Neo-braceros without tears…

On all sides of the farm industry, the administration’s behind-the-scenes initiative to revamp H-2A farmworker visas is fraught with anxiety. Advocates for immigrants fear the changes will come at the expense of worker protections because the administration has received and is reportedly acting on extensive input from farm lobbyists. And farmers in areas such as the San Joaquin Valley, which is experiencing a 20% labor shortfall, worry the administration’s changes will not happen soon enough for the 2008 growing season.”It’s like a ticking time bomb that’s going to go off,” said Luawanna Hallstrom, chief operating officer of Harry Singh & Sons, a third-generation family farm in Oceanside that grows tomatoes. “I’m looking at my fellow farmers and saying, ‘Oh my God, what’s going on?’ “

(LA Times, “U.S. lets in more immigrants for farms” 8-October-2007)

In the absence of any real immigration policy, I guess  making the rules up as we go along is what we can expect. But I’d point out that this is even less than a “neo-bracero program” — there’s no mention of even minimal protections for these farmworkers (I’ve suggested letting farm worker unions handle hiring through contracts within Mexico.  I recognize that there are a lot of scumbags in the contract labor business, but between “word of mouth” among workers and complaints by the companies contracting the labor, the worst won’t last very long — and at least the workers would have some kind of contract that could be enforced.  If not legally, then extralegally — shall we say pressure could be applied by an aggrieved laborer’s nearest and dearest in some creative way?)

Make no mistake.  This is not going to benefit old McDonald, either.  Our subsidized corporate agriculture  is what is driving Mexican immigration (if Mexican farmers can’t make a living, they’re going to go somewhere — and a good percentage are going to go North).

I suppose the political bloggers will all hope this blows up in Bush and company’s face (which it likely will).  I’m more concerned about the effect on the workers.  Want to bet there’s “exemptions” next for food and commercial workers… construction workers… lawn maintenance and janitorial service workers?

BushCo want the workers — but it don’t want workers with rights.  So, keeping them in a semi-illegal status — or rather on a visa program they claim doesn’t really work very well — is the next best thing to peonage there is.

I’ll try to revise these thoughts later.  But at 3:45 in the A.M. and working 7 days a week (I haven’t had a full day off since 19 September AND am working on my book), I just can’t always do much more than write some notes.