Posted on Jan 17, 2023
Farmers and farm workers are still waiting for agricultural labor reform after proposal stalls
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Many ag industry and farm worker advocacy groups had high hopes that farm labor reform would make it through Congress last year. Now the future is murky.
Congress failed to pass immigration reform in December that would have provided a path to legal status for migrant farm workers and capped wages.
With a new GOP-led House of Representatives, experts say it’s unlikely to be revisited any time in the near future.
“It doesn't look like there will be, at least in the next few years, any chances of anything happening legislatively,” said Daniel Costa, director of immigration law and policy research at the Economic Policy Institute.
The proposed legislation, first brought up under the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, had support from some farm worker advocates, unions, employers, and industry coalitions. The bipartisan bill passed the House of Representatives for the first time in 2019 and again last March but failed to get traction in the Senate.
Congress failed to pass immigration reform in December that would have provided a path to legal status for migrant farm workers and capped wages.
With a new GOP-led House of Representatives, experts say it’s unlikely to be revisited any time in the near future.
“It doesn't look like there will be, at least in the next few years, any chances of anything happening legislatively,” said Daniel Costa, director of immigration law and policy research at the Economic Policy Institute.
The proposed legislation, first brought up under the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, had support from some farm worker advocates, unions, employers, and industry coalitions. The bipartisan bill passed the House of Representatives for the first time in 2019 and again last March but failed to get traction in the Senate.
Farmers and farm workers are still waiting for agricultural labor reform after proposal stalls
Posted from kcur.org
Farming
Agriculture
Congress
Immigration
Economics
Posted >1 y ago
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The American public wants low prices but high wages for themselves. Somebody has to do the hard labor. Pay better wages, pay higher prices. Endless cycle.
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For the last 2 years I have had trouble sticking my freezer with Hatch Green Chilies as there were not enough workers to get the product out of the fields. Only able to put 70 pounds away this year vs the normal 120 pounds. Yea I eat that much chili and then some
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SGT Gerald “Jerry” Harrell
The shortages are across the produce section in the grocery stores. On a separate note……Your circulation ought to be in great shape lol.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Wage rates
The proposal also would have frozen farm worker pay for one year and then put a cap on how high wages could increase. One study found that the changes to farm worker wages would have saved employers over $2 billion in wages just two years after the bill's implementation.
Because the Senate was unable to reach a consensus, O’Neil said consumers will suffer.
“And because it didn't become law, you know, we expect that Americans will continue to pay more, their grocery bills will continue to skyrocket,” he said.
But Costa, with the Economic Policy Institute, said the bill would have effectively decoupled farm worker wages from market forces, even though they are already some of the lowest paid workers in the U.S.
“We're relying on this underpaid and really vulnerable and exploitable workforce,” he said."
..."Wage rates
The proposal also would have frozen farm worker pay for one year and then put a cap on how high wages could increase. One study found that the changes to farm worker wages would have saved employers over $2 billion in wages just two years after the bill's implementation.
Because the Senate was unable to reach a consensus, O’Neil said consumers will suffer.
“And because it didn't become law, you know, we expect that Americans will continue to pay more, their grocery bills will continue to skyrocket,” he said.
But Costa, with the Economic Policy Institute, said the bill would have effectively decoupled farm worker wages from market forces, even though they are already some of the lowest paid workers in the U.S.
“We're relying on this underpaid and really vulnerable and exploitable workforce,” he said."
(1)
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