House Judiciary hears united front on immigration
February 27, 2013 | 10:46 PM
Farmers, food processors and the United Farm Workers on Tuesday presented a united front on immigration reform to a House Judiciary subcommittee, even though they disagreed on some of the details of the proposals.
“We do believe we are a very special moment,” said Giev Kashkooli, a vice president of the United Farm Workers.
American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman, a member of the Agriculture Workforce Coalition, said farmers want a “market-based” replacement for the H-2A immigrant worker program that would allow workers to enter the country as well as provisions to allow current undocumented farm workers to stay in the United States.
Mike Brown
Mike Brown of the National Chicken Council, a member of the Food Manufacturers Immigration Coalition, noted that proposals focused on the need to retain highly skilled workers such as scientists and engineers and the need for additional temporary agricultural workers do not meet the needs of food processors.
“We are manufacturers, wanting a stable and permanent workforce that can help sustain the rural communities where we do business,” Brown said.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., said that he wants to make sure agricultural employers have a workforce and that he does not want workers coming into the United States to work on farms shifting to other sectors and competing with U.S. workers.
Giev Kashkooli
Kashkooli said the UFW’s first priority is “a workable legislation program for the 1 million or more farm workers who are currently working in the fields and their immediate family members with a roadmap to permanent resident status.”
His printed testimony also said that the UFW wants these workers also to have a path to citizenship, but he did not include that part of the sentence in his verbal testimony.
Kashkooli also said that UFW is willing to accept a visa program for temporary workers who are tied to labor contracts, but that the union wants to make sure they have job protections.
Kashkooli said he and Stallman have some differences over definitions to be used in such a program. He also said it is “a euphemism” to call the farm workers “guest workers.” He added, “f they are coming back every year, they should have the right to apply for status.”
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., the ranking member on the House Judiciary Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee, said that, with the UFW willingness to accept a program for temporary workers, “even though we don’t have agreement yet it seems like we have the elements for agreement.”
“We do believe we are a very special moment,” said Giev Kashkooli, a vice president of the United Farm Workers.
American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman, a member of the Agriculture Workforce Coalition, said farmers want a “market-based” replacement for the H-2A immigrant worker program that would allow workers to enter the country as well as provisions to allow current undocumented farm workers to stay in the United States.
Mike Brown of the National Chicken Council, a member of the Food Manufacturers Immigration Coalition, noted that proposals focused on the need to retain highly skilled workers such as scientists and engineers and the need for additional temporary agricultural workers do not meet the needs of food processors.
“We are manufacturers, wanting a stable and permanent workforce that can help sustain the rural communities where we do business,” Brown said.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., said that he wants to make sure agricultural employers have a workforce and that he does not want workers coming into the United States to work on farms shifting to other sectors and competing with U.S. workers.
Kashkooli said the UFW’s first priority is “a workable legislation program for the 1 million or more farm workers who are currently working in the fields and their immediate family members with a roadmap to permanent resident status.”
His printed testimony also said that the UFW wants these workers also to have a path to citizenship, but he did not include that part of the sentence in his verbal testimony.
Kashkooli also said that UFW is willing to accept a visa program for temporary workers who are tied to labor contracts, but that the union wants to make sure they have job protections.
Kashkooli said he and Stallman have some differences over definitions to be used in such a program. He also said it is “a euphemism” to call the farm workers “guest workers.” He added, “f they are coming back every year, they should have the right to apply for status.”
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., the ranking member on the House Judiciary Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee, said that, with the UFW willingness to accept a program for temporary workers, “even though we don’t have agreement yet it seems like we have the elements for agreement.”
