Farm Workers Kept In Subhuman Conditions

OFTENTIMES WHEN WE TALK ABOUT
MEXICAN IMMIGRANTS IN THIS COUNTRY, IT IS USUALLY GEARED
TOWARD A LOT OF SENA PHOBIA AND RIDICULOUS STEREOTYPES, BUT WE
NEVER REALLY TALK ABOUT HOW MEXICAN IMMIGRANTS ARE TREATED
IN FARMS AND VARIOUS STATES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
THERE
IS A STORY TALKING THE ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WHICH HAS
FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST G FARMS, FARM IN ARIZONA.
APPARENTLY THE
DEPARTMENT SAYS THAT JEEP FARMS HOW ABOUT 70 WORKERS HERE IN A
VISA IN A DANGEROUS AND UNSANITARY ENCAMPMENT COMPOSED
OF SCHOOL BUSES, SEMI TRAILERS, A CARGO CONTAINER, AND AN OPEN
AIR SHED.
OFFICIALS INVESTIGATED THE SCENE AND THEY
REALIZED THAT THESE GUYS ARE LIVING IN AN INCREDIBLY UNSAFE
PLACE, RIGHT?
THEY ARE NOT HOUSED OR PAID PROPERLY.
LIMIT
GIVE YOU MORE DETAILS.
ACCORDING TO COURT DOCUMENTS,
THE FARM PUT 10 WORKERS ON EACH SCHOOL BUS TO SLEEP AND
THE REAR EXITS OF THE BUSES WERE BLOCKED BY A MOBILE
AIR-CONDITIONER, CREATING A SAFETY RISK.
THE WINDOWS OF THE
BUS WERE ALSO BLOCKED.
THE DOCUMENT STATES AIR-CONDITIONER
ONLY BLEW HOT AIR.
IF THAT WASN'T BAD ENOUGH, AN
INVESTIGATOR WITH THE DEPARTMENT ALSO FOUND THAT THE SHOWER
FACILITIES WERE FILTHY AND TRASH RIDDEN AND AN ELECTRICAL CORD
USED TO SUPPLY LIGHTING INSIDE RAN THROUGH THE SHOWER AREA AND
WAS EXPOSED TO STANDING WATER, WHICH COULD RESULT IN
ELECTROCUTION.
THE OWNER OF THE FARM COMPLETELY DENIES THESE
CHARGES AND SAID OKAY, ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE FALSE, BUT WE
FOUND APARTMENTS AND HOTEL ROOMS FOR THEM TO STAY IN.
NO, BUT
THAT'S WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE IN THE BEGINNING.
YOU SHOULD
NOT HAVE LET IT GET TO THIS POINT WHERE INVESTIGATORS
REALIZE THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE BEING HOUSED IN UNSAFE
CONDITIONS.
BY THE WAY, THEY WERE PAID BETWEEN 13 AND $.17
PER BAG OF ONIONS THEY PICK.
THE FARM OWNER SAYS NO, THAT IS
TOTALLY FAIR DIVE YOU DO THE MATH, THEY GET ABOUT $10 AN
HOUR.
BUT THE INVESTIGATORS SAID THAT NO, THEY ARE ACTUALLY
MAKING LESS, WEIGH LESS THAN MINIMUM WAGE.
THESE ARE ALL
THINGS THAT NEED TO BE PROVEN OBVIOUSLY AND THIS IS A LAWSUIT,
BUT THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO LEFT EVERYTHING IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY
BEHIND TO COME HERE AND DO THE WORK THAT AMERICANS KEEPING
IT REAL REFUSED TO DO AND WE CONTINUOUSLY DEMONIZE THEM
AS IF THEY ARE ALL CRIMINALS AND RAPISTS AND BAD PEOPLE WHEN
IN REALITY, WHAT WE ARE DOING TO THEM AS CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR.
THE WAY THEY ARE BEING TREATED AS CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR.
THINGS HAVE GOTTEN SO BAD THAT I ACTUALLY LOOKED AT WHAT
THE ATTORNEYS FOR THE COMPANY DATE AND I WAS SURPRISED.
I WAS
LIKE WOW, THEY WERE ACTUALLY CONCILIATORY.
NOT ONLY DID THEY
GET APARTMENTS AND HOTELS, THEY WOULDN'T BE ARGUING AGAINST A
TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER REQUEST AND THE FARM WOULD
COMPLY WITH ALL REGULATIONS.
IN THE TRUMP ERA I THOUGHT THEY
WOULD SAY YOU KNOW I AM NOW GOING TO TAKE AWAY THEIR
CONDITIONER BLOWING HOT AIR AND BLOCK BOTH EXITS.
IN THE AGE OF TRUMP I WOULD EXPECT THEM TO DO
WHAT THE REPORTER DID, ASKED HIM A QUESTION AND DARRELL ISA
JUST FLIPPED A REPORTER OFF.
WHO IS SURPRISED?
TRUMP ASKED FBI DIRECTOR TO IMPRISON REPORTERS.
WE SHOULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN TO THAT POINT THOUGH.
WE SHOULDN'T
BE IN THIS ERA.
THERE ARE TWO ELEMENTS TO THE STORY.
1ST, IS
THIS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BECOME WERE WE HOUSE PEOPLE LIKE CATTLE
IN A SCHOOL BUS IN THAT TEMPERATURE?
WOULD YOU LIKE TO
LIVE LIKE THAT?
AND IN THE SECOND POINT THE ANIMATE WHICH
IS SOMETIMES WHO WILL GO WE WOULD DO THOSE JOBS.
IT IS NO
BIG DEAL.
REALLY?
YOU'RE GOING TO PICK OUT THE INCREDIBLY HOT
SUN ONIONS AND THEN GET $.13-$.17
PER BAG AND THEN YOU ARE GOING TO GO LIVE IN A SCHOOL BUS?
BY THE WAY, THE BIG ARGUMENT IS THAT THE FARMERS TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF THIS IMMIGRANTS IF THEY ONLY PAID HIGHER WAGES AND
OFFERED BENEFITS, AMERICANS WOULD BE SWARMING IN.
THEY
WOULD LOVE TO TAKE THOSE JOBS.
CASE STUDY AFTER CASE STUDY
SHOWS THAT THAT IS NOT TRUE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN FARMS THAT HAVE
NOT ONLY INCREASED WAGES WAY HIGHER THAN MINIMUM WAGE BY THE
WAY AND ALSO OFFERED INCREDIBLE AND IF IT'S AN OF AMERICANS
STILL WON'T TAKE THE JOBS.
THERE'S A RECENT CASE WHERE A FARM GOT RID OF FOUR WORKERS,
HIRED THEM, AMERICANS, THREE OUT OF THE FOUR AMERICANS QUIT
WITHIN THE HOUR.
IS THERE PRICE AT WHICH AMERICANS WOULD DO IT?
YES.
BUT WE HAVEN'T FOUND IT YET.
LOOK, EVEN IF YOU SAY HEY,
DO I THINK WE SHOULD DO IT THE RIGHT WAY?
OF COURSE WE SHOULD.
IF WE CAN FIND AMERICAN WORKERS TO DO IT AT A CERTAIN PRICE AND
THEN WE ALL HAVE TO PAY A HIGHER PRICE AT THE GROCERY STORE, THAT
IS THE PRICE OF BEING HUMAN BEINGS.
I AM WILLING TO PAY
THAT PRICE.
THAT IS TOTALLY OKAY.
IF WE CAN SET THAT UP,
FANTASTIC.
EVERYBODY WINS.
NOW GIVEN THAT IT APPEARS THAT EVERY
TIME THERE HAS BEEN A CRACKDOWN ON IMMIGRATION, AND IN THE DEEP
RED STATES, ALABAMA, GEORGIA ETC., THEY LITTLE HE COULD NOT
FILL THE JOBS AND THE COMPANIES ARE GOING TO GO BANKRUPT AND
CHANGE THE LAW AND BRING BACK ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND
REPUBLICANS GOING SORRY, IT DIDN'T WORKÖ GOTTA BRING THESE
GUYS BACK.
GIVEN THAT, CAN WE AT LEAST NOT KEEP DOING IT THE
WRONG WAY SO THAT THEY ARE SHIPPED AND KEPT IN SCHOOL BUSES
AND PAID THESE LOW WAGES BUT HAVE A PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP.
INDENTURED SERVITUDE WAS SEVEN YEARS IN THE BAD OLD DAYS WHEN
WE
HAD SLAVERY AND INDENTURED SERVANTS.
THE PATHWAY TO
CITIZENSHIP, THE LATEST PROPOSAL WHICH WAS REJECTED BECAUSE THE
REPUBLICANS THOUGHT IT WAS TOO LENIENT WAS 14 YEARS OF MANUAL
LABOR AND THEN YOU FINALLY EARN A PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP.
FORGOT SAY, WE CAN DO THAT.
AT A MINIMUM.
LAST OF ALL, EVEN IF
YOU DON'T AGREE TO ANY OF THAT, CAN WE AT LEAST AGREE THAT
THEY ARE DECENT HUMAN BEINGS JUST LIKE US IN FACT WHO WILL
SACRIFICE FOR THEIR FAMILIES MAYBE EVEN MORE THAN US.
THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO LIVE UNDER THOSE CONDITIONS SO
THEY CAN SEND SOME MONEY BACK HOME SO THAT THEIR KIDS
HAVE A SHOT AT LEAST.
FOR ME, THE BIGGEST TAKE AWAY FROM THIS STORY REGARDLESS
OF WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT LABOR OR WHO SHOULD TAKE THESE JOBS,
HOW THEY SHOULD TAKE THEM, WHAT THEY SHOULD GET PAID.
LET'S PUT THAT ASIDE FOR A SECOND.
THE PART OF THE STORY THAT DRIVES ME CRAZY IS THAT WE
CONTINUOUSLY
GET DISTRACTED BY TALKING POINTS THAT POLITICIANS FEED US AND
IT MAKES US THINK THAT THE REAL BAD GUYS ARE THOSE THAT RISKING
EVERYTHING JUST TO COME HERE AND PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
THE REAL CRIMINALS HERE, IF THESE ALLEGATIONS ARE PROVEN TO
BE TRUE, ARE THE FARM OWNERS WHO MISTREATED AND ABUSED THESE
WORKERS.
THOSE ARE THE REAL CRIMINALS.
THOSE OF THE PEOPLE WE SHOULD BE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT.
YOU KNOW WHAT THE STATUE OF LIBERTY SAYS.
GIVE ME YOUR
TIRED, YOUR POOR, YOUR WRETCHED REFUSE ON OUR TEAMING SHORES.
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HUNGRY AND WANT TO WORK HARD AND BELIEVE IN
THE AMERICAN DREAM.
THAT IS THESE GUYS.
THEY ARE EXACTLY
WHAT THE STATUE OF LIBERTY TALKED ABOUT.
IT DIDN'T SAY GIVE
ME YOUR INCREDIBLY WEALTHY LOOKING FOR A GOLDEN VISA.
THAT
IS WHAT NOW WE ARE DOING.
WE'RE GIVING AWAY VISAS FOR $500,000 A
POP.
BUT IS NOT WHAT THIS COUNTRY IS SUPPOSED TO BE.
AT A
BARE MINIMUM, WE SHOULD ALL AGREE TO TREAT EACH OTHER
AS HUMAN BEINGS THAT WE ALL ARE WITH SOME SHRED OF DECENCY.

Farm Workers Kept In Subhuman Conditions

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