As the Trump administration has doubled down on its hardline immigration agenda, behind the scenes senior Trump officials and the president himself have grappled with the consequences of that crackdown against a key portion of the workforce: migrant workers.
They don’t want these jobs at a price farmers are willing or able to pay.
Of course US citizens don’t want these jobs. They’d make more money as a Wal Mart greeter. I wouldn’t want them either at that price. Offer $30 an hour, fair working conditions, and benefits to people and you’d have a lot more people willing to stand out in the sun and pick crops all day.
The problem is that people would refuse to pay the price for that fruit that the farmers would have to charge. That’s where the issue is. Start offering people $30 an hour and watch how fast those jobs get filled…until people see the new price of groceries. Then they’ll drive down to Mexico and start dragging the workers back to the US themselves.
You’re very right, but one important caveat is that US-born citizens do not want these jobs. They literally think it’s beneath them and won’t do it.
I’m serious; I’ve worked with migrant farm laborers for 12 years. Citizens will choose exploitation over and over and over rather.
They don’t want these jobs at a price farmers are willing or able to pay.
Of course US citizens don’t want these jobs. They’d make more money as a Wal Mart greeter. I wouldn’t want them either at that price. Offer $30 an hour, fair working conditions, and benefits to people and you’d have a lot more people willing to stand out in the sun and pick crops all day.
The problem is that people would refuse to pay the price for that fruit that the farmers would have to charge. That’s where the issue is. Start offering people $30 an hour and watch how fast those jobs get filled…until people see the new price of groceries. Then they’ll drive down to Mexico and start dragging the workers back to the US themselves.