Congress 'Solves' Farmworker Shortage, Ignores Wage Theft
Mainstream media wants us to believe Congress is earnestly seeking 'solutions' for the US farmworker shortage. According to Bloomberg, these solutions involve 'immigration reform ideas' from lawmakers in farming districts. One might wonder why those same legislators haven't considered enforcing existing labor laws or, perhaps, increasing wages for grueling, indispensable work. (The average
farmworker wage, according to the USDA, was $17.62/hour in 2022—just below the national average for all occupations.) The issue isn't a 'shortage' of people willing to work; it's a shortage of employers willing to pay a living wage or provide basic protections. Instead of tackling documented wage theft and horrific working conditions, Congress, as usual, prefers to tinker with immigration policy—a
convenient dodge that keeps labor cheap for agricultural giants, many of whom donate generously to, you guessed it, key political campaigns. How many 'creative solutions' will bypass fair pay and human dignity entirely?