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Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Labor and Immigration”
The House of Representatives Wednesday took action to avert a pending rail strike. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, on the house floor Wednesday, stated, “A shutdown would grind our economy to a halt, and every family would feel the strain,” while adding, “Small businesses wouldn’t be able to get their products to market. Many of them, as I say, farmers.” National …
A key railroad workers’ union says it won’t go on strike after November 19. The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way – Employees Division says it will hold off on any type of action until early December. Freight Waves Dot Com says that will give railroads more time to come up with their best offer without the pressure of an imminent …
Reports are saying a U.S. railway strike is imminent after the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen union voted last week against ratification of the National Tentative Agreement reached on September 15. Just over 60% of their voting members voted not to approve. The BRS negotiated this round of bargaining as a member of the Coordinated Bargaining Coalition (CBC) and later the United Rail …
Florida’s Local Working Group (LWG) meeting schedule for Fiscal Year 2023 has been announced by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The NRCS and local Soil and Water Conservation Districts host the LWG meetings, where input and recommendations are discussed to develop solutions using Farm Bill programs. The LWGs provide recommendations to USDA on criteria for conservation activities and programs, and …
Lawmakers led by Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) recently asked U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to investigate the flood of surplus agricultural products from Mexico. The request, filed as a petition under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, says actions by Mexico over the last two decades have burdened and restricted U.S. commerce. The lawmakers say that for …
The Agriculture Workforce Coalition is calling on the Senate to pass an agriculture workforce reform bill this Congress. The coalition sent a letter to Senate leaders this week, which was signed by dozens of agricultural organizations including the American Farm Bureau Federation, the International Fresh Produce Association, the National Farmers Union, and several associations from states where ag labor is …
Three of the biggest poultry processors in the U.S. will settle claims by the Justice Department over their alleged efforts to work together to drive down employee compensation. Reuters said Cargill, Sanderson Farms, and Wayne Farms agreed to pay a combined $84 million in restitution to workers harmed by their alleged information sharing in order to settle civil antitrust lawsuits. …
The American Fruit Growers held its annual State of the Industry survey. Labor was a big topic in the survey, and one-third of the respondents say it’s not an issue for them, at least not yet. Growing Produce says they typically have a stable team of employees, and in 20 percent of those cases, it includes family members. For the …
When ag labor costs rise, specialty crop growers are usually among those hit hardest. Now, a new USDA report goes in-depth on how fruit and vegetable growers are handling the higher costs of labor. The report says farm labor costs increased from 2010-19 for several reasons, including fewer newly-arrived unauthorized workers, rising State minimum wages, and new requirements to pay …
Do undocumented immigrants have access to SNAP benefits? That was a topic of discussion at the recent House Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations hearing on SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Funding for the program is included in the farm bill, and the hearing was part of the committee’s work on the 2023 farm bill. …
