Rosemary Gordon
Everybody is talking about the drought, and rightfuly so, but there’s another potential problem looming that could impact growers all over the country — labor. We are still knee-deep in the fight for a workable guest worker program.
Late in 2014 President Obama announced plans to fix the immigration system, and those of us in the ag industry hoped the plan would include comprehensive reform that had provisions for a workable guest worker program. But, as we know, it didn’t.
Another cog in the wheel of the labor and immigration debate is the E-Verify program, an online system designed to quickly confirm employment eligibility in the U.S.
In March, the House Judiciary Committee voted to approve Congressman Lamar Smith’s (R-TX), Legal Workforce Act, which expands the E-Verify system and applies it to all U.S. employers, requiring them to use the system within three years. Agriculture is included and workers performing “agricultural labor or services” are only subject to an E-Verify check within 36 months of the date of enactment.
As it stands now, however, the legislation does not contain guidance on how to fix the H-2A program or assist with any program to help agricultural employers.
This type of legislation has the potential to be devastating to our industry as many growers and ranchers rely on an undocumented workforce. If we enhance enforcement before solving the problem that requires growers to use undocumented workers in the first place, we will be making the situation far worse, not better In fact, the Agriculture Workforce Coalition (AWC), an organization that unites more than 70 groups representing the needs of ag employers across the country, “vehemently opposes” the Legal Workforce Act. Along with 140 of its members, the AWC sent a letter to House leadership detailing why they disagree with the legislation.
According to the AWC, “The path forward is clear — Congress should pass a solution for agriculture that addresses both our current agricultural workforce and creates a new guest worker program to meet future needs and only then implement a mandatory E-Verify program.”
This has been an uphill battle, but the fight must continue. It’s time to let your voice be heard. Tell Congress what you need. This website, www.usa.gov/Contact/US-Congress.shtml, will provide you
with the information you need to get in touch with your congressmen.
If you don’t, who will?