Help Wanted In The Fight For Labor
A crackdown on illegal immigration must be accompanied by a guest worker program, or else many growers are in trouble.
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A crackdown on illegal immigration must be accompanied by a guest worker program, or else many growers are in trouble.
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Signs like this (translated "We Need Pickers") were a common sight in Washington this past year.
Image of
California
The president of the California Grape and Tree Fruit League, Barry Bedwell, says his grower-members felt a strain in the labor market, but they were still able to harvest on time this past year. A lot of that’s due to the continuity of their workforce, he said, which they have promoted by adding additional crops. For example, stone fruit and table grape growers, who harvest in the warmer months, have added citrus to be able to provide year-round employment.
Like most people in the fruit industry, Bedwell says he expects to see a further tightening of the labor market this coming year. The overall availability of labor will decrease, especially when taking into account the economy improving and losing potential employees to hospitality, restaurants, and hotels. Even though a federal E-Verify program has almost no chance to be approved in an election year, there is a trend to more I-9 audits. The lack of activity isn’t necessarily welcome. “We’re going to see more challenges in 2012,” he says. “Without a guest worker program, how is the situation going to improve?”
The Georgia experience is troubling to Bedwell. He notes that California’s total farm gate value — much of it specialty crops that aren’t mechanically farmed — is about $37 billion and is rapidly approaching $40 billion. A study conducted by the University of Georgia noted that total losses to the state economy from the first year of its law against illegal immigration were estimated at $391 million. If California were to lose a similar percentage, based on farm gate receipts, it would be about six times as much.
If a federal E-Verify system is instituted, Bedwell says the Georgia experience is instructive. “We see a situation that would go from bad to worse very quickly; there could be major disruptions,” says Bedwell.
“Georgia is a great example. The workers of a transitory nature, they simply won’t come. I’m inclined to think we would see very real shortages and very real economic damage as seen in Georgia last year.”
Bedwell remains hopeful, however, noting that California Congressman Dan Lungren has been pushing for a guest worker program that would accompany any form of E-Verify. “You have to try and be optimistic, that E-Verify might pave the way for a guest worker program,” he says. “The more people we can convince that some form of E-Verify legislation and a guest worker program go hand in hand is critical. That will be our best opportunity.”
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