General Discussion

shaayecanaan

(6,068 posts)

98. I did seasonal labour on farms while in university...

Tue May 6, 2014, 06:48 AM

May 2014

It was a fun time. At that stage, the working holiday program was only open to Europeans. The bucket rate for stone fruit was $3.50. It wasn't huge pay but the backpacker girls were good fun and if you had a nice trailer and an easy bedside manner you could do okay, if you know what I mean.

The farms today are hiring mainly Koreans and Asians. They don't talk back much, and they tend not to report underpayment. Mostly the bucket rate is $2 and sometimes only $1 which is way below minimum wage.

The other trick is to put workers on such limited shifts that most of their wage gets spent at the farm store. I heard from a Japanese girl that just went picking strawberries that that is exactly what happened to her.

And this is all legal migrant labour (in Australia). I hate to think of how low the bucket rate could go if they had illegal labour as is the case in the United States.

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Highlight:

BOURDAIN's stunning love letter to Mexico and Mexicans [View all] UTUSN May 2014 OP

Love Anthony Bourdain blueamy66 May 2014 #1

Anthony Bourdain loves Mexicans who work for very low pay. fasttense May 2014 #12

Okay. How come Mexican immigrants can survive on these wages? blueamy66 May 2014 #17

Actually I do hire people who cost me more. fasttense May 2014 #39

I'm not a manager. I was a home owner. blueamy66 May 2014 #41

Just because every body does it, doesn't make it right. n/t fasttense May 2014 #47

Why should I pay more? blueamy66 May 2014 #50

It's NOT the way of the world fasttense May 2014 #54

I would be more convinced... CanSocDem May 2014 #69

Well, I have no status, so that isn't an issue. blueamy66 May 2014 #103

Do you feel the same way about outsourcing, clothing production in foreign sweatshops, and the such? whopis01 May 2014 #78

I guess that it isn't at the top of my list of priorities right now. blueamy66 May 2014 #101

You know, that's just what Mitt Romney said about his taxes. eggplant May 2014 #86

You know that is so not the same. blueamy66 May 2014 #102

Actually, I was quite serious. eggplant May 2014 #111

My statement may go against ONE issue....and I am allowed to have differing opinions... blueamy66 May 2014 #112

Nah, your opinions on child support aren't really progressive either. n/t tammywammy May 2014 #119

Of course you are allowed to have whatever opinions you like. eggplant May 2014 #120

Anti-labor propaganda BrotherIvan May 2014 #88

Sounds like you are more concerned about their "legal" status than paying a fair wge. Starboard Tack May 2014 #42

I don't want ICE coming down on me, so I make sure my workers are all American citizens. fasttense May 2014 #48

I feel for you. Truly. You have a dilemma. Starboard Tack May 2014 #63

You do realize, you can have azmom May 2014 #75

You do realize quakerboy May 2014 #91

I don't want ICE coming down on me, so I make sure my workers are all American citizens. azmom May 2014 #94

Also, how come these immigrants who aren't being paid a fair wage are surviving? blueamy66 May 2014 #44

Same reason the hungry still work and don't give up their crappy jobs even though fasttense May 2014 #51

Do you live in a border state? blueamy66 May 2014 #55

Because they live in packed homes Codeine May 2014 #92

They share everything. roody May 2014 #107

Link Unknown Beatle May 2014 #81

I very well might pay the difference. cloudbase May 2014 #40

Didn't think about that. blueamy66 May 2014 #43

No...that's why legitimate businesses are bonded and insured passiveporcupine May 2014 #82

Yeah, I know what "liberal" stands for. blueamy66 May 2014 #104

Desperate people will work for less dbackjon May 2014 #87

How the fuck does a Democrat even write a post like that? Codeine May 2014 #93

It was easy. blueamy66 May 2014 #105

The "Democrat party," eh? WorseBeforeBetter May 2014 #113

get another hobby...put me on ignore.. blueamy66 May 2014 #114

And miss your always delightful replies? WorseBeforeBetter May 2014 #116

It's your boring life, not mine. blueamy66 May 2014 #117

I shall! WorseBeforeBetter May 2014 #118

15 years ago I paid my kitchen crew of 40 or so a beginning DebJ May 2014 #18

I find there is NO DIFFERENCE between the Mexican American, legal immigrants fasttense May 2014 #46

Ok, well before you hadn't mentioned Anthony actually aid how DebJ May 2014 #72

You realize, of course, that Bourdain doesn't pay anybody. Xithras May 2014 #73

THANK YOU. Someone that knows what they're talking about when it comes to Bourdain. Grown2Hate May 2014 #108

I just watched the episode of Archer he was on. Classic. Initech May 2014 #110

I have heard... yallerdawg May 2014 #2

What a thoughtful post. ty n/t UTUSN May 2014 #4

Well, I appreciate you highlighting this subject. yallerdawg May 2014 #8

Absolutely!!!! n/t DebJ May 2014 #19

Here's ole John... progressoid May 2014 #31

Welcome to DU, yallerdawg! calimary May 2014 #33

awesome post! blueamy66 May 2014 #61

And thank you for the welcome. yallerdawg May 2014 #70

I had some work done on my house and I can vouch for the truth of your post. Warpy May 2014 #90

My industry, professional horse sports, is also heavily dependent on Mexican labor riderinthestorm May 2014 #3

I used to be a groom prior to becoming an equine photographer. 17 years Ed Suspicious May 2014 #49

You have effectively summed up the reasons for why there is so much effort being directed Maedhros May 2014 #74

wasn't a movie made called a day without mexicans? California would turn to dust. roguevalley May 2014 #96

Awesome...just perfect, really. K&R Jefferson23 May 2014 #5

I am a middle-aged white man. When I was a younger man I sure as hell DID go into ChisolmTrailDem May 2014 #6

*You* did. He's talking about his own 20-30 yrs' personal experience. & the numbers. n/t UTUSN May 2014 #7

He's talking out of his stream of consciousness and "common sense" which means he is not correct. KittyWampus May 2014 #27

Guess he hasn't travelled to VT.. Those were the first types of jobs all of us had. glowing May 2014 #13

I'm all for Mexican people seeking prosperity here in the U.S. But to say that Americans won't ChisolmTrailDem May 2014 #15

Did you see when Colbert went out to try one? DebJ May 2014 #23

How many years has the economy been geared towards exploiting immigrant labor? KittyWampus May 2014 #28

That is Alabama, tomatoes rotting in the fields. yallerdawg May 2014 #36

1984 was thirty years ago. Maedhros May 2014 #76

My experience was the same as Bourdain's over quite a period of years. DebJ May 2014 #21

Same here. secondvariety May 2014 #80

As someone who worked herself to the bone Le Taz Hot May 2014 #109

I've worked in food service for years now. xmas74 May 2014 #121

There are many, many nice little restaurants in my part of Brooklyn. The_Commonist May 2014 #9

Are you talking about Calexico? Dorian Gray May 2014 #97

This is not a new subject for Bourdain either, I became a fan years ago when he did a show about the Bluenorthwest May 2014 #10

that trip to Puebla was magnificent tishaLA May 2014 #35

Latest episode of his show is Mexico City. Atman May 2014 #11

I felt no threat while walking the streets of Da Nang and Saigon Plucketeer May 2014 #14

We took a wrong ferry back from the islands... Atman May 2014 #20

Ok, I am not informed on this, but isn't drug wars in Mexico..... Logical May 2014 #16

Not so much for tourists. Atman May 2014 #22

I also think he is safer that I would be as he is a celebrity! nt Logical May 2014 #24

It's live "Survivor" Atman May 2014 #65

Absolutely. Seems to me he's focusing on the people/culture. & I started to post a few times UTUSN May 2014 #25

I travel to Mexico often and am sad and amazed at the vilifcation of this wonderful country. As I LuckyLib May 2014 #30

Excellent post. cbayer May 2014 #34

Thanks for the grea information..... Logical May 2014 #64

Love Bourdain, his episode of Haiti was a kick in the gut, but he's wrong about jobs- KittyWampus May 2014 #26

du rec. xchrom May 2014 #29

I have been living in Mexico for the past 7 months cbayer May 2014 #32

I don't know where lancer78 May 2014 #37

Sounds like they Americanized! yallerdawg May 2014 #45

Would you work for less than $10/hr? Starboard Tack May 2014 #52

Hell, I would right now. blueamy66 May 2014 #58

That is truly sad. Best of luck. Starboard Tack May 2014 #68

I don't know what the issue is. blueamy66 May 2014 #71

I guess it is more of a hirer's market, than a hiree's. Starboard Tack May 2014 #85

thank you for this. BlancheSplanchnik May 2014 #38

Bourdain has been outspoken on this for quite a while underpants May 2014 #53

Thanks for such a great post. Starboard Tack May 2014 #56

My first job was as a busboy. Erich Bloodaxe BSN May 2014 #57

"We just want jobs that pay enough to live on." blueamy66 May 2014 #59

I'm not saying anything against Hispanics. Erich Bloodaxe BSN May 2014 #60

Exactly. blueamy66 May 2014 #62

Every time I go to Mexico I am amazed at the quality of the baking. Beausoir May 2014 #66

Whoever wrote this headline should be shot AngryAmish May 2014 #67

Leaving for Mexico in a week... a la izquierda May 2014 #77

"Also, how come these immigrants who aren't being paid a fair wage are surviving?" djean111 May 2014 #79

Bourdain Rocks warrprayer May 2014 #83

Anthony Bourdain is such a cool guy. nt Sarah Ibarruri May 2014 #84

Correction: Americans won't do those jobs for the shit wages you are willing to pay, Anthony. alarimer May 2014 #89

I wonder how these people think these jobs got done before the migrants came along... shaayecanaan May 2014 #99

Let me tell you what I know about the Mexican azmom May 2014 #95

I did seasonal labour on farms while in university... shaayecanaan May 2014 #98

I get tired of hearing the "jobs Americans won't do" bullshit Major Nikon May 2014 #100

Durable and soulful people...and there is lots to endure, e.g. Romantico, which you can Netflix BeyondGeography May 2014 #106

I'm sick of the "work Americans won't do" lie... MellowDem May 2014 #115