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Remember the farm workers, Mr. BushBy © St. Petersburg Times, published November 8, 1998 One of his constituencies -- thousands of farm workers -- have been praying for a "new way" for generations. As the year 2000 approaches, the marginalization of farm workers continues, even though they have been instrumental in building Florida's wealth. Why have these workers and their problems remained mostly invisible to other Floridians? Why, for example, are most residents unaware that, on June 30, a half-century of muck farming ended around Lake Apopka, throwing more than 2,270 farm laborers out of work in a single region? Most are legal immigrants, some U.S. citizens, and most have lived in the area at least 10 years. Many are elderly blacks born in Apopka. The majority will have to find new housing, and all of them, including a handful of blacks in their 70s, are seeking new jobs. No man-made work shutdown of this size has occurred in the state in recent memory, but the Republican-controlled Legislature has done little to help these people. Cindy Hahamovitch, a history professor at the College of William and Mary and author of The Fruits of Their Labor: Atlantic Coast Farmworkers and the Making of Migrant Poverty, 1870-1945, said, "The closing of an agricultural industry is very much like the closing of an auto plant or a steel mill. But it's even worse for agricultural workers because they live so close to subsistence. Median income is between $7,500 and $10,000 a year." Why such a lack of interest from lawmakers? Outgoing state Rep. Keith Arnold, whose district includes the vegetable-growing area of Lee County, knows why: "Farm workers, by and large, are not from America, don't speak our language, don't understand our customs and are exploited. They are people who are not registered to vote. For many elected officials, unfortunately, there's no political value in going out and listening to the issues of farm workers." Farm workers' biggest problem is low income. It should be raised and new laws written to regulate fairness. Tomato pickers, for instance, toil under a piece-work system that, on average, pays a mere 40 cents a bucket. Tomato growers claim that pickers do not need a wage hike because they average $8 to $10 per hour. Agricultural economists say this claim is misleading, in part, because workers are not paid when they do not pick. And during July and August, most workers must migrate to find work, further cutting into their income-producing hours. Arnold thinks that the state should pass a minimum wage rate higher than the federal rate. And that rate must apply to farm workers. "Some farmers will say that such a move will put them out of business," Arnold said. "If you have to stay in business by exploiting people in America, then you ought not to be in business." In addition to raising and protecting farm workers' wages, lawmakers in Tallahassee and Washington should pass legislation giving farm workers the right to bargain collectively. They still are not covered under the National Federal Labor Relations Act, and, unlike in California, farm workers in Florida do not have the legal right to collective bargaining. "If two farm workers are found talking to each other about how they might approach their employer to get a higher wage, they could be fired," said Steve Hitov, attorney in the Lakeland Office of Florida Rural Legal Services and counsel for the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. "The Florida Legislature and the governor could change that pretty quickly." Besides low wages and the inability to organize, the crew leader system perpetuates farm worker abuse. Under this system, growers contract all harvest work to the crew chief, absolving themselves of the responsibilities of housing, feeding, supervising and even directly paying their workers. Advocates argue that the work and living conditions of farm workers would vastly improve if legislators made growers, not crew leaders, responsible for the welfare of the people in their fields and groves. Nothing will change, Hitov said, if elected officials, especially the governor and the agriculture secretary, along with average citizens, do not change their attitudes toward farm work. "People need to begin to consider farm work to be the real job that it is. The days of family farms and neighborhood pickers are gone. Every single grower in the Immokalee tomato dispute, for instance, is a corporation. And all the pickers pick for a living, not for extra money. "Once you see it is a job, there is no justification for treating people who do farm work for a living any differently than you treat a person who punches a clock, goes into a factory, makes auto parts, punches the clock at the end of the day and goes home with a modicum of respect." In September, Bush traveled to Immokalee and, for two hours, listened to the grievances of the coalition. "They told me that they have been struggling to earn a decent wage," Bush said. "These are very good, noble, hard-working people. I'm here to collect all of the information I can, so that I can determine the role the governor can play. "My hope is that everyone here today and all residents of Florida can earn a decent wage and be able to provide for their kids, be able to get adequate health care. Part of the reason that I aspire to serve is to create the best possible climate for the greatest number of people, so that they can pursue their dreams independently. And part of that is getting a good wage." These were good words on the campaign trail, and farm workers will not forget the visit. "We hope that his words now turn into deeds as soon as possible," said Lucas Benitez, a coalition leader. "We want the new Gov. Bush to realize that the state is made up of not just growers and other big business people but also of workers in the fields and other tough jobs. We noticed yesterday in accepting his victory, Mr. Bush said that he would look out for the interests big and small businesses. But he said nothing about farm workers." Bush has a great opportunity to treat farm workers and their problems in a "new way." He and his party will be in solid control of state government and will be free to pass legislation that can improve the plight of one of the state's most valuable work forces. Throughout the election, Bush said that he will create a Florida that will include everyone. Only his actions, including his transition team choices and his permanent appointments, will show that he also was referring to farm workers.
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uring his acceptance speech Tuesday night in Miami, Florida's governor-elect, Republican Jeb Bush, promised to do "things the new way."
