Focusing On Labor Intensive Agriculture

Focusing On Labor Intensive Agriculture

Focusing On Labor Intensive Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

On Friday we broke the news that Dan Fazio, formerly with Washington Farm Bureau’s member services for 10 years has made a lateral move into the position of Director of the new Washington Farm Labor Organization. The idea is that this new organization will work with existing farm groups to help them better understand the ins and outs of farm labor issues.

FAZIO: It’s meant to be a seamless transition where all of the products and services that we’ve been rolling out over the last several years in our employer services division here at Farm Bureau will just go over to Washington Farm Labor Association and that association will be free to just ask the questions to members, what do you need as a labor intensive agricultural employer and how can we help?

They have discovered that this will allow them to better serve the ag industry.

FAZIO: You know Greg, the next 10 years is going to be crucial for agricultural employers. We’re going to have an immigration reform bill, there’s going to be some form of legalization. Farmers and everyone else, all other employers is going to have to do this E-verify thing, we’ve got to be ready for it. So the H2A program, the guest worker program is something we need to know about and we’re going to be offering through this association.

He says they will do monthly briefings with webinars.

FAZIO: Topics such as the social security mismatch is I think going to be the first one in April then ADA rules, new ADA rules that are coming up - that’s scheduled and other topics that agriculture employers need to know.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.

 

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