60 Farmwokers Stranded After Refusing to Work Below Minimum Wage

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Nearly 60 farmworkers from a rural Washington state community just outside of Seattle said they were stranded with no way to get home last week after refusing to work for less than minimum wage.

The workers were bused to a Stemilt Grower’s Apple Orchard, where they were told they’d only make roughly $25 for about four to five hours of work, local news station KIMA-TV reports. When the workers refused to pick for that amount, they say they were left stranded miles away from their homes. (The current federal minimum wage is $7.25.)

“It’s completely outrageous,” Gorge Valenzuela with United Farm Workers told KIMA-TV. “You have workers with no way home. They had to walk an hour and a half just to get to the street so they could wave at cars to find a way home, which is an hour and half away.”

Managers from Stemilt told KIMA-TV they didn’t know about the problem until later in the afternoon, and if they’d known sooner, they would have helped get the workers home.

Stemilt is the nation’s largest supplier of sweet cherries and organic tree fruits, as well as a key supplier of Washington-grown apples, pears and stone fruit, according to the company’s website.

http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/724351/60_farmwokers_stranded_after_refusing_to_work_below_minimum_wage/#paragraph3

[Obama 2012 1,714]

should have known what they were getting themselves into. Idiots.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

$25 net for four hours work would be close to minimum wage.

[slim 1,530]

They probably didn't factor in the cost of the bus ride. With that, it would be over minimum wage.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Alright, guys, let's just be honest about it. These farmworkers should have been willing to pay for the priviledge to work. It's simple supply and demand. there are lots of laborers and few jobs. So, these jobs come at a premium.

Edited November 8, 2011 by Mr. Big Dog

[mawilson 2,133]

Love it!

[luckytxn 2,265]

Most people have the sense to ask how much they will make before they are put into this situation. Some are idiots and that idea would never occur to them.

[Danno 1,228]

On the one hand I do pity the exploitation of these workers, on the other hand if I snuck into another country and had the opportunity to make 4x what I now make for half a days work, I would

not feel so "exploited".

What would they make picking fruit in Mexico for 4 hours?

[Darnell 8,479]

how many illegal aliens in this group of 60 folksen?

[Dakine10 5,452]

should have known what they were getting themselves into. Idiots.

They did. They were guaranteed minimum wage.

Who's the idiot now?

Hint .. look in the mirror.

[mawilson 2,133]

They did. They were guaranteed minimum wage.

Guaranteed by whom?

[Dakine10 5,452]

Guaranteed by whom?

Guaranteed by the orchard management.

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/11/03/1703436/farmworkers-say-they-were-stranded.html

The workers in the above story likely got caught in a bait and switch. Some farmers were offering $150 a day to pick apples in Washington State and couldn't get enough workers.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-20126117/orchard-growers-offer-jobs-few-choose-to-pick/

Edited November 9, 2011 by Dakine10

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

People do not hire illegals because they are the best pickers/roofers in the world

I am surprised they balked at the minimum wage. The real savings comes from not having to pay SS/Medicare, workers comp, unemployment insurance, benefits...you know, all the stuff Democrats support for white people.

[Dakine10 5,452]

People do not hire illegals because they are the best pickers/roofers in the world

I am surprised they balked at the minimum wage. The real savings comes from not having to pay SS/Medicare, workers comp, unemployment insurance, benefits...you know, all the stuff Democrats support for white people.

To be fair, it didn't say anything about them being illegal. As the article stated, one of the reasons the farmers are paying more is that illegal workers are not showing up like they used to.

IDK for sure, but the fact that they wouldn't work for less makes it more likely that they are not illegal.

[MIBEN 83]

I have to agree I did not catch the part that they were illegal or from Mexico.

They have to be smart about what jobs they take on, I am an American and my family and I were seasonal farm workers but we were never in this predicament. If you are a part of a strong union and yes they exist for farm workers (Raza Unida, FLOC) you get paid by the bushel, crate, bucket (a unit of measure) therefore if you are a fast worker you clearly make way over mininum wage in one hour.

Lobbying against the same people we worked for lost us some jobs but also had some great results, farm workers slowly got credit for their work with the social security administration, had leaverage on how much was paid after the contracted period (normally 8 weeks) any work beyond this timeframe was paid at a high wage per unit. The demand for workers is always high so we worked every summer. '