White House Seeks To Lower Farmworker Pay To Help Agriculture Industry

[babylonsister]

White House Seeks To Lower Farmworker Pay To Help Agriculture Industry
April 10, 2020
5:39 PM ET
Franco Ordoñez


New White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows is working with Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to see how to reduce wage rates for foreign guest workers on American farms, in order to help U.S. farmers struggling during the coronavirus, according to U.S. officials and sources familiar with the plans.

Opponents of the plan argue it will hurt vulnerable workers and depress domestic wages.

The measure is the latest effort being pushed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help U.S farmers who say they are struggling amid disruptions in the agricultural supply chain compounded by the outbreak; the industry was already hurting because of President Trump's tariff war with China.

"The administration is considering all policy options during this unprecedented crisis to ensure our great farmers are protected, and President Trump has done and will do everything he can to support their vital mission," a White House official told NPR.

The nation's roughly 2.5 million agricultural laborers have been officially declared "essential workers" as the administration seeks to ensure Americans have food to eat and U.S. grocery stores remain stocked. Workers on the H-2A seasonal guest-worker program are about 10 percent of all farmworkers.

more...

https://www.npr.org/2020/04/10/832076074/white-house-seeks-to-lower-farmworker-pay-to-help-agriculture-industry?utm_term=nprnews&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=politics&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR3UTVr1m5eB-j7WTkTJWUmm-_MNZQRlivjsKvutXXAPDlS4ABzkxJpJLKQ

[SheltieLover]

1. Damn him!

[The Magistrate]

2. Essential Workers Ought To Receive Higher Pay, Ma'am

After all, if they are essential, things cannot function properly without them....

[BamaRefugee]

3. That reduced pay routine is sure to make people want to apply for jobs! Good pay is for SISSIES!

[elleng]

4. Lower Farmworker Pay/officially declared "essential workers"

[Guilded Lilly]

5. The greed-driven hate and inhumanity never stops.

[musette_sf]

6. SSDD

[IcyPeas]

7. better stock up on frozen vegetables now