The United Farmer Workers (UFW), a farm worker union, has launched a "Take Our Jobs" campaign challenging Americans to take their "labor-intensive, low-paying farm jobs" as reported by CNN.
Amid anti-immigration sentiment, a recent Arizona state law that other states are looking to model, and high unemployment, UFW will connect applicants with farm jobs in their area. At least 4,000 people have responded, but according to union president Arturo Rodriguez, "[o]nly a few dozen have really followed through with the process." Applicants lose interest in the job once they realize that farm work is labor-intensive, outdoors in very hot temperatures, without benefits, that pays minimum wage or less.
USDA has estimated that there are one million farm workers in the United States. Of those workers, 85% are immigrants and up to 70% are illegal, according to the Migrant Farm Worker Justice Project.
The Arizona law, now the subject of a lawsuit by the U.S. Department of Justice asks for an injunction to prevent the law from taking effect on July 29. The Arizona law "makes it a crime to be an illegal immigrant in the state and requires officers to determine the immigration status of people they stop for another offense based on a 'reasonable suspicion' that they might be illegal immigrants" according to the New York Times.
UFW organizers will appear on the Colbert Show set for today, July 8, in an effort to gain public interest.
To read the CNN story, click here.
To read the UFW press release, click here.
To read the New York Times story, click here.
Posted: 07/08/2010
