Thread: Farmers fear Trump because without illegals, who will pick the lettuce?

September 2, 2015
By Newsmachete

Politico published a sob story about farmers who are upset with Donald Trump because if illegal aliens are deported, who will remain to pick the lettuce?

California contractor Carlos Castañeda... fear Trump's talk about erecting a "big beautiful wall" at the border and deporting millions could make it nearly impossible to find the guest workers they need — workers who would obtain legal status under most comprehensive reform bills.

"There are growers out there screaming for labor," said Castañeda, a farm labor contractor in San Luis Obispo County in central California. "The people who are coming in are doing the work that not a single American would like to do."

Not a single American! Not one! Those lazy American bastards! Hey, this guy sounds a little like Jeb Bush, doesn't he?

Many say they will do everything in their power to educate the public about why Trump’s positions jeopardize their livelihoods — and the nation’s access to fresh fruit and vegetables.

Please educate us! If we lose illegals, tell us of the small children who will wander the empty vegetable aisles of supermarkets with tears in their eyes as hard-eyed mothers herd them to the candy aisle.

The candidate’s inflammatory talk, especially his vow to deport 11 million immigrants in the country illegally, poses a serious threat to U.S. farmers struggling to get their crops to market, said Frank Muller, who grows tomatoes, peppers, almonds and walnuts on his California farm.

Enforcing immigration laws is "inflammatory." I wonder what other laws Mr. Muller feels are inflammatory...

"My farm would shut down today if you removed my ... workforce,' Muller said. "You hear all these disparaging remarks about immigrants, but these guys are the hardest-working, most dedicated people ... I've ever seen in my life."

I like how Muller delicately refers to the people working for him as his "workforce" and "immigrants." I hope if he has children that none have been gunned down or run over by his dedicated workforce.

The fact is that all the farmers cited in this story, far from being sympathetic figures, are breaking the law by employing illegal aliens. In fact, not only are they breaking the law, but they have developed a sense of entitlement about it, and they act aggrieved when a candidate talks about enforcing the law, in much the same way that bank robbers might talk disparagingly about a candidate who promises to station policemen outside banks.

These farmers (and of course Politico) want you to believe that without illegal aliens, there would be no more vegetables. (Actually, too many illegal aliens, like the San Francisco Embarcadero shooter who thought he was shooting sea lions, probably are vegetables.) The actual truth is that there are plenty of Americans who would work on farms if farmers would pay higher prices. Farmers may claim they can't afford to pay higher prices, because then they couldn't compete against other farms that do use illegal aliens. But if all farms were prohibited from using illegal labor, then all would be on even ground and could compete against each other.

These farmers are whining because they are used to paying sub-minimum wage to illegal aliens beneath the table, and probably avoiding paying Medicare and Social Security taxes as well. The risk of having to pay the same wages as every other business terrifies them. They would be forced to deal with a workforce they can't exploit.

It is amazing how a bunch of lawbreaking crony capitalists are portrayed so favorably by the media. Their argument that "no one will pick the lettuce" if we once again become a nation of laws is laughable.

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/...e_lettuce.html

California contractor Carlos Castañeda... fear Trump's talk about erecting a "big beautiful wall" at the border and deporting millions could make it nearly impossible to find the guest workers they need — workers who would obtain legal status under most comprehensive reform bills.

"There are growers out there screaming for labor," said Castañeda, a farm labor contractor in San Luis Obispo County in central California. "The people who are coming in are doing the work that not a single American would like to do."

Why is that? Are the wages too low? The working conditions inadequate? Americans have been and are doing this work all over the country. But yes, Americans do require proper wages and working conditions to pick lettuce. Sure, not all Americans have the physique to pick lettuce. Height and bad backs are an issue. But we have a more than adequate supply of workers who do not have these issues. We also have a legal agricultural worker program that allows more than enough temporary ag workers into the US and hundreds of thousands of these visas go unused because farmers don't want to do the paperwork, pay the wage required or ensure their departure at the end of the job.

So, someone in the US government needs to hunt you down and prosecute you for violating US immigration law through your "labor contractor" business.

judy you should run for our next President your good you sound like trump now
wtg

The H-2A Program

The H-2A program is a federal program that permits employers to apply for nonimmigrant alien workers (guest workers) to perform any type of farm work of a seasonal or temporary nature for a maximum of ten months. The H-2A program is authorized by the Immigrant Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986.

The purpose of the H-2A program is to ensure employers a legal and adequate labor force while also protecting the jobs and wages of U.S. workers. International Labor Management Corporation’s (ILMC) clients enjoy the benefit of ready, willing, and able workers when they need them.

YOUR BUSINESS IS UNIQUE!
Whether you’re a big business or a small one, we’re your program consultant. You don’t need one-size-fits-all support. We’ll work with you to develop a workforce plan tailored to your needs. From start to finish, we will:

• facilitate a reliable workforce through the H-2A program;
• provide technical assistance to all clients in the areas of H-2A regulations, Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA), OSHA Migrant Housing and Field Sanitation Regulations, and the Fair Labor Standards Act;
• act as a liaison between clients and government agencies;
• provide representation for agricultural labor interest in regulatory affairs; and
• initiate legislation in support of agricultural labor.

Who May Apply

• Any agricultural employer or group of employers who need workers to perform seasonal labor.
• Groups of employers filing together on one application, which are referred to as Joint Employers.
  — Please contact our office for more detail about joint employers.

When To Apply

All Applications for Foreign Labor Certification must be submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor no later than 60 days before the date of need. Please follow the application timeframes listed in our application packet so we can prepare schedules and serve you efficiently.

What To Submit

We require that all of our clients submit a complete ILMC application packet, please call us at (910) 245-4808 or send an email to info@ilmclabor.com to receive an application pack.
H-2A 101

Prior to applying for H-2A workers we encourage you to read, understand and be willing to comply with the basic terms listed below. This should not be substituted as a comprehensive list of H-2A federal regulations.
Domestic Recruitment

The employer must engage in independent, positive recruitment of U.S. workers. The USDOL requires that each employer conduct labor market tests through classified advertising and clearance orders at the job service to locate any available, willing and qualified U.S. workers.

Wages

The rate of pay must equal the applicable Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR). Please consult with an ILMC staff member to find out what the AEWR is in your state. This rate must be at least the same, or higher, for U.S. workers and your H-2A employees working in the same capacity.

Meals, Tools & Supplies

The employer must provide free and convenient cooking and kitchen facilities for workers to prepare their own meals. The employer must furnish, at no cost to the worker, all tools and supplies necessary to carry out the work.

Housing

H-2A employers are required to provide housing free of charge. Housing must be inspected by a state housing inspector prior to issuance of a certification from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Transportation

The employer is responsible for three different types of transportation expenses:

• Transportation, subsistence and lodging expenses should be reimbursed to each worker within the first week of work.
  
• Upon completion of the work contract the employer must pay return transportation and subsistence (for the worker to return home to their home country). The worker must complete the job to be eligible for this return transportation.
  
• The employer must provide free transportation to and from the housing location to the daily work site and transportation to the store once per week so workers can purchase food or other items.

Workers Compensation Insurance

The employer must provide Worker’s Compensation Insurance for all workers and must show proof of coverage to the USDOL.

3/4 Guarantee

The employer must guarantee to offer each worker employment for a minimum of 3/4 of the work in the work contract. This guarantee is not figured daily, weekly, or monthly, but it is calculated as a percentage of the entire contract period. Most contracts are written for 40 hours a week. The 3/4 guarantee equals an average of 30 hours a week over the entire contract period.

50 Percent Rule

The employer must hire any available U.S. worker who applies for the job until 50 percent of the contract has elapsed.

Governmental Fees

Each worker pays a visa processing fee of $190.00 and a border crossing fee of $6.00. H-2A employers should reimburse each worker for these expenses within the first week of work.

Taxes

Foreign agricultural workers temporarily admitted into the United States on H-2A visas are exempt from U.S. Social Security and Medicare taxes on compensation paid to them for services performed in connection with the H-2A visa. This is true whether they are resident aliens or nonresident aliens. In addition, compensation paid to H-2A agricultural workers for services performed in connection with the H-2A visa is not considered to be “wages” for purposes of federal income tax withholding, and thus is not subject to mandatory withholding of U.S. federal income tax unless Backup Withholding applies.

http://ilmclabor.com/h2a-program/

Just think about how many fewer people we would have to feed if the illegals and their families went home!

Only 6% of our current stock of millions of illegal aliens are working in agriculture.

W

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

Only 6% of our current stock of millions of illegal aliens are working in agriculture.

W

Excellent point of fact, W! Thank you for posting this information. And that's probably based on there only being 11 million illegal aliens, and we know there are 20 million or more, which would make it actually 3% or less. Farmers need to man up and comply with the law and treat American Workers with the loyalty, pay and benefits they richly deserve. After all, farmers more than any other private business sector have been protected and subsidized to an enormous extent by American Workers and US Taxpayers for decades, so it's time farmers started following the Golden Rule of do unto others as they have already done unto you.

That means STOP WHINING and START PAYING wages and benefits with training and orientation programs that draw American Workers.

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

Only 6% of our current stock of millions of illegal aliens are working in agriculture.

W

Excellent point of fact, W! Thank you for posting this information. And that's probably based on there only being 11 million illegal aliens, and we know there are 20 million or more, which would make it actually 3% or less. Farmers need to man up and comply with the law and treat American Workers with the loyalty, pay and benefits they richly deserve. After all, farmers more than any other private business sector have been protected and subsidized to an enormous extent by American Workers and US Taxpayers for decades, so it's time farmers started following the Golden Rule of do unto others as they have already done unto you.

That means STOP WHINING and START PAYING wages and benefits with training and orientation programs that draw American Workers.