Agricultural Labor & Immigration Issues - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

1 / 25
About This Presentation
Title:

Agricultural Labor & Immigration Issues

Description:

Agricultural Labor & Immigration Issues California s First Laborers 64,500 Native California Indians Spanish Colonists 21 California Missions from San Diego to ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

Number of Views:37
Avg rating:3.0/5.0
Slides: 26
Provided by: csustanEd
Category:

less

Transcript and Presenter's Notes

Title: Agricultural Labor & Immigration Issues


1
Agricultural Labor Immigration Issues
2
Californias First Laborers
  • 64,500 Native California Indians
  • Spanish Colonists 21 California Missions
  • from San Diego to Sonoma
  • Natives died from disease
  • The effects of slavery and prejudice.
  • 1883-23,000 Indians
  • remaining

3
The Chinese
  • California Gold Rush-Foreign Miners Tax
  • Independent miners, entrepreneurs, professionals,
    and artisans
  • Transcontinental Railroad-Sierra Nevada
  • The Delta water system
  • Establishment of orchard crops
  • Tongs-an attempt at organized
  • labor
  • 1883-Chinese immigration
  • halted

4
The Japanese
  • Issei and Nisei-hard workers
  • Strawberries-leased land, wanted to own land
  • Californias Alien Land Law of 1913, 3 yr. limit
    on leasing then no leasing
  • Immigration stopped in 1924
  • Pearl Harbor-camps and deportation
  • 1944-camps closed-allowed to go back to Japan but
    57,000 stayed
  • Local stories.

5
Mexican Labor
  • World War I-workers from India Pakistan
  • Prior to WWI, Mexican workers joined the labor
    force but were stopped by Civil War in Mexico
  • 1917-1st Bracero program-many problems so halted
    in 1921 but Mexicans continued to cross the border

6
The Great Depression
  • Mexicans sent home
  • 285,000 Okies and Arkies escape the Dust Bowl
    hoping to establish family farms
  • Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
  • World War II-workers to army and industry
  • Bracero agreements

7
How Did California Agriculture Labor Become
Different From The Rest of the United States?
  • Wheat fields were replaced by orchards,
    vineyards, vegetable production all require hand
    harvest.
  • Farm labor workforce-relatively unskilled,
    seasonal laborers willing to work for low wages
    in short, intermittent bursts, follow the
    harvest.
  • Proximity to Mexico for seasonal labor needs
  • Landowners increase their use of immigrant
    workers as irrigation was perfected turbine pump
    in the 1920s
  • Laborers were transient and totally dependent on
    available work leading to chronic poverty

8
Todays Farm Worker
1/3 jobs are in crop harvest
82 are men
61 are married
9/10 work in fruit, nuts, and vegetables
Average 6 years of education
Average age is 33
Most expect to remain in farm work
56 have children
3/10 are employed by Farm Labor Contractors
lt10 speak or read English fluently
8/10 hold 2 or more farm jobs in a 1 year period
9
Economic Significance of Farm Workers
  • United States 749,000 workers
  • Average wage of 8.73/hour
  • Work an average of 36.8
  • hours per week
  • California 128,000 workers
  • Average wage 9.95/hr.
  • Work an average of 39.9 hours
  • per week
  • San Joaquin Region 50,900 workers

10
Farm Labor vs. Non-Farm Labor
  • Industry earnings 9.27 in textile mills to
    20.44 in primary metal manufacturing

11
The IssuesWages
  • Employers
  • Farm labor is extremely important!
  • Labor intensive, strenuous work raises labor
    costs and makes it difficult to find workers
  • Cost of labor is 20 to 40 of production costs
  • Farm Laborers
  • 8 to 10 an hour
  • versus 14 to 15 per hour in industry
  • Strenuous work in all types of weather
  • Chronic labor shortage
  • Cant be hired from the unemployment lines. Many
    people refuse to work in ag labor.
  • Only 12 speak English, 85 have not finished
    high school

12
Piece Rate VersusHourly Rate
  • Farmers
  • 1/3 of agriculture workers receive piece rate pay
  • Examples?
  • Advantage to employer- faster workers make more
    money
  • Minimum standards are set and enforced
  • May result in lower quality work
  • Workers
  • Experienced workers make more money
  • Can lead to more injuries as workers increase
    their pace.
  • Ladder injuries

13
Immigration Issues
  • U.S. Government
  • Bracero Program-1942 to 1964-fairly successful
    immigration program.
  • Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986-onus
    on employers-noncompliance equals fines and jail
    time
  • 1985-86-unauthorized persons allowed to apply for
    immigrant status
  • Current issue employers are responsible for
    proving their employees are legal.
  • Immigrants
  • Poverty caused by fear of returning to Mexico and
    not being allowed back into the U.S.
  • Reforms thought to improve wages and benefits
    through a legal workforce might result in legal
    workers moving to industry and an increase in
    illegal immigration
  • Illegal workers now make up 50 of the immigrant
    workforce
  • Agriculture
  • Construction
  • Hospitality

14
Farm Labor Contractors
  • Farmers
  • Dont have to deal directly with the workers
  • Can overcome language barriers
  • Ample supply of workers when needed
  • Training provided by contractor
  • All paperwork completed by contractor workmans
    compensation, payroll, taxes and deductions.
  • Workers
  • Recruiters responsible to train new workers
  • Exploitation-contractors make money off other
    services-banking, food, lodging, transportation
  • No written contracts-labor law violations
  • Day-haul labor markets
  • Transportation issues

15
Housing
  • 800,000 people hired to work on California farms
    yearly
  • There are 2,100 family housing units in 26
    centers and each houses fewer than two workers
  • An additional 1,044 centers will house five or
    more workers leaving the remaining workers to
    find housing from private sources big problem
    in some areas (Napa, Sonoma)
  • Government agencies subsidized housing through
    government grants and loans
  • 13 on employer provided housing, 37 live with
    family members, 50 pay an average of 238/mo.
    rent

16
Other Farm Worker Issues
  • Less than 1/3 of workers have CA drivers
    licenses
  • 70 pay an average of 5 per day for
    transportation to work
  • 97 say they pay for their own tools even though
    the employer is required to pay
  • Lack of health care

17
More Farm Worker Issues
  • Technology has reduced
  • available jobs
  • Training needed in
  • semiskilled and skilled tasks
  • Farm workers are at
  • risk for pesticide
  • exposure

18
Changes in Farm Labor Regulations
  • Sanitation
  • Farmers must provide restrooms within a
    reasonable walking distance.
  • Female workers must have their own restroom
    facilites.
  • Hand washing water and soap must be available.
  • Pesticide Training
  • Farm workers handling and applying pesticides
    must have specific training in their native
    language.
  • Appropriate protective equipment must be provided
    by the employer (goggles, disposeable clothes,
    gloves etc.)
  • Working Conditions
  • Employer must provide water and appropriate
    breaks especially in extreme weather.

19
Laws Regulations
  • U.S. Dept. of Labor-Employer must provide Wages,
    Workers Compensation Social Security
  • U.S. Code-Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural
    Worker Protection Act
  • USDA Labor Affairs- immigration, H-2A Temporary
    Agricultural Worker Program, Worker Protection
    Standards for pesticide use, agricultural labor
    supply, and farm worker employment

20
Laws Regulations
  • Targeted Industries Partnership Program (1992)
    requires state and federal agencies to inspect
    sanitary facilities
  • U.S. Immigration Naturalization Service-
    employment eligibility verification I-9 form
  • California Labor Code-Wages, Hours and Working
    Conditions Agricultural Labor Relations Farm
    Labor Contractors Workers' Compensation
  • Agricultural Labor Relations Board

21
Early Organized Labor
  • Early attempts at organized labor met with
    threats of deportation, widespread arrests,
    strikebreakers and violence
  • Strikes in 1930, 32 and 33-Agriculture Workers
    Union-higher wages
  • National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) formed
    in 1962 by Cesar Chavez which later became the
    United Farm Workers of America.

22
United Farm Workers of America
  • Based in Delano, California
  • Originally chartered in 1966 as the United Farm
    Workers Organizing Committee
  • Chavez- president-firm believer in peaceful
    demonstration and negotiation
  • Joined Filipino grape pickers in 1965-nationwide
    boycott of California table grapes-higher wages
  • 1966-march on Sacramento-70 workers led by
    Chavez-grew to 10,000 as they approached the
    state capitol

23
  • 1968-Grape boycott worldwide-25 million lawsuit
    by 100 grape growers and shippers against Chavez
    and the UFW
  • 1970-grape workers reach contract
    agreements-lettuce boycott begins
  • 1973-United Farm Workers of America-60,000 farm
    workers-new round of boycotts for grape growers
  • 1988-Chavez fasts for 36 days to protest
    pesticide use.
  • 1990-Chavez negotiates an agreement with the
    Mexican government- Mexican farm workers in the
    U.S. can provide medical benefits to their
    families in Mexico
  • Chavez-receives Aguila Azteca, highest Mexican
    civilian award
  • Cesar Chavez dies of natural causes on April 23,
    1993 in San Luis, Arizona
  • Chavez receives the U.S. Medal of Freedom from
    Pres. Clinton in 1994 Cesar Chavez Day-March 31st
  • http//www.pbs.org/itvs/fightfields/cesarchavez.ht
    ml

24
Comparison of Agricultural Wages around the world
  • Mexico farm labor makes 50-60 pesos per day
    (about 5)
  • El Salvador
  • Chile
  • China
  • America - 80-100 per day.

25
California Ag Labor
  • Remember California has some of the most
    stringent employer requirements and one of the
    highest minimum wages in the USA.
  • Workers are required to receive pesticide
    training, regular breaks and sanitary working
    conditions.
  • These conditions and precautions dont exist in
    many countries that the USA imports food from
    remember to support LOCAL agriculture!
  • Fair Trade commodities??
Write a Comment
User Comments (0)
About PowerShow.com