Thai workers to help harvest Wash. fruit

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Tue, Feb. 22, 2005


Thai workers to help harvest Wash. fruit
Associated Press

YAKIMA, Wash. - The number of workers from Thailand expected to help harvest fruit in the Yakima Valley this year under a federal guest-worker program could increase by almost five times, officials said.

Last season, 170 Thai workers were brought in under the program, which grew out of immigration reforms in 1986 and was designed to allow foreign workers into the country only for jobs that cannot be filled domestically.This year, growers and a company that contracts the workers expect at least 1,000 Thai laborers to help harvest the valley's apples and cherries.

"I think foreign guest workers are the answer for now, until the next big thing comes around like mechanization," John Verbrugge, orchard manager at Valley Fruit in Wapato, told The Seattle Times for its Sunday editions.

The federal program contains provisions intended to protect local workers and wages. But the program has come under criticism from unions and groups representing local laborers who predict the foreign workers will reduce the number of local hires.
(snip/...)

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/10961256.htm
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[rodeodance]

1. umm...mm

[Bruce McAuley]

2. Whoa! They'll work cheaper than Mexicans?

I can't imagine their airfare and accomodations will allow them to be a cheaper source of labor than the Mexican migrants already flooding the Yakima, Wenatchee, and Okanogan Valley fruit growing regions. Brewster is already more Mexican than Anglo, and the growing regions are inundated with illegal immigrants already who live there year round.
Tree fruit is on its way out here in Washington anyway because the world market is getting cheaper fruit from South America and New Zealand.
Sounds kinda wacky to import Thai workers, but time will tell. I wish they'd start some good Thai restaurants around here instead!

Bruce

[Ellen Forradalom]

3. Divide and conquer?

Having multiple ethnicities doing the work makes labor unity that much more difficult. It worked for the pineapple and sugar plantations on Hawaii.

Plus, if they've been flown in that far from home, they're going to be pretty docile.