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California Farm Labor Shortage 'Worst It's Been, Ever'

sawyerloggingon said:
In Carters recession I picked apples, planted trees, bucked hay and harvested Christmas trees. I found something to do and I did not go on welfare or food stamps. My opinion on this is based on experience.
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When I was much younger I spent a couple of summers doing backbreaking work in warehouses shifting stuff off pallettes, then I also spent time on farms out in East Anglia doing farm labour work. That was during one of Maggie Thatcher's recessions, I was never unemployed and then as the economy improved I got better summer jobs - working in production factories running machines etc.

The fact I always showed willing to do the hard backbreaking work always got me interviews and it was always a subject of conversation at interview. I have seen since that East European workers now come over to the UK to do these menial jobs, some have degrees and others are skilled tradespeople and guess what - employers like them and recommend them.

Simple.

If I lost my job I would do whatever work needed to feed my family, I don't like depending on benefits or welfare.
 
sawyerloggingon said:
Ag workers make an average of $9.00 an hour while Walmart workers make around $8.75 an hour. Wal Mart has no problem filling it's positions, apparently Americans are afraid of HARD work.
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WalMart is air conditioned and have bennies provided to it's workers. Plus promotion opportunities
 
I don't know, folks. I sure wouldn't want to pick lettuce. Every time I bend over my pants slip.

You really don't want to see me with my sunny side up.
 
Part of the problem is that so many people are still under water on their mortgages, which makes it very difficult or impossible to pick up and move.
 
"California Farm Labor Shortage 'Worst It's Been, Ever'"

That's because Illegal Aliens no longer must hide from the authorities, which frees them up to seek more lucrative employment_

Thank you President Obama for all you have done for people here illegally, even if it was at the expense of the unemployed American Citizens you were suppose to be representing_

Americans need leadership that works for America rather than a president who is only interested in converting Illegal Aliens into a voting block for his Progressive/Marxist agenda_

Wise up people!
 
sawyerloggingon said:
Ag workers make an average of $9.00 an hour while Walmart workers make around $8.75 an hour. Wal Mart has no problem filling it's positions, apparently Americans are afraid of HARD work.
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Would you really do hard back breaking work for the same pay as easy-as-**** work?

I've done hard work. I got paid a hell of a lot more than what a wal mart employee gets for it, though.

Another problem with packing up and working a job like this is one I am seeing right now is that despite my advanced education, training, and intelligence: White collar employers often look down on a resume riddled with blue collar work. People who have lots of experience with manual labor are often thought of as brutish clouts with little intelligence or sophistication.

My supervisor at my internship told me that I should probably join MENSA in order to counteract the mental image some people have of construction workers. And I was making a ****load more money in construction than $9 an hour.

Frankly, I'd turn to crime before I'd turn to migrant farm labor for $9 an hour. There's more money in it and it looks equally as bad on a resume.
 
Tucker Case said:
Would you really do hard back breaking work for the same pay as easy-as-**** work?

I've done hard work. I got paid a hell of a lot more than what a wal mart employee gets for it, though.

Another problem with packing up and working a job like this is one I am seeing right now is that despite my advanced education, training, and intelligence: White collar employers often look down on a resume riddled with blue collar work. People who have lots of experience with manual labor are often thought of as brutish clouts with little intelligence or sophistication.

My supervisor at my internship told me that I should probably join MENSA in order to counteract the mental image some people have of construction workers. And I was making a ****load more money in construction than $9 an hour.

Frankly, I'd turn to crime before I'd turn to migrant farm labor for $9 an hour. There's more money in it and it looks equally as bad on a resume.
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Funny. I see 3 options in this thread.

A. Live on welfare as a pathetic leech who is too lazy to work
B. Become a criminal who steals and robs or attempts to destroy society
C. Earn an honest living yourself

Sorry to break this too you but if you would choose A or B over C when you have the choice you are the problem with America.
 
muciti said:
Funny. I see 3 options in this thread.

A. Live on welfare as a pathetic leech who is too lazy to work
B. Become a criminal who steals and robs or attempts to destroy society
C. Earn an honest living yourself

Sorry to break this too you but if you would choose A or B over C when you have the choice you are the problem with America.
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Being grossly underpaid for your labors is not an honest living its stupid as all hell.


And if that's all that you managed to find in my post, you are utterly devoid of any and all reading comprehension skills.
 
Tucker Case said:
Being grossly underpaid for your labors is not an honest living its stupid as all hell.


And if that's all that you managed to find in my post, you are utterly devoid of any and all reading comprehension skills.
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They are being paid well above minimum wage. It is not criminal and they are doing it for themselves. So yes it is an honest living.

Let me ask you this. Would it be better in America just closed it farms? Stopped growing food all together? Because if they try to pay people $20/hr to pick their fruit greedy ass people here are just going to buy fruit grown in mexico and picked at $3/hr and noone is going to buy that produce. Then these people still have no jobs. Or perhaps you think it would be better to open our borders and let the illegals come in who arent afraid of hard work like you? Tell me the better solution here then.

Oh wait, you would just start stealing from those who do earn their money so you didnt have to earn your way in life. That is your solution.
 
Blue_State said:
Who would you rather higher, a young man who spent the summer picking lettuce, or the one who spent it without a job? Both are otherwise equally qualified.
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The young man who spent the summer picking lettuce would have to relocate again most likely.

I think it's not a bad solution for summer employment for college kids, like the fish canneries in Alaska. As a long-term "relocate my family" career, not so much.
 
muciti said:
you can feed your family for $200/mo (2400)
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Feed them what? Rice? that $50 bucks per person per month. three meals a day => $0.55 per meal.
So what I am I going to feed my family which costs $0.55 per meal?
muciti said:
Utilities are only going to cost you around 100/mo.
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LOL. The minimum fees for water/trash charges are like $25 bucks or so--that doesn't include any water usage. Then after we add in electricity [are we allowed to have electricity? or is that luxury?] and gas [if it's not a luxury] etc there's no way you can get enough utilities for $100/mo.

You don't pay your own bills, do you?
 
Simon W. Moon said:
Feed them what? Rice? that $50 bucks per person per month. three meals a day => $0.55 per meal.
So what I am I going to feed my family which costs $0.55 per meal?
LOL. The minimum fees for water/trash charges are like $25 bucks or so--that doesn't include any water usage. Then after we add in electricity [are we allowed to have electricity? or is that luxury?] and gas [if it's not a luxury] etc there's no way you can get enough utilities for $100/mo.

You don't pay your own bills, do you?
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I damn sure do. I have a family of 4 that I support because i am not a lazy piece of **** who refuses to work. Our monthly groceries total less than $300/mo. And we eat pretty damn good. Again the difference being that my family and I live within our means. I dont think the majority of the people on this forum pay their own bills. Pretty sure most of you are waiting for a 6 figure job behind a desk and living on tax payers money until someone knocks on your door to offer that to tyou. Wouldnt want you to accidently have to earn your way.
 
muciti said:
They are being paid well above minimum wage. It is not criminal and they are doing it for themselves. So yes it is an honest living.
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$1 an hour is well above??!?!?!

They are being exploited by society by getting paid far less than they deserve for their efforts. How about instead of allowing people to be exploited, all of us honest hardworking decent folks pay an extra few dollars a week on our groceries instead.

Would it be better in America just closed it farms? Stopped growing food all together?
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those are your options? Pay peopel a **** wage or close up shop? Those are two ****ty options. Let's try something smarter.

Because if they try to pay people $20/hr to pick their fruit greedy ass people here are just going to buy fruit grown in mexico and picked at $3/hr and noone is going to buy that produce.
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Then the ultimate problem is a combination of greedy ass people here buying foreign products and a lack of tarrifs to equalize the price of foreign goods. My stance would be that corporations should have to pay an exceptionally high tax on all of the profits they receive from selling foreign-produced goods here with zero loopholes.

Let the market within our borders be a free one, where we can prevent outside factors from degrading it.

Then these people still have no jobs.
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Of course. When you present a false dichotomy, you always get the results you desire.

Or perhaps you think it would be better to open our borders and let the illegals come in who arent afraid of hard work like you?
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Nice reading comprehension. :lol:

I'd be willing to bet that I've worked a hell of a lot more hard jobs in my life than you have. A hell of a lot more of em. I've worked as a garbage man, carpentry (smal business owner there), concrete, laborer, and I've done seasonal farm work in a foreign country as well. What's your resume look like, I mean aside from not having any jobs on it where understanding that which you read was a requirement?

Tell me the better solution here then.
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I've told you one, but I doubt you'll comprehend it.

Oh wait, you would just start stealing from those who do earn their money so you didnt have to earn your way in life. That is your solution.
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Where did I say I would resort to stealing from people who earned their money? Oh, that's right. I didn't. You know there are a great many crimes in this world, right?
 
Tucker Case said:
-- White collar employers often look down on a resume riddled with blue collar work --
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In a booming economy where there are lots of jobs, maybe but my experience was that if you were an employer (white collar or whatever) and you had two candidates, one whose CV / resume showed he/she was never out of work and the other had large gaps which closely linked to recessions which would you pick? Personally, I would go for the person who always has a job.

I've only had one period of unemployment - my first summer before I went to college and I've done manual and skilled work, I've never been sacked or laid off and that's because I didn't want welfare or handouts. I always resigned because I had a new job and I was always offered permanent positions even when I took on temporary back-breaking manual work.

Tucker Case said:
-- Frankly, I'd turn to crime before I'd turn to migrant farm labor for $9 an hour. There's more money in it and it looks equally as bad on a resume.
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Sometimes there's a real reward in simple honest work though. I like the Polish workers who come to the UK and do the jobs a lot of British unemployed won't do - they have relocated legally, they have a hard work ethic and they are more than willing to take on jobs beneath their training or skills.
 
Infinite Chaos said:
In a booming economy where there are lots of jobs, maybe but my experience was that if you were an employer (white collar or whatever) and you had two candidates, one whose CV / resume showed he/she was never out of work and the other had large gaps which closely linked to recessions which would you pick? Personally, I would go for the person who always has a job.

I've only had one period of unemployment - my first summer before I went to college and I've done manual and skilled work, I've never been sacked or laid off and that's because I didn't want welfare or handouts. I always resigned because I had a new job and I was always offered permanent positions even when I took on temporary back-breaking manual work.



Sometimes there's a real reward in simple honest work though. I like the Polish workers who come to the UK and do the jobs a lot of British unemployed won't do - they have relocated legally, they have a hard work ethic and they are more than willing to take on jobs beneath their training or skills.
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KNot me and I am Polish.
 
Tucker Case said:
$1 an hour is well above??!?!?!

They are being exploited by society by getting paid far less than they deserve for their efforts. How about instead of allowing people to be exploited, all of us honest hardworking decent folks pay an extra few dollars a week on our groceries instead.
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It is not being exploited. It is low skill work that anyone could do. If you aren't working anywhere else, you need to be out there working where someone is offering. It is above minimum wage.

those are your options? Pay peopel a **** wage or close up shop? Those are two ****ty options. Let's try something smarter.
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Tell me the realistic option. Not stupid **** like
Then the ultimate problem is a combination of greedy ass people here buying foreign products and a lack of tarrifs to equalize the price of foreign goods. My stance would be that corporations should have to pay an exceptionally high tax on all of the profits they receive from selling foreign-produced goods here with zero loopholes.

Let the market within our borders be a free one, where we can prevent outside factors from degrading it.
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Because that is not happening. People here are going to buy what is cheapest. That is a fact. If you don't bleieve it go sit outside a walmart for an hour then go to a grocery store that pays well.

Put an american made product at 20/hr next to a chinese one made at $1/hr. See which people buy. Reality is a bitch but it is reality.

So by all means please let me know a solution that is grounded in reality. Your idea of become a scumbag criminal to avoid actually having to work is pathetic. Come up with something else. If you want to resort to that I hope one of the people you choose to rob is armed.
I'd be willing to bet that I've worked a hell of a lot more hard jobs in my life than you have. A hell of a lot more of em. I've worked as a garbage man, carpentry (smal business owner there), concrete, laborer, and I've done seasonal farm work in a foreign country as well. What's your resume look like, I mean aside from not having any jobs on it where understanding that which you read was a requirement?
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I honestly dont care what you suddenly want to claim as an e-dentity. You are clearly stating you would rather be a criminal then earn a living. Dont try to sell me on stories about how you do actually do hard work.

Where did I say I would resort to stealing from people who earned their money? Oh, that's right. I didn't. You know there are a great many crimes in this world, right?
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What crime are you resorting to then?
 
muciti said:
Our monthly groceries total less than $300/mo.
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I find that hard to believe.
muciti said:
I dont think the majority of the people on this forum pay their own bills.
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We humans tend to notice and remember information which supports our biases more readily than information which doesn't. This can lead to various distortions of perception.
Not saying that you're wrong, because I have no data on the subject.
muciti said:
Pretty sure most of you...
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What group are your trying to rope me into?

I also doubt that your utilities run even close $100 / mo.

muciti said:
How the **** do I hate America? I hate lazy Americans. People in this country dont want to work and expect everything to be handed to them. If they arent going to get luxeries in life they get pissed off.
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I guess you missed the ; )
 
Infinite Chaos said:
In a booming economy where there are lots of jobs, maybe but my experience was that if you were an employer (white collar or whatever) and you had two candidates, one whose CV / resume showed he/she was never out of work and the other had large gaps which closely linked to recessions which would you pick? Personally, I would go for the person who always has a job.

I've only had one period of unemployment - my first summer before I went to college and I've done manual and skilled work, I've never been sacked or laid off and that's because I didn't want welfare or handouts. I always resigned because I had a new job and I was always offered permanent positions even when I took on temporary back-breaking manual work.
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There's the bitch about it. I don't care how good a person is at construction, if they didn't get laid off at least once or lose their job entirely during this past economic downturn, they are lucky as all hell. And teh bitch about it is, the best were often let go first because the best are also the highest paid.



Sometimes there's a real reward in simple honest work though. I like the Polish workers who come to the UK and do the jobs a lot of British unemployed won't do - they have relocated legally, they have a hard work ethic and they are more than willing to take on jobs beneath their training or skills.
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Absolutely. But backbreaking labor is a young man's game, for the most part. I've worked through so many damned injuries I've lost count. I worked a full day on a broken foot once and then stopped off at the emergency room on the way home to get it checked out. When your income depends on your mobility, though, you put that cast on and get back to work ASAP. In that instance, it was about a week before I was hauling lumber around again.
 
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