Here’s an amazing article from the hot-off-the-stands issue of Gourmet magazine, a place I wouldn’t have expected to see this: Politics of the Plate: The Price of Tomatoes.
I’ll include a few more links for you to have a look at, but that’s the main reading, about migrant workers picking tomatoes in Florida for what anyone would call slave wages – in heartbreaking conditions.
To add onto what another student said about having US citizens actually work in these tomatoe farms to see what the government would actually do then…
Maybe that is a good idea. Although, most of us know it will bring up even more conflict, with the civil rights and wages, but, what if the government were to set up a type of program that encourages US citizens to partake in? There are many programs they provide for, let’s say, students to do unpaid internships or do voluntary work and we take them because of the incentives they give.
Maybe the government can give us some benefit (doesn’t even have to be money, maybe course credit!) in helping out these farms so, this way, money wouldn’t be a big issue –> prices of tomatoes (or others products) aren’t going to raise –> may keep illegal immigrants from coming over since there’s an abundance of legal workers.
But then, we will have to get into the discussion that those illegal immigrants contributes so much to the economy. That’s another topic…
This story is very upset and unbelievable. I don’t think that today, the workers are still treated as slaveries who didn’t have any rights to fight back. These people are just illegal immigrants, and they don’t have any benefits, and any help from the goverment because simplly they are illegal. As we discuss, if people are illegal to arrive to U.S, but they provide their roles in the society, those labors are deserved to have any benefits as native do. Similarly, in my country, now many foreign companies invest their business such as expand more factories, hire local people in the countryside… They get paid very cheap and have to work a very long hour. I think that those employers abused the labor, and they just want to increase more benefits for them. Also, there is a discrimination question realated to it. If they hire people from the same country, will they pay higher than those from another country? Now, it’s time to fight back and the government should help those immigrants have the best advantages.
The fact of the matter is that these businesses thrive off paying low wages. If there was to be some kind of intervention the employers would have to shell out three times what they are currently paying, offer salary which would cover the times it rained and so forth they would go out of business. Also these employers should not be allowed to treat people in this manner, whether or not people classify them as “illegal or not.” They should be penalized for their actions. There has to be some kind of middle ground. You have to think, what is fare to the employee and the employer?
I think the government should come up with some kind of worker program that will prevent employers from abusing their power. Also the worker program should help these immigrants to be documented as they are contributing to the economy.
I got shocked when i read the rticle. I can’t believe that how could it happen in the United States. These farmers trade their workers so bad and the terrible working condition. No any benefit for illegal immigrant. their room is like sardines crammed in a tin. They work ten hours a day with the low pay. It is time for government to take an action righ now to protect them.( not protect them), give them fundamental rights.
This story is the proof that we have only advanced as a nation but so much. The new millenium- slavery? That is shocking. It is unfair that because immigrants are so desperate to start a new life, people take advantage of their state. And immigrants ,not knowing their basic human rights, will put up with the abuse. This situation was getting worse before it was getting better. His plans of saving money to send his family wasnt any closer to a reality then it was when he was in his native country. Pitiful
Salary is the second biggest monthly expenditure in a business, second to only rent. If legal americans started working in these situations, their salaries would be nearly triple what illegal americans are paid. Posting huge cut-downs on profits of the business owners, maybe even losses. From a business point of view, these practices are perfectly fine, in fact brilliant. However, looking at it from ethical point of views, less than minimal salaries, no benefits, their houses, rather rooms which they live in are nothing greater than worst. According to ethical guidelines, these businesses are being extremely unfair and unreasonable to illegal immigrant.
i can’t image that today has so many people suffered far way. Although they are illegal to be in u.s., they are really working by their own hands. They have rights to get what they should have. The illegality cannot take away their rights of getting the salaries like others, because when they buy the things, they still pay the tax. They have the same guilty for the social like other american residents otherwise they are illegal. Before i came to U.S., i know U.S. is a place that respect human rights very much, but illegal people are also human beings, no one could get away what they deserved.
( From Xiaoshu Zhu)
I was shock by the phenomena happened in Florida. The people from Mexico came to America for only one reason—to send money to their families back home, but their American dream was broken by the cruel facts. They were forced to work at breakneck speed and only earn little, which even cannot afford their own lives. Besides, they have to live in some tiny and dark room that was actually the back of a box truck in a junk-strewn yard and were also exploited by some bloody landlord. Who can believe the “modern slavery” is alive and well in Florida. Although these Mexicans were mostly illegal immigrants, this is not a reason that they are supposed to suffer these. By the way, they were also working for Americans, Americans will have no tomatoes to eat in winter without these so badly treated workers. Both American people and American government should do something to help them.