US Farmers, Farm Hands, Look to Immigration Reform

Immigration reform could bring a windfall to Californian agriculture, where farmers are facing a perilous shortage of farm hands, and where farm hands, mostly foreign, say they want better rights.

Published

2 months ago

Categories

US

Topics

Immigration, Agriculture, United States

Places

United States of America, California

Transcript

SCRIPT: Wendy grows grapes for a prestigious Californian winery. In the spring she doesn't need many workers to prune the vineyards -- but last year during the autumn harvest, she was six people short. To attract workers, she pays a higher-than-minimum wage -- $9.15 an hour -- but that's no longer enough. SOUNDBITE 1 Wendy Moore (woman), grape grower in Lodi, California (English, 10 sec): "We use to have people show up that we could even turn away because we didn't have work for them. That is not the problem now. Now, we're having to go out and actively try to recruit people." Farmers across America face a massive lack of manpower. According to official estimates, about half of their agricultural workforce is undocumented -- the majority from Mexico. But tighter border controls and stepped-up deportations by the US government have conspired to keep farm hands away. Agro-industry is lobbying for immigration reform—one that would offer more numerous, more flexible seasonal visas that would get people working, fast. SOUNDBITE 2 Rayne Pegg (woman), California Farm Bureau Federation (English, 20 sec): "...A visa program that allows foreign workers to come here legally, to work in agriculture, to return back to their home countries. And not have it be that bureaucratic nightmare which we have experience with some of the current visa programs that really don't mimic the natural flow of agricultural harvesting season." Sergio Guzman arrived here from Mexico in 1996 to work in the fields. Since then he's fought for farm workers' rights. His United Farm Workers union does NOT see another "guest worker" visa program as the solution. SOUNDBITE 3 Sergio Guzman (man), United Farm Workers representative in Salinas, California (English, 20 sec): "If we allow this country just to bring farm workers, that's going to decrease wages and protection for farm workers. This country need to provide to those persons who contribute to the economy -- the same rights, to get unemployment, the right to join an union, for example, the right to stay in this country." As advocates like Sergio point out, there are already 11 and a half million undocumented migrants in the US -- and reform efforts should first focus on them, helping to forge a legal path to work and American citizenship. -------------- SHOTLIST: LODI, CALIFORNIA, MARCH 1, 2013, SOURCE: AFPTV - Wendy Moore walks from car to vineyard - VAR shots of farm workers pruning grapevines - SOUNDBITE 1 Wendy Moore (woman), grape grower in Lodi, California - Shot from behind as Moore walks in between grapevine rows - VAR of farm workers pruning fruit trees SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, MARCH 1, 2013, SOURCE: AFPTV - Pan from California Farm Bureau Federation to Rayne Pegg - CU Pegg - SOUNDBITE 2 Rayne Pegg (woman), California Farm Bureau Federation SALINAS, CALIFORNIA, MARCH 13, 2013, SOURCE: AFPTV - Sergio Guzman arrives at United Farm Workers bureau - Guzman shakes hand and speaks with woman inside - CU Guzman's head - CU poster announced a Spanish-language flyer march in favor of immigration reform - SOUNDBITE 3 Sergio Guzman (man), United Farm Workers representative for Salinas, California - Slow pan on sprinklers in fields - WS Tractor working in fields - MS, CU and two WS of farm workers in fields