----- Original Message ----- From: "Duane Campbell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2001 10:31 AM Subject: [ASDnet] Farm worker amnesty bill sparks debate (Eng & Sp) > > >News from the Farm Worker Movement(www.ufw.org): > >http://www.capitolalert.com/news/capalert12_20010713.html >Farm worker amnesty bill sparks debate >By Andy Furillo >Bee Staff Writer >(Published July 13, 2001) > >An amended effort to provide limited amnesty for undocumented farm >workers in the United States was criticized Thursday as an abrogation of >what opponents said was an already done immigration deal. > >Sen. Paul Craig, D-Idaho, introduced his reform measure Tuesday, saying >it "is critically important to the continued health of American >agriculture." > >But in a telephone press conference Thursday, Latino leaders and Rep. >Howard Berman, D-Los Angeles, ripped Craig's bill for pushing back >debate about undocumented farm workers by 15 years. > >Disagreement centers on a provision requiring newly legalized farm >workers to work at least 150 days per year for their employers for four >to six years before they could take part in the amnesty. > >Craig's spokeswoman said the bill "changes nothing that the workers are >doing already" in their undocumented status and gives them a prospect of >better lives. "They have no human, basic, legal protection. They have >very low wages," said Sarah Berk. > >Farm worker advocates have referred to reform provisions that force >workers to stay with certain employers as "indentured servitude." They >say there is nothing in the proposal that would prevent employers from >getting rid of workers before they fulfill their time commitment, >depriving them of amnesty. > >Worker advocates have sought to reduce the number of days to 100 -- a >key component of the compromise deal the United Farm Workers, the >National Council of La Raza and Democratic legislators reached with >growers and Republican congressional leaders last year. > >"By introducing the bill, Senator Craig, at the behest of growers, and >the growers have demonstrated a breach of the spirit and the letter of >the agreement," Berman said. He said the 150-day period will make it >hard for farm workers to qualify. > >U.S. studies have indicated about half of the 1.6 million farm workers >in the country are here illegally. There are an estimated 700,000 to >900,000 farm workers in California. > >In spite of huge jobless rates in some rural areas, growers have said >they have a labor shortage. They have lobbied Congress to reform the >federal H-2A "guest worker" program to increase the number of foreign >laborers who work legally in the United States. Organized labor >interests, however, have called for a general amnesty for the >undocumented workers who are already in the country. > >Craig introduced his bill with the backing of the new Agricultural >Coalition for Immigration Reform. The group's co-chairman, Bryan Little, >a lobbyist for the American Farm Bureau, said the bill "helps get the >debate off the dime." > >"Maybe 150 (days) is the wrong number," Little said of the amnesty >provision. "I don't know. Let's have a debate and see what the right >number is." > >http://www.ocregister.com/ >New guest-worker plan triggers controversy >Immigration advocates say it is a needless complication. >July 13, 2001 > >By DENA BUNIS and MINERVA CANTO >The Orange County Register > >WASHINGTON -- Immigration advocates Thursday blasted the agriculture >industry for breaking apart a fragile coalition of business and farm >workers with a new guest-worker proposal, a development that complicates >the chances of any sweeping amnesty moving through Congress this year. > >At issue is a bill introduced Wednesday in the Senate that advocates say >breaks a guest- worker-program deal that came within a hair's breadth of >becoming law at the end of last year. The new bill - sponsored by Sen. >Larry Craig, R-Idaho, at the urging of agricultural interests - puts up >roadblocks to legalization for undocumented farm workers, advocates say, >and includes salaries that union officials say would depress wages for >an already low-paid work force. > >"Not only are they violating this agreement and breaching a trust here, >but they are engaging in an act of political stupidity and folly," said >Rep. Howard Berman, D-West Hollywood, the main architect of last year's >deal. > >But Anthony Bedell, head of an agribusiness coalition, insists there >still is room for compromise and that "there will be a few bloody lips, >but I think we'll all be friends when it's done." > >Craig's measure is in play against a backdrop of negotiations between >the Mexican and U.S. governments over the future of immigration between >the two countries. President Vicente Fox will visit the Midwest early >next week and is expected to reiterate his position on the need for a >broad amnesty. > >The Mexican government is negotiating with the Bush administration on a >package of immigration reforms that encompasses border safety, lifting >quotas on Mexican visas, a guest-worker program and legalization for >undocumented immigrants. > >"There can be no deal on any of the four issues unless there is a deal >on all four. It's the whole enchilada or nothing," Jorge Castaneda, >Mexico's foreign minister said last month. > >Aurelio Martinez, a 34-year-old undocumented farm worker who has picked >crops in Orange County and the Central Valley for a decade, is impatient >to see some action on an amnesty. > >"All the farm-worker programs I've ever heard of are all for temporary >workers," said Martinez, who lives in Anaheim with his wife and two >children, who joined him in the U.S. four years ago from Zacatecas, >Mexico. "I won't benefit from those programs, especially if they make it >too hard (to qualify for legal residency)." > >The intensified debate over a guest-worker program also comes as an >anti-immigration think tank Thursday released a report designed to make >lawmakers think twice about allowing more Mexicans into the United >States. > >According to the study, by the Center for Immigration Studies, Mexican >immigrants are much more likely to be poor, lack a high school diploma >and to be in competition for the same jobs as native-born Americans on >the lowest rungs of the economic ladder. > >Immigration advocates branded the report as immigrant bashing by >desperate restrictionists who fear a more open U.S. policy toward >immigration. > >Craig's bill, immigration supporters say, threatens that new deal. > >A major difference between Craig's measure and the Berman deal is the >length of time a migrant would have to do farm work before getting a >"green card." Craig sets that bar at 150 days a year, or 600 days within >four years. That compares with 100 days a year, or 360 days over six >years, under the Berman measure. > >"Many farm workers just don't work that many days in the agriculture >industry," says Arturo Rodriguez, president of the United Farm Workers >of America. > >Craig's bill would also bar families of workers now in the U.S. from >getting legal status. An aide to Craig insisted that four months is the >amount of time the average farm worker spends in the field. > >"This bill is a win win win," said Sarah Berk, Craig's press aide. She >said it provides freedoms and legal protections for workers, a steady >stream of workers for the agriculture industry, and a steady and >reliable source of food for consumers. > >For Dan Manassero, whose has 50 acres of Orange County farms, a steady >work force is essential. He's been behind schedule before because of a >lack of workers. > >"I think if someone's been here over a certain amount of years, they >should be able to become legal residents," Manassero said. > >http://www.californianonline.com/news/stories/20010713/localnews/770737.htm l > >http://www.laopinion.com/estado/?rkey=0019532 >Criticas a proyecto de ley para trabajadores del campo > >Armando E. Botello >Corresponsal de La Opinión > > > >SACRAMENTO, California.-- El proyecto de ley federal que permitiría el >ingreso temporal de miles de trabajadores agrícolas "viola el espíritu >de un acuerdo logrado el año pasado, es anticampesino y no saldrá del >Congreso", declaró ayer el congresista demócrata de California Howard >Berman. > >"Vamos a decirles a los miembros del Senado y del Congreso, que ésta es >una mala propuesta, porque intenta reducir los salarios de trabajadores >que ya son los peor pagados en la nación", declaró Berman a La Opinión, >en referencia al proyecto de ley del senador republicano de Idaho, Larry >E. Craig. > >El año pasado Berman fue uno de los arquitectos del acuerdo entre grupos >de agricultores y el Sindicato de Campesinos, que resultó en un proyecto >de ley que incluía un plan de legalización, de protección y de salario >mínimo. > >Según Berman, ese proyecto de ley hubiera ayudado a los labradores que >ya viven en este país, a los que vendrían como trabajadores invitados y >a la industria agrícola que se queja de una escasez de trabajadores y >estuvo muy cerca de lograr su aprobación durante los últimos días de la >sesión especial del Congreso. > >Aunque la propuesta fue finalmente rechazada, se entendía que volvería a >surgir durante la presente sesión del Congreso y que seguiría contando >con el apoyo de la industria agrícola. > >Sin embargo, esta semana el senador Craig presentó su propia propuesta, >la cual es ahora apoyada por los mismos grupos de agricultores que >habían acordado el plan anterior. > >"Los agricultores están quebrando del espíritu del acuerdo original", >dijo Berman. > >Mientras que el proyecto anterior hubiera requerido que los campesinos >trabajaran en el campo cien días al año y 360 días durante seis años >para cumplir los requisitos para su legalización migratoria, el proyecto >de Craig establece el requisito de 150 días anuales y 600 en cuatro >años, lo cual según Arturo Rodríguez, presidente del Sindicato de >Campesinos, es casi imposible de lograr a causa de las breves temporadas >de cosecha y el desempleo crónico que sufre el campesino. > >Además, el nuevo proyecto anula la fórmula actualmente utilizada para >pagar a los trabajadores importados el promedio del sueldo que se paga a >los campesinos, con el cual se asegura que un agricultor no utilice >únicamente a dichos trabajadores. > >En lugar de ese promedio, el senador Craig utilizaría el llamado sueldo >prevalente, el cual normalmente no sería mayor del salario mínimo. > >Al introducir su propio proyecto de ley, el senador Craig declaró que >era necesario para ayudar a los agricultores que tienen problemas para >mantenerse a flote. > >Rodríguez replicó diciendo que jamás había visto que un agricultor se >viese forzado a declarar bancarrota por los bajos salarios que paga a >los trabajadores invitados. > >Mientras que Berman indicó que luchará contra la propuesta de Craig >dentro del Congreso, tanto Rodríguez como Cecilia Muñoz, vicepresidenta >del Consejo Nacional de La Raza dijeron que utilizarán todos los medios >posibles contra la propuesta y que intentarán discutirla con el >presidente de México Vicente Fox, durante la visita que realizará a la >ciudad de Washington a fines de septiembre. >http://www.bakersfield.com/local/Story/700422p-700299c.html >Workers, growers at war over bill > >For more information on the Farm Worker Movement visit our web site >at http://www.ufw.org and/or subscribe to the Farm Worker Movement >list serve by sending an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To >unsubscribe send an e-mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >==^================================================================ >EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?ausV6O.auyJmU >Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! >http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register >==^================================================================ -- The preceding is a personal opinion. 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