ag and immigration reformbuilding brand, cultivating political champions now position ag uniquely...
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Ag and Immigration Reform: The Practical, the Politics, the Potential
Craig J. Regelbrugge ([email protected]) National Co-Chair Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform VP for Gov’t Relations, ANLA
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Ag’s History
• First on the playing field – Sought stabilizing reforms in 1990’s
in wake of hostile, anti-employer legislation
– Early reform efforts focused solely on H-2A
• Political lessons learned – Bipartisanship key
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History… • Farm employer, worker advocate
groups sought common ground 2000-03
• “Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act” first introduced 9/03
• Broad support in both chambers, but blocked from votes
• Folded in to S.2611 in 2006 • Included in “STRIVE” Act 2007
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Agriculture’s Reform Agenda
• Future solution, transition
• Fix current H-2A program – Streamline bureaucracy – Address rights, litigation – Address affordability
• Earned adjustment: experienced workers could earn legal status subject to conditions
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Current Status
• Key provisions now included in S.1348 – Title IV—includes H-2A reforms – Title VI—Z-visa temporary legal
status includes Z-a subsection to incentivize farm workers to remain in agriculture
• House— if we get there, controversy but yet broad support…
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What’s View IN Agriculture?
• >300 national, regional, state organizations in ACIR have worked tirelessly to advance bipartisan reforms
• ACIR grateful that Administration, leading Senators recognized ag uniqueness
• Even most skeptics have endorsed S.1348
• Any “outliers” motivated by self-interest
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What’s View OF Agriculture?
• Years spent defining issue, building brand, cultivating political champions now position ag uniquely well
• “Ag has made its case” • Few seriously argue that there’s a
ready, willing domestic labor force • Still, excuses and objections
persist
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Standard Objections
• Agricultural employers should work harder to find American workers
• Agriculture can mechanize • Farmers should pay more
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Find More American Workers
• This objection defies demographic realities
• WA State—last year, major joint recruitment and orientation effort for apple harvest sought to fill 1700 jobs. 40 workers were found
• NC Ag Job Hotline—2 calls after week-long blitz
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Mechanize…
• Ag labor productivity increased 29% from 1990-2002
• Aggregate output increased 15.4%, with most growth in specialty crops
• Labor input decreased by 9.2% • There is inexorable pressure to
improve labor productivity but mechanization is long-term, expensive, has limits
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Pay More…
• Farmers are price takers, not setters
• Many sectors exist in competitive global environment that limits flexibility
• Unrealistic to think that simply paying more will draw workers into seasonal, rural work
• Real challenge is upgrading jobs, reducing underemployment
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What Are Ag Employers Doing?
• Grassroots, lobbying • Tell the story, make it real, local
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If Reform Effort Fails…
• Enforcement will continue…border and employer raids
• Labor crisis will only worsen, leading to crop and production loss, decisions not to plant or not to harvest, offshoring
• Hundreds more states, localities will take matter into their own hands
• The status quo isn’t. It will be chaos
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Ronald Reagan…
“One thing is certain in this hungry world: no regulation or law should be allowed if it results in crops rotting in the fields for a lack of harvesters…”
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