A Times Editorial

Trouble in the fields

Gov. Jeb Bush did a good thing by talking to farm-worker representatives last year, but he must do more. The latest dispute between growers and tomato pickers highlights the need for a more permanent solution.

© St. Petersburg Times, published December 21, 1999

When Gov. Jeb Bush was still a candidate last year, he did something remarkable. He went to Immokalee and met for two hours with farm-worker representatives who were part of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.

This might not seem like much, but in a state where agribusiness is king, and where top officials from both major political parties historically have gone out of their way not to converse with the state's poorest, most unprotected workers, Bush's show of concern was commendable.

Bush's gesture of good will was followed up with action. One of Bush's first acts as governor was to pressure growers to raise the piece rate for a 32-pound bucket of tomatoes from 40 cents to 45 cents. It was a concession growers had refused to consider even after a group of workers staged a monthlong hunger strike. But with Bush's influence, a couple of large growers acceded to the increase -- representing the first raise Florida pickers had seen in 20 years.

That step was welcome, but much more needs to be done. Issues surrounding fair labor practices for the state's farm workers have been ignored for so long that triage is no longer enough. If Bush is sincere about helping farm workers' voices be heard, he should support some permanent system that allows workers to organize and bargain collectively. Otherwise, labor unrest is likely to be a constant headache for his administration.

In fact, another stare-down contest between growers and pickers is already underway. In the midst of the winter harvest, hundreds of farm workers walked off the job last week to protest their paltry wages. According to strike organizers, pickers want an increase from 45 cents per bucket to 75 cents. The growers once again are refusing to talk with workers about their demands. The growers especially resent the Coalition, which organized the job action, because they claim the group is a front for a labor union.

Bush has again stepped in to mediate, persuading workers to agree to harvest tomatoes through the first of the year while his administration works at settling the dispute. But plugging holes one by one won't produce a permanent solution. If Bush doesn't set up a mechanism for continuing dispute resolution, he risks being personally drawn into these matters repeatedly. An extra 30 cents per bucket is today's demand, but farm workers who labor without sick pay or health insurance, in fields laden with pesticides, will no doubt make additional claims.

Any settlement to the current strike should lead to a long-term strategy for dealing with labor's legitimate concerns. Any meaningful solution will produce a system that requires employers to meet regularly with farm-worker representatives to establish fair employment practices among all the major growers. Bush's campaign promise to be a governor who cares about the plight of the state's farm workers is about to be put to the test.

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