Taking jobs away from perfectly legal Americans?

[akv]

I don't believe in amnesty for illegals either, but more disturbing is with high unemployment and the state of the economy they couldn't find 300 Americans willing to work for $16-20/Hr?

Taking jobs away from perfectly legal Americans
Unbelievable! -mynorthwest.com

Polls show most Americans reject amnesty for illegal workers, because as we all know giving amnesty to an undocumented Mexican would be taking a job away from perfectly legal American. And so last December in the town of Brewster, a small farm town in Washington State, a big fruit orchard called Gebbers Farms was forced to fire most of their Mexican workers -- over 500 of them -- because immigration agents had found that most of the workers were here illegally.

By law, the farm advertised for perfectly legal American workers. And the pay isn't bad -- cherry pickers in Washington state earn, on average, $16.48 an hour --and a really GOOD cherry picker can make $20. Apple and Pear pickers make less, but still well above minimum wage. Plus, you get free transportation to the farm!

Yes, you have to carry at least 40 pounds down a ladder, and the weather ranges from cold and rainy to heatstroke conditions. But how many unemployed Americans would jump at the chance for a paid trip out of the city, into the fresh air?

Well, about zero, apparently.

Because after firing the Mexican workers, Gebbers Farms has now started flying in 300 fruit pickers --- from Jamaica. The main difference? The government will give the Jamaicans the proper documents. So the farm will pay to fly in Jamaicans to replace the Mexicans who were already there, because the government was not ABOUT to give documents to the Mexican workers. No, that would have been amnesty. And as we now know, giving amnesty to an illegal Mexican would be taking a job away from a perfectly legal... Jamaican.

http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=75&sid=325110

[greenberetTFS]

akv,

That's amazing,not ONE american applied for the job!............. I'm working here in Mississippi for a security company,required to carry a gun(have to qualify every 6 months),working the grave yard shift on roving patrol for $8 an hour and glad I have a job...................

Big Teddy

[Ape Man]

First, crop picking (especially fruit picking) is not something that anyone can walk up to and expect to make $16 an hour. Unless farmers out west are totally different than farmers out this way, they pay by production. I have picked fruit before, but I doubt that I could make $16 hour picking fruit. Watch someone who is picking crops for a living sometime. Its only "unskilled" labor if you don't have to make the speed. Most of the people making $16+ have been doing it for a long time.

That said, you are picking up on a very real problem. Almost nobody wants to do manual labor in this country anymore even if the wages are far higher than other available employment demanding similar education. The things I have seen have been just disgusting.

Edited for typo's. Can take the hillbilly out of the hills, but you can't teach him grammar and spelling!

[ReefBlue]

I wonder how long they advertised for help wanted, and in what paper. You don't just fly in 300 people from Jamaica and get them legal paperwork without that being in the plan the whole time. They could have flown people in from Alabama even easier (and cheaper).

But from the American worker standpoint--

20 bucks an hour comes out to bringing home about $13 or so.

Currently, I'm on unemployment, and in order to break even with unemployment, I'd have to make 40k.

And on top of that, I'd have to make enough to commute to work and back, and eat lunch, etc. Now, we're talking 50k or more.

So even if I was offered that cherry picker job straight up, I couldn't accept it.

I'm sure that isn't necessarily the case with everyone, but there are reasons people don't take jobs like this.

But, the company's eagerness to import labor is really weird.

[Pete]

Now I wished I posted it.

In Last Sunday's (I think) Fayetteville Observer there was an Article (Sob story) on the vanishing Latinos in the greater area around Fayetteville/Cumberland County to include Hoke and Sampson.

Every one was sobbing from the single wide trailer parks that rented to the Latinos, the Latino stores and the people who counted races at House of Raeford (The Turkey plant in Raeford) and Smithfield Packing (Gee, wonder if voting in the union displaced the Latinos) in Tar Heel.

Big part about the guy that ran a trailer park and also ran a Hispanic Snack Shop at House of Raeford. Seems like his trailer park is almost empty and the workers at HoR are going from Brown to Black and are now passing on his ethnic snacks. He said he may have to switch to soul food to stay in business.

In that whole long sob story all I got was "There are legal people who will work for those wages."

Ha - found the link

http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2010/05/23/996860

[GratefulCitizen]

Originally Posted by Ape Man

Almost nobody wants to do manual labor in this country anymore even if the wages are far higher than other available employment demanding similar education. The things I have seen have been just disgusting.

Part of the business cycle.
Still remembering the good times of yesterday.
Just not desperate enough yet.

A few years ago, when times were good, a part-timer at UPS could make it to driver in 2-3 years (mainly through the Las Vegas area).
During the boom, a supervisor down at Tempe estimated about 3% of the hires stuck around long enough to make driver.

We had a 22 year old kid up here back in '06 - '07 who would have been set for life if he had stuck it out for one year.
Guess he had bigger plans.

The wait is back up to a minimum of 5-7 years now.
No problem finding people willing to gut it out part time and wait anymore.


Failing to plan is planning to fail.

[Utah Bob]

Everybody wants to be at the top.
They just don't want to work their way up.

[Surf n Turf]

Originally Posted by ReefBlue

But from the American worker standpoint--

20 bucks an hour comes out to bringing home about $13 or so.
Currently, I'm on unemployment, and in order to break even with unemployment, I'd have to make 40k.
And on top of that, I'd have to make enough to commute to work and back, and eat lunch, etc. Now, we're talking 50k or more.
So even if I was offered that cherry picker job straight up, I couldn't accept it.
I'm sure that isn't necessarily the case with everyone, but there are reasons people don't take jobs like this.

ReefBlue,
I have no idea of what you do, nor how well you do it,- but your comments seem wrong on so many levels, I hardly know what to say—
Maybe I’m a FOG, but I have always thought there was something noble in working, and in a strong sense of self-reliance.
The choice isn’t between a J O B and unemployment ‘cause unemployment payments are not a J O B.
If you couldn’t accept a job “in order to break even with unemployment” perhaps the unemployment benefits are so generous they are a disincentive in seeking gainful employment.
If you think that this business downturn is temporary, I would recommend you do some research, and to quote a musician from my era – “The times they are a changing”.
I would suspect you should become employed while it is still possible.

Remember the poor bastard who is working 2 jobs, his wife is working and they make $38K supporting 2 kids. They pay the taxes for your unemployment compensation.
BTW $20 per hour is $41,600 annually.

SnT

[ReefBlue]

Originally Posted by Surf n Turf

ReefBlue,
I have no idea of what you do, nor how well you do it,- but your comments seem wrong on so many levels, I hardly know what to say—
Maybe I’m a FOG, but I have always thought there was something noble in working, and in a strong sense of self-reliance.
The choice isn’t between a J O B and unemployment ‘cause unemployment payments are not a J O B.
If you couldn’t accept a job “in order to break even with unemployment” perhaps the unemployment benefits are so generous they are a disincentive in seeking gainful employment.
If you think that this business downturn is temporary, I would recommend you do some research, and to quote a musician from my era – “The times they are a changing”.
I would suspect you should become employed while it is still possible.

Remember the poor bastard who is working 2 jobs, his wife is working and they make $38K supporting 2 kids. They pay the taxes for your unemployment compensation.
BTW $20 per hour is $41,600 annually.

SnT

I am a former facilities/maintenance manager. As unemployment stands, I can barely make ends meet, it isn't a factor of wanting to make more than unemployment, if I make basically any less than I do right now (bringing home about 480 a week), I would run into problems. I barely make ends meet now, filling my vehicle up is a planned event as it is.

I pay unemployment taxes when I work and I pay federal taxes on unemployment payments when I receive them. Believe me, I'd rather be working. This is the longest period of time I've ever not had a job (about 7 months) since I've started working 20+ years ago.

I'm totally accepting of the fact that the next job I get will probably pay me less, the x-factor is how much less, 10k is one thing, 25k is another. That will be my cross to bear, but I do know this--I will treat my new job like gold when I get it and do my best at it, and if I don't get my ideal job, I don't have to stop looking.

[T-Rock]

So even if I was offered that cherry picker job straight up, I couldn't accept it.

This attitude is the reason why we're overburdened with taxes....
"If a man will not work, he shall not eat."

[rdret1]

Originally Posted by Pete

Now I wished I posted it.

In Last Sunday's (I think) Fayetteville Observer there was an Article (Sob story) on the vanishing Latinos in the greater area around Fayetteville/Cumberland County to include Hoke and Sampson.

Every one was sobbing from the single wide trailer parks that rented to the Latinos, the Latino stores and the people who counted races at House of Raeford (The Turkey plant in Raeford) and Smithfield Packing (Gee, wonder if voting in the union displaced the Latinos) in Tar Heel.

Big part about the guy that ran a trailer park and also ran a Hispanic Snack Shop at House of Raeford. Seems like his trailer park is almost empty and the workers at HoR are going from Brown to Black and are now passing on his ethnic snacks. He said he may have to switch to soul food to stay in business.

In that whole long sob story all I got was "There are legal people who will work for those wages."

Ha - found the link

http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2010/05/23/996860

They all came to Wilson.

[Pete]

Originally Posted by ReefBlue

I am a former facilities/maintenance manager. ......

Hey, it's you who will have to answer the question - "And how long have you been unemployed?" - when you sit for your next interview.

"Well guys, we have two fully qualified individuals for the job. One's unemployment is running out so he needs the job and the other has been working three part time jobs while he's been looking for work."