New Farm Labor Rules Part 2

New Farm Labor Rules Part 2. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

New farm labor rules are causing some grief as farmers will now be required to prove first that they tried to hire U.S. citizens. American Farm Bureau Labor Specialist Ron Gaskill says this is the third time the rules have changed in the past 15 months.

GASKILL: Employers are going to have a program that’s more difficult than ever to administer.  It’s going to be more expensive than ever and consequently we expect to see the program used far less. Under the previous rule the employer could attest that, ‘I did this; I did that; I advertised; I recruited as best I possibly could and still couldn’t find the workers that I needed.’

Gaskill says, at this point, it’s up to Congress to find a fair fix for farmers and farm workers.

GASKILL: the best solution would be for the congress to enact immigration reform legislation - preferably it would be comprehensive - that would deal with the illegal aliens that are here in the U.S. now, but with a workable guest worker program.

According to Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman, - it is the responsibility of the administration and Congress to authorize a useful program that enables capable, dependable and willing employees to come to the U.S. temporarily to do the jobs that domestic workers don’t’ want.

The rule will be effective March 15, 2010. That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.