A Win/Win for Growers and Farm Workers?

Whether President Bush’s guest-worker program ever passes muster in Congress is still open to debate. However, a similar bill, which has garnered a strong bipartisan following in both houses merits closer inspection, supporters say.

Supporters of the Agricultural Job Opportunity Benefits and Security Act, better known as AgJobs, argue that the bill would solve an immediate problem facing U.S. growers: the critical shortage of legal workers.

Under the bill, illegal immigrants already working in agriculture could earn legal status. However, they would have to continue working in the fields for a certain number of days for at least three more years before being eligible for residency. The bill also provides better protections for workers who are sometimes exploited by unscrupulous growers, directly or through labor contractors, supporters say.

Posted by Jim Langcuster at March 22, 2004 08:38 AM | TrackBack