farm hired its first Hispanic employee eight years ago.

"The Hispanics we employ are hard-working, reliable and seem to have a genuine appreciation for the work," Hissong said.

Baugher acknowledged the legal status of some of the workers is questionable, but blamed the federal government for failing to reconcile discrimination laws with immigration rules. He said farmers are hesitant to turn away immigrant workers who show papers resembling proper
documentation because they don't want to be accused of job discrimination.

"We can't hire them, and we can't not hire them," Baugher said.

Baugher also said the public debate over illegal immigration has unfairly tarnished the image of Latinos.

"This is the same image society once had of Irish, Italian, Polish and many other immigrant communities," Baugher said.

Though debate over illegal immigration has been heated at times at the state Capitol, backers of reforms have yet to rally enough support to move any bills.

A group of Republican House members are pushing a package of bills that includes proposals to require employers to verify the Social Security numbers of prospective employees and revoke the licenses of businesses that knowingly employ illegals. Other bills would limit public benefits for illegals only in emergencies, require police to report the citizenship status of criminal suspects, and call on state police to seek an agreement with federal authorities to enforce federal immigration and customs laws.

After Tuesday's Senate hearing, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Chairman Michael Brubaker, R-Lancaster, said he was intrigued by a suggestion for a program for "essential" guest workers but will discuss many ideas with his colleagues.

"At this point, we're going to look at everyone's testimony and every recommendation that was made," Brubaker said.

By the numbers

- 1 percent of Pennsylvania's population lives and works on a farm.

- 1 million non-family farm workers are hired nationwide.

- Average hired farm wage in 2005 was $9.50 per hour.

- 1 in 7 Pennsylvania jobs depends on the food industry.

Sources: Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau
http://www.publicopiniononline.com/localnews/ci_7263475

Are they gonna pay them minimum wage? Or keep screwing them and us.

Good talking points against the AgJOBS amnesty:

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Immigration/wm1626.cfm

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Call the Senate: NO AgJOBS amnesty !