Thread: Farmers struggle to find enough apple pickers

Farmers don't pay enough?

Serrato said he may quit harvesting citrus trees next year because the pay is about $100 a day for farm workers, while the pay nearly triples for avocado pickers . . .

Farm workers receive $8 an hour under California minimum-wage laws, but can earn up to $16 an hour for filling up more baskets of mushrooms ---- called "piece rate," a common way of paying farm workers that is based on higher pay as they harvest greater volumes.

For instance, a farmworker can earn up to $16 an hour for harvesting 30-32 baskets of mushrooms, Ramirez said.
Why is there a shortage of workers?
"I have no idea. We've advertised in local church bulletins, El Latino (a 60,000 circulation, Spanish-language weekly newspaper in San Diego), and we can't get anyone," Ramirez said . . .

http://www.alipac.us/f12/agriculture...5/#post1302362

Originally Posted by artclam

Nope. It doesn't say a thing about the legal status of the pickers. It doesn't even say whether they are immigrants or natives. All it says is that they went to the states where they thought there was more work available.

They waited until the end of the article to mention that they are illegal aliens.

From the article:

Laws targeting illegal immigrants in states like Alabama are having an impact on the supply of workers here as well, Pryor said. He said his crew used to pay their way here by working tobacco and produce in Georgia, which has clamped down recently on undocumented workers.

"Now they don't do that," Pryor said. "That hurts us when you have neighboring states that have adopted laws that are more stressful on the workers."