Migrant workers or...... (movers, loans, schools)

[8635angelvalley]

Originally Posted by beltrams

My potato farming neighbor (300 +/- acres) said to me a while ago after I bought into the neighborhood that he can't get people to work for him for what he pays because there are so many people on disability and other entitlement programs (Yes, I know that disability, in theory, goes only to people truly disabled, but both he and I know of several recipients that really aren't disabled in the real sense of the word.) By this he meant local people, not immigrants, legal or otherwise. I don't know, off-hand, how many migrant/immigrants he employs.

Didn't the children of Aroostook County used to work the potato harvest? They would start school a little early and then school would close for a couple weeks while they all worked and brought the harvest in. I saw a doc about farming in Maine and they had footage of this-it was very good.

[8635angelvalley]

Originally Posted by tcrackly

The work migrants do is typically back-breaking, requiring long hours, not particularly clean, and not well-paying. Most Mainers over 21 years old feel above or beyond that type of work for many reasons: physical limitations, too high a cost of living, etc.
The face of the migrants changes thru the years, too...it used to be Indians from Canada and around, then lots of Hispanics, now Caribbean peoples. We cannot fault them for being able to make do with less wages. It does irk me that these industries have evolved around such sub standard pay, though.

Take a look at the Dept of Labor notice on these jobs. They are exempt from paying more per hour for overtime and the hours they can be forced to work -they are exempt from lots of things many people take for granted with breaks,pay,hours etc.

[Maine Writer]

Originally Posted by 8635angelvalley

Didn't the children of Aroostook County used to work the potato harvest? They would start school a little early and then school would close for a couple weeks while they all worked and brought the harvest in. I saw a doc about farming in Maine and they had footage of this-it was very good.

They still do.

[bustaduke]

Originally Posted by OutDoorNut

That's nonsense.

I see New York City sanitation workers slinging heavy, dripping, foul smelling bags of garbage into trucks in all kinds of weather--hot and humid, icy and freezing, and yet they do it because they get paid a living wage.

Look at how hard a fireman's job is--very hard, dirty, exhuasting work, done all while risking being burned alive. You think those firemen who were climbing the World Trade Center stairs when the buildings collapsed, weren't wishing they were picking blueberries instead?

American citizens are the hardest working people on the planet.

There are plenty of American citzens that willingly do jobs much nastier than picking tomatoes.

The problem is the illegal immigrants say they will work for less, because illegal immigrants sleep in fields or in bed bug infested flop houses have no house or car payments, no health or car insurance--just the clothes on their backs.

American citizens cannot work for such low wages and still have their families live in civilized conditions.

BS you don't even have a clue.

In the last 15 years Americans sent there kids to college in order to get better jobs. These same kids are now looking for high paying jobs that are not there because their parents and colleges handed them a lne of crap.

Now on to the illegals as yo call them, which the are not. They don't work for lower wages, in fact I pay them over $21 an hour. And they are not illegals as you call them, nor are they Mexicans. GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT before you mouth off.

Moderator cut: no need for that stuff

[bustaduke]

Originally Posted by Three Wolves In Snow

But you see, Outdoor Nut does have a point. (I'm actually agreeing with him!) Migrant workers move around, therefore, do not have the bills that people have when they stay put, in one place.

It's not that Americans won't do the jobs because the work is too hard, it's because what they pay is not conducive to a lifestyle of staying in one place. If you are willing to move around a lot, go from state to state to find work, then you can do it.

How many people want to do that? That doesn't have a thing to do with "entitlement" issues, it has to do with establishing roots and trying to better yourself which is not easy to do when you are constantly moving around to follow the jobs. And the pay works for those who move around with their families and friends, not so much for those who park in one spot and try to establish themselves in their chosen town or city.

Not a clue

[namder1]

busta, many mexicans are illegal. of course they are not alone, many other races are too. it's just that they are the most numerus.

[bangorme]

Originally Posted by beltrams

My potato farming neighbor (300 +/- acres) said to me a while ago after I bought into the neighborhood that he can't get people to work for him for what he pays because there are so many people on disability and other entitlement programs (Yes, I know that disability, in theory, goes only to people truly disabled, but both he and I know of several recipients that really aren't disabled in the real sense of the word.) By this he meant local people, not immigrants, legal or otherwise. I don't know, off-hand, how many migrant/immigrants he employs.

The important words here are "for what he pays." In other words, he uses foreign workers to undercut local wages. Once the decision is made to do this in one operation, that puts every other farmer at a competitive disadvantage. That forces everyone to jettison the local workers and bring in legal and illegal aliens to do the work.

Live a little further south if you want to see how it ends up. Landscaping is a perfect example. When I lived in Georgia, one landscaper told me that he couldn't compete with his competition that were paying illegal aliens 25% of what he had to pay legal workers. Soooo, no more jobs for legal workers. That's what we are seeing here.

[mafriz]

Originally Posted by Three Wolves In Snow

But you see, Outdoor Nut does have a point. (I'm actually agreeing with him!) Migrant workers move around, therefore, do not have the bills that people have when they stay put, in one place.

It's not that Americans won't do the jobs because the work is too hard, it's because what they pay is not conducive to a lifestyle of staying in one place. If you are willing to move around a lot, go from state to state to find work, then you can do it.

How many people want to do that? That doesn't have a thing to do with "entitlement" issues, it has to do with establishing roots and trying to better yourself which is not easy to do when you are constantly moving around to follow the jobs. And the pay works for those who move around with their families and friends, not so much for those who park in one spot and try to establish themselves in their chosen town or city.

Actuality is, for the most part, they do have bills and living expenses on top of what they need to provide for themselves. They are working and sending the majority of their wages home to support their families.

[Maine Writer]

There's a point that should be thought of. Migrant workers aren't the only people in the fields, warehouses and plants. There are Mainers there too. They're traveling, putting in long days and earning a living. If you don't make enough money making wreaths, tipping or raking blueberries - work faster. These jobs aren't all paid by the hour, they're paid by the piece or pound.

To say that people who live here aren't working these jobs because they can't make a living is an insult to those who do, and do it well. I know people who start working along with migrants in July and earn enough by the end of wreath season to last them the rest of the year. Their homes and vehicles are paid for because they've made intelligent choices.

Don't discount the people you know nothing of based on second-hand information. You can't make these kind of blanket statements accurately, and you expose your lack of knowledge.

[Jellybean50]

Originally Posted by mafriz

Actuality is, for the most part, they do have bills and living expenses on top of what they need to provide for themselves. They are working and sending the majority of their wages home to support their families.

Yep, true. I was a window clerk at the post office in a farming town and they bought many, many money orders to send home from me.