Looking At Labor Issues

Looking at the Labor Issue. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

With the growing season just around the corner the question is soon going to be asked if we are going to have the workers necessary. Mike Gempler, Executive Director of the Washington Growers League says the answer is with the government.

GEMPLER: The vast majority of the agricultural community is still solidly behind the AgJobs bill which we anticipate will be reintroduced in Congress within the next month by Senator Feinstein from California.

He says that comprehensive immigration reform is a long way off.

GEMPLER: We think there is a window of opportunity in 2009 for getting an agriculture only bill passed. Comprehensive immigration legislation, a bill that would affect everybody is going nowhere in 2009. Maybe not even in 2010.

We have been hearing a lot about various state laws that promise a fix to the immigration issue and Gempler says there is too much involved.

GEMPLER: The state laws such as the Colorado law and others that have been proposed around the country don’t work and won’t work just because they require waivers from the feds.

We’ll talk more tomorrow with Mike Gempler on immigration issues.

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