Re: “Why WA’s farmworkers are disappearing” [March 28, Local News]:
Labor activists targeted on union constructing proceed to disclaim the fact each the farming group and state labor economists agree on: There’s a critical farm-labor scarcity on this state.
Why else would farmers already combating disappearing margins select to pay not solely larger federally mandated wages, but additionally a mean of $3,000 in further charges and prices per individual to rent visitor employees?
Within the activists’ upside-down logic featured in reporter Alison Saldanha’s latest article about farmworkers, farmers allegedly revenue through the use of this expensive and sophisticated program to fill their labor gaps.
Activists need you to consider that farmers who select to incur intensive further labor prices — simply to verify their crops will be harvested — really expertise a optimistic for his or her backside line, when the precise reverse is true.
The argument actually doesn’t add up, regardless of activists’ intensive psychological gymnastics.
The Seattle Instances has coated their illogical arguments intimately whereas giving no protection to the a whole lot of farmworkers who’ve repeatedly gathered throughout the state to talk out towards new state wage coverage that’s really hurting their lives and paychecks.
Dillon Honcoop, communications director, Save Household Farming, Everson
