THE PACKER

June 20, 2005

D.C. rally pushes for passage of AgJobs

The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association says the House is the sticking point.

By Tom Karst, National Editor

Supporters of AgJobs legislation rallied in Washington, D.C. on June 8, calling on Congress to pass the bill that would reform the agricultural guiestworker program and modify immigration laws for agricultural workers.

The rally was attended by Sen. Larry Carig, R-Idaho, and Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., who both support the legislation.  A press conference at the event featured both lawmakers and Elvin Martinez of Home Nursery, Inc., Edwardsville, Ill.

Martinez, noting that estimates suggest 70% of the agricultural work force is illegal, said the labor crisis is real.

“Some want to enforce the problem away.  This would be death to agriculture,” Martinez said in a June 8 news release from the Agricultural Coalition for Immigration Reform.

Walter Kates, director of labor relations for the Maitland-based Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, said June 16 that the biggest challenge to AgJobs continues to be the House of Representatives.

Kates said that he believes AgJobs legislation can pass the Senate.

“Sen. Craig says at the opportune time he is going to push it through, and there is a good likelihood it will pass,” he said.

The May introduction of the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act, sponsored by Sens. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and John McCain, R-Ariz., is no solution for agriculture, Kates said.

The bill excludes agriculture from its guest worker provisions.  It would require the U.S. to accept 400,000 unskilled, nonfarm foreign workers each year for three-year visas.  For undocumented workers already in the U.S., the bill would require them to register, pay a fine, pass an English test, and meet other requirements to stay.

“The bottom line being is if that bill passed, it would be chaos for agriculture,” he said.

Agricultural workers, with no guest worker program, would be able to be legalized if they moved to other industries, he said.

“It does nothing for agriculture,” he said.

Kates said President Bush has yet to outline specific details of his immigration reform plan relating to agriculture or signal his support for existing legislation.