Thread: Agricultural Guest-Worker Bill Introduced in Washington

Agjob - Amnesty

http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=8694

Agricultural Guest-Worker Bill Introduced in Washington
by: Leslie Deckard

January 16 2007 Article # 8694

As many as 1.5 million undocumented farm workers and their relatives currently living and working in the United States could gain legal status under an ambitious agricultural guest-worker plan introduced Jan. 10 on Capitol Hill.

The Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act of 2007-AgJobs Bill-is the first major immigration overhaul bill introduced this year, mirroring legislation passed last year by the Senate but not the House of Representatives.

"The AgJobs bill is a two-part bill," said one of its sponsors, Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California. "Part one would create a pilot program to identify undocumented agricultural workers and legalize the immigration status for those who have been working in the United States for the past two years or more. The second part would create a more usable H-2A program to implement a realistic and effective guest worker program."

The legislation has bipartisan sponsorship.

"We've supported this bill for some time," American Horse Council president Jay Hickey said. "It would speed up the process to the H-2A agricultural workers, which is what our farms use."

Under the bill, illegal immigrants that can prove they have worked in agricultural jobs for at least 150 working days for the past two years would become eligible for a "blue card" giving them temporary legal status. Their spouses and minor children also could get a blue card if they already live in the U.S.

The total number of blue cards would be capped at 1.5 million over a five-year period, and the program would sunset after five years. Those who receive the blue cards must work in agriculture an additional three years, at least 150 days per year, or five years at least 100 days a year, to become eligible for legal residency. In addition, they must pay a $500 fine, be up to date on taxes, and not have committed crimes involving bodily injury or threat of bodily injury or caused serious property damage of $500 or more.

Blue-card holders would be allowed to work in other, non-agricultural jobs as long as the agriculture work requirements are met. While the AgJobs bill could have a positive effect for farm workers, it wouldn't aide racetrack stable employees who enter the country legally under the H-2B visa program.

"The AgJobs bill is strictly for agriculture--for our breeding farms," Hickey said. "The other part of the (immigration reform) puzzle will deal with non-agriculture workers such as backside employees. That bill has yet to be introduced.

"There are different groups working on different parts. The horse industry uses both agricultural and non-agricultural workers under the H-2A and H-2B program. We need both parts of the puzzle."

http://www.capitalpress.info/main.asp?S ... M=49375.68

1/12/2007 6:00:00 AM
Feinstein, Craig push AgJOBS bill again
Reintroduced legislation would reform temporary ag worker program

Bob Krauter
Capital Press California Editor

The campaign to solve growing labor shortages on California farms renewed this week when U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Larry Craig, R-Idaho, reintroduced their AgJOBS legislation.

The Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits and Security Act would restructure and reform the current H-2A temporary agricultural worker program. It would also allow undocumented workers to remain in the U.S. if they meet a set of conditions.

Scott Gerber, a spokesman for Feinstein, said reintroducing the bill signals the start of the debate in the Senate where passage seems certain.

"This passed the Senate last year and we think the votes are there to pass it again. We think that it is even more critical now than ever before," Gerber said. "What this would do is establish a pilot program for five years where those who have been working in this country and want to continue working in this country would have legal status."

For years, major farm groups have advocated reform of the H-2A program. Jack King, manager of national affairs for the California Farm Bureau Federation, said the time to right to finally achieve reform.

"We are pleased that Sens. Feinstein and Craig are willing to act as soon as they are. We feel that it is important to get on with this. It will give some certainty to labor supplies," King said. "We just can't go on the way we are. We have to have some legal method to bring workers to jobs that obviously other people have shown they are not willing to take."

King said labor shortages are becoming more pronounced and severe in California. Currently in the Imperial Valley and in Yuma, Ariz., farmers are paying up to $25 an hour for workers and they still can't find adequate supplies, he said.

"So it is clear that we need a system to bring foreign workers in to harvest our crops," King said. "What's important is that we get on with it as soon as possible and that we don't go through another year of short labor supplies."

Farm groups came up short on Capitol Hill in passing AgJOBS last year as House Republicans failed to act on comprehensive immigration reform. With the Democratic takeover of the House in November and a new speaker, Nancy Pelosi, from California, King hopes for a more favorable climate.

"We think that the current leadership is more disposed to this problem. That was the problem this past year. Some members did not want to deal with it. Their constituents were demanding tighter borders and not legalization," King said. "We think the current leadership is more open on that. We're optimistic this is the time to get the job done."

Barry Bedwell, president of the California Grape and Tree Fruit League, is optimistic, too.

"We have in mind to reinvigorate the immigration reform issue and specifically, by re-introducing AgJOBS, we hope to bring the whole concept of comprehensive immigration reform to the forefront," Bedwell said. "But if there is a reluctance to proceed with comprehensive, I think most observers would see that agriculture has proven its case specifically and if we were to move ahead with a pilot program like AgJOBS, that would tend to have a lot of bipartisan support."

Passage of AgJOBS could not come too soon for the state's labor-intensive tree fruit, grape and vegetable sectors. Tim Chelling, a spokesman for Western Growers, said his organization is hopeful 2007 will be the year that immigration reform will finally be achieved.

"We are extremely hopeful that this may be is the year that the industry gets the stable workforce that its been striving to achieve for years," Chelling said. "There is a golden window of opportunity here. It is high time - the workers deserve it, the farmers deserve it and the nation deserves it."

Also, follow the following link for another discussion on this topic:

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... 324#276324

King said labor shortages are becoming more pronounced and severe in California. Currently in the Imperial Valley and in Yuma, Ariz., farmers are paying up to $25 an hour for workers and they still can't find adequate supplies, he said.

I certainly like to see evidence to substantiate that claim! I doubted Sen. McCain when he said the farmers couldn't get anyone to pick lettuce for $25 an hour and I doubt the above claim!

Also, Mainstream Media is not writing about this yet. Only special interest groups and bloggers.

Farmers can write any dollar amount they want to down as wages, since these guys are paid in cash and under the table....

However, they only get a tax write off for the depreciation of the equipment they will buy to replace the illegal wage earners.

It benefits the giant agibusinesses to hang on to their illegal labor. Now they want the American tax payer to suppor the labor's whole family.

THIS IS AMNESTY!

Does anyone know what all qualifies under agriculture? I worked at a sprout farm. We grew, but we also packaged and shipped and delivered goods to the restaurants. All those positions were exempt from some of the protections that other people doing similar jobs were protected by. Like it was set up like an assembly line to clean, measure, pack, label and box an item.....but since it was a food product....our only protection was minimum wage and safe environment. No limit on hours or breaks etc. Do they have that same thing at lets say..the Green Giant packing plants? Does agriculture cover animals and poultry? Meat packing etc?

added to the homepage

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=N ... e&sid=1847

crazybird,

The bill text is not online yet.

This bill passed the Senate last year and we could look at that version or wait for thomas to be updated. They say this was submitted on Jan. 10 but I don't know to which branch of Congress or if it was submitted to both. Not a lot of news on it yet.

Just know that the Agjobs bill is Amnesty.

Dixie

How can their give amnesty to these workers when we already have so many illegals in the country from Ag problems? They enter and then leave the program for better paying jobs. All this bill does is allow more illegals into the country to get amnesty. Ag farmers are saying that they have problems will workers but once this passes it will be surprising at the number of workers who claim they are Ag workers.

Many recent legal immigrants would gladly take those jobs. They should also advertise those jobs so people know they exist instead of claiming no one here would do it. Of course no here will do it if they don't know who is hiring.