Yakima, Washington
February 22, 2004
NEW AgJOBS MEASURE FINALLY GETS IT RIGHT
It's called "AgJobs," a catchy tag for proposed federal legislation that has brought together
old foes in a formidable, unprecedented alliance to solve a problem that for too long has been stymied
by polarization and posturing - if not outright racism. The twin measures, S.1545 in the Senate and HR3142
in the House, would provide a stable, legal agricultural work force. The program they envision is not to be
confused with recent - and vague - election-year proposals advanced by President Bush, or other
"guest worker" programs that are long on rhetoric and short on substance. When the editorial board
of this newspaper met with representatives of the Washington Growers League and United Farm Workers
union, it didn't take long to see that these groups, which often are bitter adversaries, are solidly united
behind congressional passage of this much-needed legislation.
As Mike Gempler, executive director of the league, and Eric Nelson, Northwest regional director of the union,
pointed out, years of backing opposing plans has netted both their camps nothing. Now they're uniting behind
a plan that is not only doable, but something both sides can live with.
And we'll side with them.
AgJobs essentially has two parts:
* The critical component would provide an orderly process for legal residency status. It allows earned
adjustment of status for agricultural workers who qualify by having worked here 100 days in an 8-month
period prior to enactment of the bill. If they complete additional work in agriculture for 360 days by
Aug. 31, 2009, they would become temporary legal residents and get on a faster track to citizenship.
This would allow an estimated 500,000 to 600,000 undocumented agricultural workers to gain legal status,
and in so doing address one of the long-standing, festering problems in agricultural areas that draw much
of their work force from Mexico.
Unlike the Bush proposal, the AgJobs program does not potentially send the workers home after three years.
* The H-2A temporary visa program for agriculture would be reformed, making it easier, faster and less
expensive for agricultural employers to use. It would still require protections in such areas as housing,
workers compensation insurance and wages for foreign workers recruited and employed under
the H-2A program, which is funded through a user fee paid by agricultural employers .
The measures have broad, bipartisan support in both houses of Congress, but strangely enough,
not among this state's congressional delegation. Both senators, Democrats Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell,
are co-sponsors in the Senate, but none of the Washington state representatives has signed on
to the House measure.
We're told there is some support for a "guest worker" program, more in tune with the president's proposal,
but we're among those who agree with AgJobs backers: The guest worker proposals don't seem to have
any chance of passage in Congress, and it's time for a solution that can.
Anti-immigration sentiment can also no longer be allowed to derail legitimate efforts to address the need
for a stable, legal agriculture work force.
And if anything, AgJobs seems a much better means of addressing national security concerns that are
often linked with immigration. This is a defined, controlled approach.
The coalition of supporters for AgJobs comes from the agriculture industry, labor, immigrant rights
groups, religious organizations and others. If they can agree on a common plan to deal with the issue,
that's good enough for us, and it most certainly should be good enough for this state's House
delegation in Congress.
While we share the discomfort of some that AgJobs would represent a limited sanctioning of
illegal immigrants for proven agriculture workers, we salute the coalition members for closing
ranks and making a commitment to finding a workable solution to a problem that must be
addressed now. This is such a practical plan.
Congress should also take note of that unprecedented alliance and give swift, emphatic
approval to the AgJobs legislation.